Big Big Sing enjoyed a hugely successful first year in 2014, inspiring hundreds of thousands of people the length and breadth of the UK to unite in celebration of singing.
Inspired by the proposal that singing is the most universal, inclusive and accessible way to make music, Big Big Sing has attracted participants across the country since its launch in January 2014, and organisers Glasgow UNESCO City of Music have today revealed plans to develop the project further after a successful first year demonstrated phenomenal appetite for singing in communities across the UK.
In its first year alone, Big Big Sing attracted 62,840 people to sing at 173 live events across the country, with Big Big Sing Days held from Shetland to Devon. Big Big Sing's online singing portal – which featured a wealth of materials and information for those looking to take up singing - attracted 111,697 visits, andthere were 30,442 downloads of free songs from The Big Big Songbook. Big Big Sing's YouTube and Vimeo channels – which hosted resources including vocal workouts – received 46,209 views.
Big Big Sing is funded by Glasgow 2014, Creative Scotland, Glasgow UNESCO City of Music and Spirit of 2012 (set up by an endowment from the Big Lottery Fund). This is part of Spirit's £4.5m commitment to sustaining and extending the Commonwealth Games legacy in Scotland and across the UK.
SOME BIG BIG HIGHLIGHTS
Big Big Sing was hailed as a major highlight of the Glasgow 2014 Cultural Programme, creating some of the most memorable moments of the cultural celebrations surrounding the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games andputting community singing at the heart of a global event. As well as hosting Song Stages across Glasgow during Games Time, Big Big Sing supported Hands Up for Trad to deliver The Big Song Relay, which saw the song Here's to All Our Common Wealthpassed from choir to choir along the route of the Queen's Baton Relay, resulting in 72 unique performances.
The hugely successful BIG Big Big Sing Day brought 40,000 singers together at Glasgow Green on 27th July as part of Festival 2014. Tens of thousands of singers descended upon Glasgow Green to enjoy a day-long celebration of singing, including beatboxing, Gaelic singing, Indian song, family singing sessions and mass singalongs of everything from Pharrell Williams' Happy to songs from the Big Big Songbook.
Big Big Sing alsobrought Mzansi Youth Choir – made up of teenagers and young adults from some of South Africa's toughest communities – to the UK during Games Time to give two gala concerts and work with school children in London and Glasgow as part of the International Mandela Day celebrations.
Other highlights in the first year of Big Big Sing have included flashmob choirs, a surprise wedding proposal, a School's Songwriting Competition, singing workshops for community groups, choir performances during Refugee Week Scotland, and the creation of signed song resources for deaf singers, including signing workshops.
