Music Library Gigs & Workshop Highlights

The Henry Watson Music Library at Central Library has hosted a feast of activities in recent weeks.

From amazing multi-lingual DJ Workshops thanks to the 嘢嘢YardYard collective, to author in-conversation events about a new Led Zeppelin book, the launch of our new Lunchtime Library Choir, to a packed-out gig from rising indie stars The Fleecers; the library has been alive with sound and activity.

A group of four individuals interacting with music equipment at a table in a library setting, with ornate wooden architecture in the background.
A spacious interior with wooden walls featuring ornate decorations. Two individuals are sitting at a table with laptops and electronic equipment. A projector screen displaying 'CENTRAL LIBRARY' is positioned behind them, with sound equipment nearby.
A group of five people, including a man and four women, gathered around a table equipped with music production equipment in a spacious room decorated with wooden panels and a stained glass emblem.
A group of young adults gathered around a DJ setup in a library, with one person actively mixing music while others observe.

April saw London-based Chinese arts collective 嘢嘢YardYard (pictured above) debut their “Pendulum世界术” interactive workshop at Manchester Central Library. A multilingual workshop, this innovative session offered support for rising DJs of all abilities in both English and Chinese. Featuring a special interactive DJ workshop tutorial for all ages and abilities, there was also an experimental live set from Yewen Jin and YUNA阿尘, plus an impressive audio-visual DJ set from tongktongktong.

A woman stands at the front of a room reading from a sheet of paper, while attendees sit in chairs facing her, holding their own papers. The room features wooden walls and decorative panels.

Earlier in the month saw the launch of the brand new Lunchtime Library Choir (pictured above). Led by the highly talented Sarah Adams (Choirs Manchester), the choir invited singers of all abilities to a feel-good group session aimed at boosting the day. With an ethos that is all about setting a relaxed atmosphere to enjoy singing together, each session comprises 45 minutes of warm-ups and an arrangement of a well-known tune. For the first month, those in attendance delivered a sublime version of George Ezra’s “Shotgun” – check it out below.

The Lunchtime Library Choir sing “Shotgun” by George Ezra

The next Lunchtime Library Choir will be on Tuesday 19 May at 12.30 – all are welcome, public and staff! Details here: Library Lunchtime Choir – Library Live

A band performing live in a spacious, ornate room with wooden panels. Two musicians are on stage, one playing a guitar and the other singing, while an audience of young people watches attentively.

On 25 April, the Henry Watson was electrified by the sounds of emergent indie band: The Fleecers (pictured above). Hailing from Cheadle, the band have already seen their debut single “Home” rack up over 100,000 plays and its easy to see why. Pulling a huge crowd at the Music Library for a special mid-afternoon Saturday slot, the band rifled through a mix of classic covers from Stereophonics, Camera Obscura, and Oasis, while delivering a rousing version of “Home” to the animated crowd. Watch the video of “Home” live – below:

The Fleecers play “Home” live in the HWML

Plus, continuing the recent series of Music Q&As with notable authors in the Henry Watson Music Library, publisher of Spenwood Books, Richard Houghton, popped by to talk all things Led Zeppelin. Discussing his book “Whole Lotta Love: Led Zeppelin – A People’s History” with tune snippets and chat about the immortal rock band, Richard took time to share anecdotes of writing the book and his own Knebworth experiences, while listening to fascinating stories of the audience’s own encounters with the band in Manchester.

A panel discussion taking place between two speakers seated in armchairs, surrounded by a wooden interior with tall columns, and an audience in the foreground.

Richard will be returning to the Library to host Q&As about Black Sabbath with Keith Kahn-Harris, and The Smiths with Iain Key.

For the full programme of events at the Henry Watson Music Library, head to https://librarylive.co.uk/

If you are a musician or performer and are interested in using the Henry Watson Music Library for your event, contact: henrywatsonmusiclibrary@manchester.gov.uk

Related Posts

Discover more from Manchester Libraries Blog

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading