News item: the Kanneh-Masons and Through the noise launch music initiative

Colin Clarke -

Through the noise launch music education initiative with Sheku and Isata Kanneh-Mason as part of homecoming tour 

Highlights include:

  • Landmark tour from 26 November – 3 December, visiting 7 cities across the UK and reaching up to 10,000 people
  • Showcasing classical music in unexpected venues including two shows at London nightclub KOKO
  • Sheku and Isata to become the first classical musicians to perform in their hometown Nottingham’s famous 2000 capacity stadium,Rock City
  • Brand new music education programme includes collaborations with Leeds Music Education Partnership, Bristol Beacon, Liverpool Philharmonic, Sheffield’s Leadmill, and Pupil Referral Unit, Stone Soup Academy in Nottingham

Touring across the UK from 26 November – 3 December 2024, through the noiseprepares its biggest tour to date with two of its long-term collaborators Sheku andIsata Kanneh-Mason. The 7-date UK tour will bring classical music to some of the nation’s most iconic gig venues across the UK for the first time and will kickstarts through the noise’s music education initiative.

through the noise presents informal crowdfunded classical gigs to local communities across the UK and beyond. Founded just over three years ago by Jack Bazalgette and Jack Crozier, the company has swiftly evolved into a transformative cultural force dedicated to making its shows accessible and vibrant, fostering meaningful local relationships with venues that are not traditionally associated with classical music. 

Sheku (cello) and Isata Kanneh-Mason (piano) return to noisenights for a unique 7-date UK tour of music for piano and cello. Taking classical music to unexpectedvenues across the UK, the programme offers a fresh and intimate take on some of the genre’s most celebrated works. The show begins with Mendelssohn’s Cello Sonata No. 1, followed by the elegant and lyrical Saint-Saëns’ The Swan from Carnival of the Animals, featuring its achingly beautiful cello solo, Dvořák’s Song to the Moon from Rusalka and Rachmaninoff’s The Muse adds shimmering operatic beauty and romanticism. The programme concludes with Shostakovich’s Cello Sonata in D minor, delivering a dramatic and unrelenting finale.

The tour, which will see audiences of up to 1,500 per show and up to 10,000 people attend in person across the week, will culminate in a special home-coming show at the iconic and 'Glastonbury-like' venue, Rock City in Nottingham. This will mark the first time classical musicians have performed at the renowned 2,000-capacity venue, joining the ranks of legendary acts like Nirvana, Madness, David Bowie, Guns N’ Roses, Pulp, and The Cure, among many others. Other performances on the tour include Stylus, Leeds (26 November); The Marble Factory, Bristol (27 November); Hangar 34, Liverpool (28 November); Peddler Warehouse, Sheffield (29 November); KOKO, London (1 December); Boiler Shop, Newcastle (2 December); and Rock City, Nottingham (3 December).

This tour embodies through the noise’s vision to redefine the reach and impact of classical music and will kickstart through the noise’s music education initiative, conceived alongside Sheku and Isata, both of whom are passionate about broadening the accessibility of classical music. They will actively engage with local communities and schools throughout the tour alongside their public shows, including in their hometown of Nottingham, visiting schools, and music hubs. They will perform outreach work, meeting children in cities across the country to give private performances, workshops and Q&A sessions. 

Designed to reach young audiences across the UK, the educational programme forms part of through the noise’s commitment to opening new pathways for the next generation to engage with the arts and aligns entirely with Sheku and Isata’s vision. This comprehensive programme includes partnerships with leading educational organisations, including: an afternoon schools show in collaboration with Leeds Music Education Partnership, led by Jessie Maryon-Davies; Sheku and Isata host a large-scale workshop with Bristol Beacon, led by Lucy Drever, welcoming local students and charities and inspiring young musicians; collaboration with the Liverpool Philharmonic’s music education charity, In Harmony, Lucy Drever leads an interactive music session; and a collaboration with The Leadmill Studio Orchestra project, Sheffield Music Hub, and Sheffield Music School¸ led by Lucy Driver and held at the Peddler Warehousein Sheffield, specifically for children and young adults who classify as NEET (not currently in employment, education or training). Each session will provide local communities with an inspiring, up-close experience of classical music. Sixth form music students from across Newcastle, who have a specific interest in music production, will get to immerse themselves in a ‘day in the life’ experience with through the noise’s Jack Bazalgette, offering rare insights into the technical and artistic preparation involved in concert production—from soundchecks to meeting the artists. Sheku and Isata will also visit Nottingham’s Stone Soup Academy, a Pupil Referral Unit, for a special session to share their music and insights with students who may not otherwise have access to live classical performances.

Sheku Kanneh-Mason commented:

Isata and I are really looking forward to the through the noise tour, not just because we will be performing in so many venues around the UK where you might not expect to hear classical music, but – even more importantly – because we will be running music education workshops with children in every one of the cities we visit on the tour.  It’s a brilliant opportunity for us to engage and share the music about which we feel so passionately with as many young people as possible.  We will be engaging with school groups in the venues themselves, going into some special needs schools, and there will be some A Level Music students visiting for some more detailed work on the performance and programme as well as learning about the technical side of putting this sort of concert on the stage.  We want to show the breadth of what’s possible within the wonderful world of classical music. 
For the tour itself, we are bringing a carefully chosen recital programme that we think will work fantastically well in these different settings.  Typically, the audience will be closer to the stage than for a classical concert in a more traditional setting.  I think this will help bring to life all the detail and nuance present in these pieces of music, in a completely unique way.  It’s worth adding that despite these unconventional venues, the sound is always really excellent with no compromise to the music, and I also often think these spaces create an interesting way of encouraging a different kind of focus by the audience.’  

through the noise Artistic Director, Jack Bazalgette commented: ‘

This tour with Sheku and Isata is a celebration of everything through the noise stands for: breaking barriers, creating intimate concert experiences, and expanding access to classical music. By bringing Sheku and Isata’s talent to these unconventional venues, we’re connecting with audiences and communities who might otherwise never experience live classical music. Our new music education initiative makes this tour particularly special, providing thousands of young people with direct access to inspiring artists and performances. We’re incredibly excited to see the impact of these concerts and workshops.’