Fierce: Sky Orchestra

The Fierce Festival website has been redesigned and updated for the current year (by local agency MadeMedia) so it’s time for me to start highlighting some of the rather mad events taking place.

First up, at some point in the middle of next week, is the Sky Orchestra…

Reprising their performance at Fierce! 2004 – which has become one of the most talked-about events in the festival’s history – the hot air balloons of the Sky Orchestra will once again take to the skies to play a subliminal symphony as dawn breaks across Birmingham. However, this year will be their most spectacular performance yet as – instead of having a pre-recorded score broadcast through loadspeakers – this time it will be played by live musicians from the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. Devised by the artist Luke Jerram and developed in collaboration with composer Dan Jones and members of the CBSO, this will be the Sky Orchestra’s third flight of fancy at Fierce! following their 2004 premiere and their performance for ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ in Stratford-upon-Avon in collaboration with the Royal Shakespeare Company last year.

Just in case that didn’t register I’ll summarise.

CBSO musicians playing live in hot air balloons at dawn.

Takes place at Summerfield Park, Edgbaston at 6am on either Tuesday 8 / Wednesday 9 / Thursday 10 May (depending on weather conditions)

Here’s a map. It’s on City Road on the 11 bus route (if it’s running at that time) by the reservoir.

Also worth noting you can download their somewhat sexy poster as a high res jpeg suitable for desktopping.