Make A Joyful Noise
SARAH MILNE
Henry Ward Hall, formerly Opus, reopens with a community concert and the launch of a Hastings music archive.
On 1 July of this year, His Place Community Centre will reopen to the public as the first phase of Heritage Lottery Restoration repairs come to an end. Robertson Street Congregational Church, now His Place, was once at the heart of music performance and education in Hastings. It hosted performances from choirs, such as the Hastings Girls’ Choir, in the 1950s and provided affordable music lessons for children across the town. Alongside extensive building work, the grant funded the Make a Joyful Noise project, with music workshops and research into the history of music across Hastings between 1800 and 1960.
His Place is celebrating the culmination of this project with two concerts in the newly named Henry Ward Hall, formally Opus Theatre. The evening will include performances from partner organisations in the project, Hastings Philharmonic Choir, Hastings Philharmonic Orchestra, Hastings International Piano Concerto, alongside talented singers, and musicians on behalf of the Hastings Musical festival.
In the afternoon, the stage will be given to the children who have taken part in workshops including song writing, and a group of Ukrainian children who have been receiving free guitar and recorder lessons. They will be joined by local bands, singers, and rappers and the Let’s Ballet Ensemble, Silver Swans.
A brand new Hastings Music Heritage Hub will be launched on the day: a digital, community archive preserving the musical heritage of Hastings. The hub has been loaded with fascinating stories, including oral histories of military band performances at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, sell-out concerts given by the German prisoner of war orchestra following WW2, and the Hastings Girls’ Choir performing at the Royal Variety Show. Programs and posters of many performances have also been added to the hub by project partners. From 1 July, everyone will be able to view and add their own photos, programs, and memories of our town’s rich music heritage to the archive.
The Make a Joyful Noise concerts will be held at Henry Ward Hall, Roberson Street with a community show at 14.00 and the evening show at 19.00. There will also be a bar and an opportunity to see and try the new, online Heritage music Hub. Entry is free, with donations welcome.
The Hastings Music Heritage Hub will be live from 1 July at hastingsmusicheritage.org.uk
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