Some of the leading names from across the music world are set to descend on Greenwich’s spectacular Old Royal Naval College from the 21st to the 25th July (excluding Saturday 24th) to celebrate the history of London’s most visited tourist attraction – Greenwich. Four stunning open-air music events, themed around Greenwich’s unique history and staged in a world-class venue, will help to celebrate Greenwich’s role as a host borough for London 2012 as the countdown to two years to go to the Olympic and Paralympic Games begins. The Summer Sessions is the brainchild of local promoter and Creative Producer Peter Conway and will be a highlight of The Greenwich Festivals.

The Greenwich Festivals, which will be launched in June by Greenwich Council, will see a series of events across the borough celebrating the cultural vibrancy of Greenwich. These events will provide some of the best and most varied entertainment in the Capital and firmly establish Greenwich as the place to enjoy summer in London.

Seth Lakeman and The Levellers will kick off the inaugural Summer Sessions on Wednesday 21st July with their only London performances this year and will bring to life the first theme of the festival, ‘Rebels’, in a distinct nod to Wat Tyler and the peasants revolt. As the leader of the English Peasants Revolt of 1381, Walter “Wat” Tyler led a force of 50,000 peasants from Blackheath straight into the heart of the City of London before gaining entry to the Tower of London and capturing and beheading Simon Sudbury the unpopular Archbishop of Canterbury. In honour of such a momentous occasion it seems only appropriate that the always-anarchic Levellers share the billing with the new hero of indie-folk Seth Lakeman.

As Greenwich starts its preparations to be a host borough for London 2012, as well as its appointment as a Royal Borough in 2012, the Summer Sessions is thrilled to be welcoming the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra to the Old Royal Naval College for an evening of sublime sophistication against the backdrop of the ever-present River Thames. On Thursday 22nd July – day two of the four days of music – the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra will deliver a dazzling programme of ‘Music for a Summer’s Evening’ that will feature an array of popular classical and opera highlights. The Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra will also welcome two Classical BRIT Awardnominated special guests in the form of the stunning soprano Natasha Marsh and the exciting Scottish tenor Nicky Spence who will delight with a host of arias and duets while paying homage to Sir Christopher Wren’s great baroque masterpiece that sits amidst landscaped grounds in the centre of the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site.

Day three, Friday 23rd July, will play host to one of Greenwich’s most famous contemporary music faces, Jools Holland and his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra featuring Gilson Lavis and with very special guest star Alison Moyet with guest vocalist Ruby Turner and Louise Marshall. Over the years Jools has been an extremely vocal ambassador for the borough while Greenwich is home to Jools’ stunning Helicon Mountain studio that has been lovingly recreated in the image of Portmeirion, most famous as ‘The Village’ in the 60’s television series The Prisoner.

Charged with the unenviable task of closing the four days of musical extravagance local Deptford boys Athlete will top a line-up that is sure to get the younger Greenwich residents out in force. Linking neatly back to the final strand of the festival’s themes through a cunning play on words, Athlete’s headline slot on Sunday 25th July pays
tribute to Blackheath’s position as the starting point for the world famous London Marathon and the ‘Runners’ theme. More acts for Sunday’s line-up will be announced in due course.

The Summer Sessions will be placing special emphasis on celebrating the history of Greenwich and to encourage the local community to support the event all Greenwich residents will have access to discounted tickets by submitting their postcode when buying tickets. Only postcodes within the Greenwich borough boundaries will be eligible and the purchasing credit/debit card will need to be registered at the postcode provided. Tickets will be available from Ticketmaster and over the counter at Greenwich Tourist Centre

Summer Sessions Creative Producer and Promoter Peter Conway said: “Having been part of the cultural scene in Greenwich for over thirty years, both as a promoter and local resident, I am delighted to be promoting this new music festival in one of the world’s most stunning venues. Greenwich is a world-class destination point and the
artists we have chosen to launch the first year match in stature the ambitions of the borough and its residents. Having promoted the first ever Rhythm and Blues Orchestra in a tent on Blackheath in the early 90’s it is only fitting that local boy Jools Holland is at the forefront of our first festival. Over the next few years our aim is to build an event that showcases the very best of Greenwich and its surroundings and which all of London and
beyond are excited to attend. Enjoy!”

Frances Dolan, Director of Culture and Community Services for Greenwich Council said: “The Greenwich Festivals, which we are launching in June, will see a variety of events, some new, some regular fixtures in Greenwich’s respected cultural events calendar, come together to showcase the cultural vibrancy of Greenwich to the whole of the UK and abroad. The Summer Sessions is a new fixture and demonstrates the quality of events that will be part of The Greenwich Festivals and that we hope will welcome the world to Greenwich to enjoy first-class entertainment. With world-famous music artists coming together to perform in one of Greenwich’s most iconic locations this is set to be a big hit on the festivals’ calendar.”

The Greenwich Festivals: Summer Sessions

Line-Up:

Wednesday 21st July 2010 - Rebels
• Seth Lakeman
• The Levellers

Thursday 22nd July 2010 - Royals
• The Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra plus Natasha Marsh
(soprano), Nicky Spence (tenor)

Friday 23rd July 2010 - Rivers
• Jools Holland and his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra
• Gilson Lavis
• Alison Moyet
• Ruby Turner
• Louise Marshall

Sunday 25th July 2010 - Runners
• Athlete
• More acts to be announced

Tickets:
Wednesday 21st / Thursday 22nd / Sunday 25th July:
Residents - £22.50
Non-Residents - £25
Friday 23rd July:
Residents - £27.50
Non-Residents - £32.50
VIP Packages:
Gold - £349
Silver - £259
For more information see the website or via Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.co.uk.