Take it to the bridge: Music recorded beneath crossing
It is one of the busiest stretches of road in Europe, carrying 150,000 vehicles a day across the River Clyde.
Now Glasgow’s Kingston Bridge is taking on an unlikely new identity as a classical music venue.
The 50-year-old structure has become an al-fresco venue for a performance of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons in response to the pandemic’s impact on performing arts.
Classical musicians have embarked on a performance project which they hope will conclude next year with a live performance under the structure to an audience.
The project, entitled Under The Bridge, is part of a wider project named After the Pandemic, a collaborative forum hosted by Glasgow creative organisation Lateral North. They’ve invited artists to reimagine the city’s future post-covid.
Organiser Graham Hogg said: “We wanted to provide a space and a sense of hope for musicians and performing artists, because we don’t expect there to be concerts between now and April.”
Under The Bridge is being recorded as a film, with musician Sarah Wagner performing all parts of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons with students from the city’s Royal Conservatoire, charting not only the changing seasons, but the changes in social restrictions. Mr Hogg said: “We’re going to record autumn, winter and spring in the hope that we’ll publish a full-length film, reflecting the change in seasons and also the guidelines.”
Lateral North are in discussions with national arts organisations to bring a range of performers to the car park below the bridge.
Ms Wagner said: “It was exciting to play under the bridge during lockdown – you could actually hear birds singing.”