News

Surrey House opens its doors to host unique Chamber Orchestra Anglia concert on 14th December – tickets still available

Monday, 5th December 2011

12 concerts, 12 buildings, 12 months...

The second concert in Chamber Orchestra Anglia's (COA) 10^th anniversary series takes place at Surrey House, the historic home of Aviva, on December 14 at 7.30pm. The monthly concerts are taking place in each of the Norwich 12 buildings to celebrate the Orchestra's 10^th birthday, and are being organised in collaboration with Norwich Heritage Economic and Regeneration Trust (HEART).

The December 14 concert takes place in the atrium of the Edwardian building and is dubbed 'An Italian Serenade' in celebration of the venue's stunning Italian marble interior. The specially selected programme of Italian themed music includes Boccherini's 'String Quartet in C major,' Puccini's 'Cristantemi,' Wolf's 'Italian Serenade in G major,' and Tchaikovsky's 'Souvenir de Florence.'

Christine Frazer, Director of Property and Facilities at Aviva said: 'Aviva is proud to host the Chamber Orchestra Anglia's exciting concert celebrating the historic Marble Hall, one of the twelve buildings comprising the Norwich 12.  The programme has been specifically designed to celebrate the building's heritage and Italian marble for which it is known.'

Tickets cost £15 and include a free glass of wine. There is also the opportunity for a free pre-concert tour of Marble Hall in Surrey House at 6.30pm, subject to availability. Tickets are available from the Norwich Theatre Royal Box Office, in person, by phone (01603 630000) or online via www.chamberorchestraanglia.co.uk.

The concert follows last month's inaugural event at The Forum, Norwich's landmark Millennium building, which was also celebrating its 10^th birthday.

Further concerts in the series are scheduled for January 14 (The Guildhall, Caley's Cocoa Café) and February 3 (St Andrew's Hall featuring Griff Rhys Jones). For up-to-date information on the programme see www.chamberorchestraanglia.co.uk.

Michael Loveday, Chief Executive of Norwich HEART, said: 'Last month's concert at The Forum was a fantastic start for the series of 12 concerts taking place over the next 12 months. It is a great opportunity for people to enjoy good music and have a tour of Norwich's most impressive venues, some of which aren't always open to the general public. Surrey House is a working building, so allowing the public in, and using the building in such a unique way is very exciting.'

Chamber Orchestra Anglia's key aims are to forge new links and relationships with other art forms and scientific disciplines and present inspiring and accessible classical concerts. The orchestra's artistic director and principal conductor, Sharon Andrea Choa is Director of Music at UEA and conductor of the UEA Symphony Orchestra. The leader of the orchestra is Simon Smith, an outstanding violinist who has performed extensively as a soloist with the Philharmonia Orchestra, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and the Academy of St Martin in the Fields.

Sharon Andrea Choa, COA founder and Artistic Director, said: 'We are thrilled to be playing at Surrey House to celebrate its magnificent Marble Hall and the beautiful, newly-constructed Atrium. I would like to thank Aviva and Norwich HEART for their support and look forward to a full house on the night.'

This event forms part of HEART's SHAPING 24 project, a cultural heritage and tourism initiative which takes forward the Norwich 12 project with 12 heritage sites in the Belgian city of Ghent. The project seeks to maximise the access and enjoyment of the 24 sites, raise the profile of Norwich and Ghent as significant cultural heritage cities and increase awareness of the longstanding historical links between this part of England and the Low Countries. SHAPING 24 is funded by the European Union's European Regional Development Fund (INTERREG IVA 2 Seas Cross-border Cooperation Programme 2007-2013).

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Notes to editors

Chamber Orchestra Anglia (COA) founder and Artistic Director Sharon Choa is available for media interviews.

For more information about COA please contact Paul Dickson on 01603 666011 or 07801 103737.

For more information about Norwich HEART please contact Lindsey Roffe, Communications Manager at Norwich HEART on 01603 599570 or email lindseyroffe@heritagecity.org,

About Norwich HEART

Norwich Heritage Economic and Regeneration Trust (HEART) is a private, charitable trust set up to act as an umbrella organisation for all of the heritage on offer in Norwich. We strategically plan, regenerate, manage and promote Norwich's heritage and act as a best practice model internationally for developing heritage as a social and economic regeneration vehicle. HEART receives core funding from Norwich City Council and further project funding from a variety of sources which has to date included the European Union, HM Treasury, the East of England Development Agency and Norfolk County Council.

Norwich 12 and SHAPING 24 are initiatives by HEART.

www.heritagecity.org

About Norwich 12

Norwich 12 is the UK's finest collection of individually outstanding heritage buildings spanning the Norman, Georgian, Victorian and modern eras, offering walks and tours; visitor attractions; exhibitions; music and performances; cafes and restaurants; and gift shops. It is a pioneering heritage concept that is developing 12 of the city's iconic buildings into an integrated family of heritage attractions which will act as an internationally important showcase of English urban and cultural development over the last 1,000 years.

Norwich 12 comprises: Norwich Castle, Norwich Cathedral, The Great Hospital, The Halls - St Andrew's and Blackfriars', The Guildhall, Dragon Hall, The Assembly House, St James Mill, The Cathedral of St John the Baptist, Surrey House, City Hall and The Forum.

Norwich 12 is an initiative by Norwich HEART, which secured £1 million from the Treasury's Invest to Save Budget for the project to initially run 2006-9. The ERDF funding allows this initiative to be developed until 2011.

www.norwich12.co.uk

About SHAPING 24

SHAPING 24 - Strategies for Heritage Access Pathways in Norwich and Ghent - is a new cultural tourism initiative that links together the 12 heritage sites in Norwich that make up Norwich 12, with 12 heritage sites in Ghent. The project seeks to promote and support the 24 sites, raise the profile of Norwich and Ghent as significant cultural heritage cities and increase awareness of the longstanding historical links between this part of England and the Low Countries. By working together, the two cities will benefit from the experiences and professional expertise in both cities, and will be able to apply innovative approaches to the challenges facing historic cities.

SHAPING 24 is being led by HEART with Ghent City Council as the partner organisation. The project is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund from the European Union's INTERREG IVA 2 Mers Seas Zeeën Cross-border Cooperation Programme 2007-2013. The total value of SHAPING 24 is €4.5m, of which Norwich's share is €2.3m, which includes match funding from a variety of organisations.

www.shaping24.eu