The capital of England and the United Kingdom, London is an ancient city that is an international centre that promotes art, culture, music, festivals and much more. The citizens inhabiting the city are from diverse backgrounds which is the reason behind the rich cultural heritage.
A hub of culture and the fine arts, London has five professional symphony orchestras namely the London Symphony Orchestra, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Philharmonia and the BBC Symphony Orchestra. The spirit of classical music is imbued within the boundaries of the city and you can find several principal orchestral music venues like the Royal Festival Hall and the Queen Elizabeth Hall. The first among them holds a range of events including concerts, dances and talks. Its design is strictly based on the Modernist style of architecture and is now undergoing major changes in the hands of Allies and Morrison architects. The Queen Elizabeth Hall is basically a music venue that host events of classical, jazz and avant- garde music and dance recitals. The design is minimalistic and is no competition for the Royal Festival Hall.
The music scene in London is at its best presently. The city is famous for its rock culture and is witness to the rise of such bands as The Libertines, The Sex Pistols and of course Pink Floyd. There are famous venues in the city like the Brixton Academy and the Astoria that put up shows by major international bands that come on tours. In the past the city has experienced grand events put up by The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix and has contributed strongly to the growth of dance music.
London city is acclaimed worldwide when it comes to the field of art. The National Gallery is home to several well known works of art and houses a massive collection of more than 2,300 paintings that date back to the mid- 13th century to the early 20th century. Compared to other national galleries in Continental Europe, collections of works of art are not much but it definitely showcases more important works than most of them. Two more famous sites of art are the Courtald Institute of Art and the Dulwich Picture Gallery. Apart from those mentioned, White Cube and the Saatchi Gallery are key contemporary art venues.
The capital city of the United Kingdom is also home to several museums and the count exceeds 240. Among the prominent museums in the city the British Museum, the Natural History Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum are the forerunners.
Colorful and vibrant, the city of London also hosts various fairs, festivals and carnivals throughout the year. The most famous carnival hosted here is the Notting Hill Carnival, which also happens to be the world’s second largest carnival. Held in the August bank holiday period, this carnival has a distinct Afro- Caribbean appeal and entails a street parade of 3 miles with dance and music. Other popular parades are held on St. George’s Day (April 23) and St. Patrick’s Day (March 17). |
