Goldsmiths charity fundraisers to play 12-hour Beethoven marathon

Professional players and singers join music students from Goldsmiths, University of London to perform a non-stop 12-hour marathon of all nine Beethoven symphonies on Saturday 23 April, raising funds for Médecins Sans Frontières (UK).

Three conductors - Adrián Varela, Samuel Burstin and Holly Mathieson - will lead proceedings in the Great Hall at our south east London campus.

The event starts with Symphony No 1 at 9.30am and runs throughout the day, culminating in a performance of No 9 “The Choral” at 7.30pm with a massed choir and soloists.

In keeping with the day’s motto – that the world needs more art and less war – Beethoven’s life-affirming ‘big beast’ of an epic final symphony is about the triumphant union of mankind.

Completed in 1824 when the composer was almost entirely deaf, it’s one of the best-known and most-played works in classical music, and the first example of a major composer using voices in a symphony.

The evening performance of Symphony No 9 features professional vocal soloists Joanne Roughton-Arnold (Soprano), Vanessa Heine (Alto), Ed Choo (Tenor) and Steve Kennedy (Bass).

Entry is free with a suggested donation to MSF on the day or via Justgiving and audience members are welcome to come and go throughout the day.

All proceeds will go towards supporting MSF's work in war zones, refugee camps and areas of famine and disease around the world.

Registration for musicians to take part in all or part of the day is open until 20 April: email hjmathieson@gmail.com or broughton_andrea@hotmail.com.

Doors open at 9am, music finishes around 10pm.