The City is Full of Noises celebrates electronic music in 2023

22 November 2022

Our new annual music festival builds on Delia Derbyshire's legacy in Coventry

Following a successful pilot earlier this year, The City is Full of Noises returns to the Herbert in 2023 with a month-long celebration of electronic music, culminating in a weekend of workshops, networking and concert performances on 25 and 26 March.

First held on Saturday 21 May 2022, The City is Full of Noises was set up to celebrate the legacy of Delia Derbyshire, an early pioneer of electronic music born and brought up in Coventry. Today, Derbyshire is best remembered for her work on the original Doctor Who theme music during her time with the BBC Radiophonic Workshop in the 1960s, but her impact on popular music today is wide-ranging, with her innovations having influenced artists from Paul McCartney to the Chemical Brothers.

This year’s festival included modular synth workshops with Rick Holt of Frequency Central, a “synth meet” for artists and interested parties to gather and share ideas, and an evening concert with performances from Rick Holt, Aaltonen, Stone Anthem, Mashed Swede Café Orchestra, Rhiannon and Ian Campbell, and Finlay Shakespeare.

In 2023, the extended festival will see a range of activity taking place at the Herbert throughout the month of March, with full details to be confirmed soon. The final weekend will include workshops aimed at beginners and experienced sound-makers alike, and will spotlight both established and emerging synth artists in a series of concert performances.

Visitors will also be able to browse and purchase equipment from a “Makers Marketplace”. Traders interested in booking a stall at the market can email cfon@cvlife.co.uk to enquire.

The City is Full of Noises is a collaboration between the Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, Frequency Central and Coventry University, with contributions from Dr Benoit Granier, Rick Holt, Aaltonen, DivKid, Ben Weatherill, Leon Trimble, Ian Campbell and Rhiannon Bigham.

Creative Events Producer Kirstie Lewis said: “We’re really excited to be bringing The City is Full of Noises back for an even bigger synth celebration in 2023, and can’t think of a better time to announce this news than on Delia Derbyshire Day on 23 November – a day dedicated to the trailblazing work of a homegrown electronic artist.

“Delia’s childhood in Coventry had a huge impact on the work she would go on to create, particularly her experiences during the Second World War. As an adult, she would cite the noise of the air raid sirens she grew up hearing as an important influence on the kind of abstract sounds she was drawn to, so it feels especially fitting to be celebrating her legacy here in her hometown.

“Coventry still has a thriving electronic music scene today, and we hope this new festival will help to nurture and champion some of the incredible talent the city has to offer, as well as drawing in artists and visitors from further afield.”

The City is Full of Noises returns to the Herbert Art Gallery & Museum in March 2023. A full schedule for the festival will be announced in the coming weeks. For more information or to express an interest in attending, please email cfon@cvlife.co.uk.