Lyme Regis: Music makers to hit seafront for Busking Festival (From Bridport and Lyme Regis News)
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Lyme Regis: Music makers to hit seafront for Busking Festival
11:00am Wednesday 5th September 2012 in Lyme Regis By Rene Gerryts
A group of youngsters perform on the seafront as part of B Sharp’s Beside the Seaside busking festival last year
ORGANISERS hope that the Lyme Regis Busking Festival hosted by B Sharp and Lyme Regis ArtsFest will be more popular than ever.
Running over the weekend of September 15 and 16, the event will include the return of the ‘Play Me Piano’ in the Shelters performance area on Marine Parade as well as lots of musicians of all ages all around town.
The festival, which started as a response to the requests of young buskers in Lyme, is an important fundraiser for B Sharp.
It has grown each year and is now an established event in the Lyme Regis calendar with the support of the town council.
The Busking Festival is a chance for players and singers to have fun and make music al fresco in the town and organisers are hoping more people than ever will get involved.
Buskers donate 20 per cent of their takings, or in many cases donating all of them, to B Sharp.
Organiser Fran Williams said: “These all-important funds go into the pot to help pay for young people’s music making.”
Chef Mark Hix will be helping by cooking alongside the piano in the performance area on Saturday 15 between 2pm and 3pm.
Last year nearly 100 people played the piano over the two days and organisers are hoping to beat this figure by as much as possible.
B Sharp music leader Pete Wild said: “Last September we came across a lot of very interesting people who played some lovely piano and some real surprises too.
“There were people here on holiday, locals, the very old and the very young and loads in the middle. I urge anyone who is interested to get in touch and come and play.”
The B Sharp team is trying to get the best piano possible to put on Marine Parade and are asking the public to help.
Mr Wild added: “We are approaching professional musicians, bands and music businesses to see if they can help.
“But if anyone out there has a particularly good piano they want to lend us for the weekend we will take very good care of it and will organise the moving with a professional removals company.
“Last year Derek Cozens kindly did this for us, this year it will be Mewes Moves.”
The tenth annual ArtsFest extravaganza is lifting for its nine day run on Saturday, September 8.
The extravaganza will feature a host of events, activities, entertainment, workshops and exhibitions.
There will be seven different exhibitions during ArtsFest in and around Lyme Regis.
Anyone who wants to book a slot on the piano should contact Mr Wild at petewild@bsharp.uk.com or call 01297 560030.
For busking pitches and other enquiries contact Ms Williams at franwilliams@bsharp.uk.com Visit bsharp.uk.com
