Bristol Beacon broadcasts London Symphony Orchestra concert to care homes across the country

Bristol Beacon ­are to live stream the forthcoming London Symphony Orchestra concert with Sir Simon Rattle in Bath to care homes across the country as a thank you and gift to staff and residents for their hard work and resilience during the pandemic.

The broadcast, which takes place on Thursday 7 October from 7.15pm, is being organised thanks to sponsorship from Bristol Care Homes, who are supporting the cost of the stream.

A private link to watch the concert is being sent for free to a national database of care homes, and the Care Quality Commission are also promoting the opportunity.

The concert, which sees Sir Simon Rattle lead the orchestra in Martinů’s Rhapsody-Concerto for viola with violist Antoine Tamestit and Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony, is being performed at Bath Forum – the first time the orchestra has performed in Bath since 2008.

The concert has been staged by Bristol Beacon, with funding from the Culture Recovery fund, in anticipation of an ongoing artistic partnership with London Symphony Orchestra when the venue reopens in 2023.

Geoff Crocker, Chair of Bristol Care Homes, said: “Care Homes look after some of the most vulnerable people in our society, and the pandemic hit the sector hard. Staff and residents have had to endure loss and lockdown, missing valuable time with families over many months in order to keep safe.

It is credit to the tremendous resilience and hard work of staff that between the first and second wave, care homes nationally reduced excess mortality rates by 95% and provided safe care for our residents in the most challenging circumstances. I hope this concert goes some way at least to saying thank you.”

Kathryn McDowell, Managing Director of London Symphony Orchestra, said: “It is a pleasure to be partnering with Bristol Beacon and Bristol Care Homes on this broadcast – I hope that the Orchestra under the baton of Sir Simon can provide some much-deserved entertainment and joy to care homes across the country.”

Louise Mitchell, chief executive of Bristol Beacon, said: “As our own venue is mid-transformation, we have found a fantastic opportunity to return the LSO to Bath for the first time in many years.

Live broadcasting an orchestra is no mean feat, so to find a great partner like Bristol Care Homes to help further fund this thank you to staff and residents is an utter joy. I know what the incredible challenges have been, so this concert will be extra special.”

The concert broadcast takes place on Thursday 7 October at 7.15pm and is available for free to any care home in the country. Care Homes wishing to access the stream should contact hello@bristolbeacon.org for information.

Concert tickets are available at www.bristolbeacon.org/shows/london-symphony-orchestra-2021/