ArtsFest

Large Hot Pipe Organ

Blast - Friday 14 and Saturday 16 September 2007, 20.00 - 22.00

A steam whistle orchestra, large hot pipe organ, pyrotechnic whistles and fire horns all featured in a performance commissioned especially for ArtsFest by Birmingham City Council through Urban Fusion.

Drawing on Birmingham’s industrial heritage and in celebration of the modernity of the city and its future – Blast evoked a powerful echo of the area’s history, using sound, light and fire.

Percussion at Blast

Taking place at Birmingham Eastside, the site includes the disused Curzon Street Station (constructed 1838) – the world’s oldest surviving piece of monumental railway architecture.

The performance was masterminded by conductors with flags on platforms. The Blast team includes Turner prize nominated artist Richard Wilson.