A TEES VALLEY music hub has tuned into one of the world’s newest must-see tourist attractions by donating instruments to be used in the production.
The Tees Valley Music Service (TVMS), lead partner of the TVMS Music Education Hub which teaches music to thousands of children, has donated a number of brass instruments to ‘Kynren – an epic tale of England’ which is set to open in Bishop Auckland on July 2.
The Stockton on Tees based service, which provides instrumental and vocal tuition across four partner authorities of Stockton on Tees, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough and Redcar and Cleveland has donated instruments which are no longer fit for purpose, including baritone horns, cornets, a Euphonium and an African drum, to be used in a miner’s gala scene.
The show will take place on a 7.5 acre stage in Bishop Auckland and every aspect, from performance, technical, stage management, costume, visitor welcome, animal husbandry, to landscaping and maintenance – will be delivered by more than 1,000 volunteers from the local community.
The £31m Eleven Arches project is part of the vision of philanthropist and investment manager, Jonathan Ruffer to establish Bishop Auckland as a visitor destination in the North of England. The Eleven Arches concept is inspired by Puy du Fou, who, over the course of 37 years, has completely transformed the fortunes of the Vendee region, France. Kynren has already been included in the Rough Guides’ Top 10 new tourist attractions and the Guardian Travel’s hotlist of worldwide travel destinations.
Alan Rutter, support service manager at Tees Valley Music Service, said: “We’re delighted to donate instruments to ‘Kynren’ and it’s great to be able to give a second life to many of the instruments that will be used as props throughout the production.
“We are part funded by the Arts Council and as such we are keen to reach out and support other local arts events. ‘Kynren’ is a fantastic example of how we can do that and we’re thrilled to be able to play a part in bringing music to the stage in what is set to be a spectacular event in Bishop Auckland.
“We’re all really looking forward to seeing the show and our pieces being used on the stage.”
Raphaêl Daguet, stage designer for Eleven Arches’ artistic partner Puy du Fou and assistant show producer for ‘Kynren’, who is leading the hunt for the historic props, said: “We’re really grateful for TVMS’s unique donations which will be used to portray life during 1920.
“Wherever possible, we are sourcing locally to ensure the show is historically authentic and it’s fantastic to have the support of local businesses in helping to bring to life this epic journey through British history.”
For further information on the show and the roles on offer, visit www.elevenarches.org and the Twitter feed #Kynren.