WATCH: Ulster orchestra perform 50 performances in one day

In addition to full orchestral performances at 1pm in Victoria Square Shopping Centre and again at 6.30pm in St Anne’s Cathedral, members also helped mark Northern Ireland’s symphony orchestra’s golden anniversary in some offbeat locations.

Staff at the News Letter were wowed by a 3.30pm impromptu performance in the reception of the Metro building in Belfast.

And passers-by at key city (and some quirky) locations were also wowed as members of the Orchestra played in a number of different locations including business premises, hotels, schools, universities, hospitals, cafes, museums and arts centres.

For 50 years the Ulster Orchestra has been at the forefront of musical life in Northern Ireland. Founded in 1966, the Orchestra first performed the bright and optimistic sound of Mozart’s ‘Marriage of Figaro’ to a captive audience in Belfast City Hall. Taking their audience on a journey through the decades, the band of professional, full-time musicians have brought the world’s finest artists to Ulster and have toured the world performing classical music at the highest standard.

Richard Wigley, Managing Director, Ulster Orchestra said; “We are pulling out all the stops to make our fiftieth birthday season a striking musical celebration for the people of Northern Ireland. The fifty locations of the pop-up performances cover a wide spread of locations and communities across Belfast, which will mark the occasion as one of the most memorable in the history of the Orchestra.

“The musicians of the Orchestra are local people and take great delight in performing for fellow citizens; we’re looking forward to our birthday pop-up performances that will entertain and surprise members of the public, spreading joy and delight as we celebrate our golden year.”