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Singing River launches Royal Festival Hall Overture weekend

London SE1 website team

A barge carrying 300 singers from Tower Bridge to Festival Pier marked the start of a weekend of free events to celebrate the refurbished Royal Festival Hall.

Singing River
The Singing River barge began its journey at Tower Bridge
Fireboat
The Singing River barge was preceded by a fireboat
Singing River
Approaching London Bridge
Singing River
Millennium Bridge
Singing River
Passing St Paul's
Singing River
The 300 singers on the barge were complemented by 500 more on the terrace of the RFH
Singing River
Soloists with megaphones were dotted around the nearby bridges and piers
Overture @ RFH
Overture @ RFH
Projections of archive films and memories of the RFH in Southbank Centre Square (formerly Festival Square)

Singing River, a new choral work specially composed by Orlando Gough, was performed on a barge towed up the Thames from Tower Bridge. 500 more singers were waiting to join in the finale outside the Royal Festival Hall.

Singing River is repeated on Saturday 9 June (9.20pm at Tower Bridge, 10pm at the RFH) as part of The Overture, 48 hours of free music and performance on the South Bank to celebrate the reopening of the famous concert hall.

A special radio station, Overture 87.7FM, is broadcasting in the area for the weekend.

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