Mr Pickwick, open-mic music and even matrimonial bliss will all be on the agenda as Holy Trinity Church makes a varied contribution to Hull Trinity Festival and the launch in the city of Purple Flag Week.
Normal weekend services will also be taking place in the Church, and with the festival on its doorstep in Trinity Square there is an open invitation for music fans to join the congregation.
Holy Trinity Church has hosted its own live music shows in recent years and would normally play a more prominent part in the Hull Trinity Festival, which runs from Friday 20 September until Sunday 22 September and features top local bands plus national headliners Dodgy and King Charles.
But with a full programme of other activities the Church will instead lead open-mic nights on Friday and Sunday in the nearby Kingston Hotel, while enjoying the co-operation of the festival organisers.
On Saturday, King Charles will bring proceedings to an end on the main stage by about 7pm, with some festival-goers expected to then enjoy live music indoors at various pubs and café bars in the Old Town while others take a pew inside Holy Trinity Church to enjoy The Trials and Tribulations of Mr Pickwick at 7.30pm.
The play, performed by Nigel Nevinson, has attracted rave reviews from the Brighton Fringe and the Edinburgh Fringe and – on a day when Holy Trinity is also the venue for a wedding – sees Mr Pickwick facing a trial for breach of promise of marriage.
On the Sunday the programme on the main stage will adopt a low-key, acoustic approach to coincide with the 4pm service which is a new addition to the Church schedule.
Rev Matt Woodcock, Pioneer Minister at Holy Trinity Church, said: “This service will take place once a month and we wanted the first one to coincide with Hull Trinity Festival because we love music and we like the idea of people worshipping inside and being able to hear the music and enjoyment outside.
“After the service we’re planning to rock the night away at the main stage and then in the Kingston Hotel or one of the other live music venues.
“On the Saturday there’s a wedding in the Church and the couple are very excited that their special event will be followed by a big music festival. We’re just really happy that HullBID are doing their best to inject some more life into the Old Town and support the businesses in the area.”
Hull Trinity Festival, now in its third year, is being organised by HullBID with support from The Warren and is one of the launch events for Purple Flag Week, which celebrates the success of the city in gaining recognition as a destination for a safe and enjoyable night out.
Purple Flag Week will then run until Sunday September 29 with activities being planned throughout the city centre to demonstrate the variety and quality of the evening economy.
The live music in the pubs will kick off on the evening of Friday 20 September and the main stage will burst into life from 2pm Saturday 21 September. King Charles, a singer-songwriter who has supported Laura Marling, Noah and the Whale and Mumford and Sons, will be the final act at about 6pm, after which the entertainment will continue in the pubs and café bars.
On the Sunday, the Debutants will open the main stage at 1pm and will be followed by a programme of local bands until Dodgy close the proceedings at about 8pm. Again, the live music will continue in the pubs and café bars.
Dennis Wann of The Sailmakers Arms, in High Street, Hull, said: “The Hull Trinity Festival is a great idea. It will provide an opportunity for local musicians and it will support pubs in the city centre.
“It’s also a good fit with our own live music programme. We have a jam session every Sunday night hosted by Tim O’Connor and hopefully we’ll get a few more people in as a result of the festival. We also have an open mic night every Wednesday and the message we want to get across is that you don’t have to wait for a festival to enjoy live music in the Old Town – there’s something going on all the time.”
Ye Olde Corn Exchange in North Church Side will present live music on all three nights of the festival and is also planning a treat for fans of more traditional sounds in the shape of a vinyl disco.
Helen Scruton, who manages the pub with husband Adam, said: “We have live bands on every Friday and an open mic every Wednesday and we hope the festival will help us to promote those nights.
“After the bands on the Saturday we’re planning a vinyl disco until about 2am. We’re not sure what sort of music will be played – it depends what we can get hold of so if people want to bring some in they’ll be welcome.”
Kathryn Shillito, HullBID City Centre Manager, said: “Hull Trinity Festival is now established in the city centre’s impressive portfolio of free, live events and this year’s programme breaks new ground with the quality of performers and the introduction of the main stage.
“Our activities are all about attracting people to enjoy our city centre and we hope many of the people visiting the festival will also attend the events in the Church as well as the live music in the bars around the Old Town.
“It’s the perfect event to close the outdoor festival season in the city centre and to launch Purple Flag Week. To be awarded a Purple Flag is a great achievement and one which can be claimed by only 36 towns and cities in the UK, only three of which are in Yorkshire, so we’re putting together a programme of events to celebrate that success.”
Further information:
Mr Pickwick: http://www.angelamarshall.net/getcontent.php?type=event
Hull Trinity Festival: http://www.facebook.com/hulltrinityfestival
