A MUSICIAN who grew up in Fingringhoe has revealed how the Roman River Festival is helping historic venues.
Orlando Jopling, 52, is a cellist, conductor and artistic director of Wild Arts.
The Essex-based charity was launched in 2022 to make music enjoyable and available to all, as well as leading to positive environmental change.
Orlando, who now lives in London, has been part of the Roman River Festival, which is celebrating 24 years, for more than 15 years.
He said: “The thing about Colchester is that it's got a theatre, it's got an arts centre and it's got an art gallery, but there’s no concert hall so we have to be inventive and find new spaces.
“So, we celebrate and use and bring to life some of Colchester's amazing built heritage.”
Orlando said classical music works well in old buildings such as churches as there is no amplification, and that over the years they played in the old Queen Street bus depot before it was demolished, and the Attic Nightclub on the High Street.
Orlando said the ‘Messiah’ has often been performed at St Peter’s Church at the top of North Hill, where composer George Frideric Handel's music was performed during the 1740s and 1750s.
Orlando is to perform with poet Ant Roberts in Colchester's Victorian water tower Jumbo.
He said: “I think the acoustics are actually going to be really good in there because they are great surfaces to bounce the sound off.
“It'll work perfectly both for spoken word and for the music that I'm going to play. We've got a team of people to help get the audience up there and it’s a one-off experience to go up there.”
Orlando will play a variety of music, ranging from Bach to contemporary music, while Ant Roberts will be performing poetry he wrote during lockdown.
Asked about the impact the festival has promoting historic venues, Orlando said: “I’ve often done concerts in churches where the religious side of things is dwindling.
“You do a concert, and the church is suddenly packed. And there are some other spaces in Colchester which are kind of derelict that could be brought to life with music.”
Orlando said the Roman River Festival is one of many cultural events that keeps Colchester thriving.
He said: “Our speciality is going to unexpected places. We've even done a concert on board one of those beautiful old Thames barges while it was in full sail.
“But again, if there was a concert hall, it doesn't need to be a huge one, just a small space where you can have live music on the High Street.
"It would just help fill in that missing piece of that of the puzzle there.”
The Roman River Festival takes place from September 22-29. For full listings, visit wildarts.org.uk/roman-river-festival.
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