Durham University - Play it again, Avison

The music of Durham's 18th-century alehouses has been celebrated on the streets of northern cities with the help of Durham University's department of music. A recent concert celebrated the 300th anniversary of the birth of composer Charles Avison and his fellow composer and promoter, John Garth. The pair popularised classical music in the North East, reaching new audiences by taking their music on to the streets of Newcastle and into the pubs of Durham. "The concert was a unique opportunity to hear their music in an original location where it was heard 250 years ago," said Jeremy Dibble, artistic adviser at the university.