BBC Radio 6 Music celebrates the 50th anniversary of Wigan …

As the 50th anniversary of legendary Northern Soul venue Wigan Casino approaches, BBC Radio 6 Music celebrates on Saturday 9 September, with a night of programming dedicated to Northern Soul. Broadcasting from 6pm on Saturday 9 September – 8am on Sunday 10 September, highlights include a special Northern Soul edition of The Craig Charles Funk and Soul Show and a broadcast of Stuart Maconie’s Northern Soul Prom, which was recorded at the Royal Albert Hall in July. The Prom will also be broadcast on BBC Two on Saturday 26 August at 7.45pm. Samantha Moy, Head of BBC Radio 6 Music says: ‘At 6 Music we love to delve deep into the scenes that shaped the UK’s musical history, bringing listeners stories from those who were there, insight from our expert presenters and of course, brilliant music. Stuart Maconie’s Northern Soul Prom was a triumph at the Royal Albert Hall, which was filled with joyous singing and dancing. I’m delighted to be able to share it on 6 Music as part our celebration of Northern Soul.’ Craig’s Northern Soul special edition of his regular Saturday night Funk and Soul show (6pm-9pm) kicks off the all-nighter. The show will feature a ten-piece soul house band – The Signatures – and special guests including Wigan Casino legend, Richard Searling and all-female R&B group, The Flirtations. Craig will also be going in search of the rarest Northern Soul record, recently sold for £100k. From 9pm-12am, Stuart Maconie joins the party, as he and Craig introduce a broadcast of the Northern Soul Prom, created by Stuart and recorded with the BBC Concert Orchestra. This stomping celebration of British club culture brings a symphonic edge to the beats that took English towns across the North and Midlands by storm in the 60s and 70s. The programme sees talented singers including Brendan Reilly, Darrell Smith, Frida Mariama Touray, Natalie Palmer, Nick Shirm and Vula Malinga perform classic Northern Soul tracks such as You’re Gonna Make Me Love You, Open the Door to Your Heart, It Really Hurts Me Girl, Hold Back The Night and more – all accompanied by the BBC Concert Orchestra, conducted by Edwin Outwater. The songs are specially arranged by Joe Duddell and Fiona Brice. Stuart Maconie says: ‘Northern Soul was and is one of the most thrilling and vital music subcultures ever. It’s a dynamic, sympathetic union of the sounds and dreams of generations in the industrial heartlands of the North and Midlands of the UK and their counterparts in New York, Detroit, Philadelphia and beyond. At the heart of the scene is this wonderful, dramatic, vibrant and inspirational music, as well as the passion and knowledge of its devotees. They brought the communal rapture of the Northern Soul clubs and dancehalls to the Royal Albert Hall, which was on its feet on every tier for the Prom. It was a night the like of which that grand and esteemed old building has never seen before.’ From 12am-4am, 6 Music begins an audio tour of the UK’s iconic all-nighter venues, with hour-long playlists by DJs who were there at Golden Torch (12am-1am), Wigan Casino (1am-2am), Twisted Wheel (2am-3am) and 100 Club (3am-4am). These key figures from the scene share stories and songs, taking listeners back to the dance floors of these legendary spaces. From 4am-7am, 6 Music’s Morning After Mix, Northern Soul Special, brings listeners a playlist of mellow soul numbers, featuring classic ballads and as well as contemporary selections. Stuart returns to the airwaves an hour earlier than usual at 7am on Sunday morning (10 September) to present Lights On With Stuart Maconie. He’ll being the party to a close and bring listeners the original versions of Wigan Casino’s famous Three Before Eight – Time Will Pass You By by Tobi Legend, Long After Tonight Is All Over by Jimmy Radcliffe and I’m On My Way by Dean Parrish. With a reach of 2.7 million listeners (Rajar Q2, 2023), 6 Music is the biggest digital-only network in the UK. The station brings a broad range of music and culture beyond the mainstream to music lovers with a curious spirit, combining the cutting-edge music of today with the iconic, ground-breaking sounds of the past 50 years. Presenters include: AFRODEUTSCHE, Amy Lamé, Cerys Matthews, Chris Hawkins, Craig Charles, Deb Grant, Don Letts, Gideon Coe, Gilles Peterson, Guy Garvey, Huey Morgan, Iggy Pop, Jamz Supernova, Lauren Laverne, Marc Riley, Mark Radcliffe, Mary Anne Hobbs, Nathan Shepherd, Steve Lamacq, Stuart Maconie, The Blessed Madonna, Tom Ravenscroft and Tom Robinson. As the world’s biggest classical music festival, the BBC Proms offers eight weeks of world-class music-making from a vast array of leading orchestras, conductors and soloists from the UK and around the world. Across more than 80 concerts, the festival aims to offer a summer of music that allows for the most diverse and exciting musical journeys. More than 125 years since it was founded, the driving factor in building a festival of this scale is to offer exceptional music-making at the lowest possible prices, continuing founder-conductor Henry Wood’s original ambition of bringing the best classical music to the widest possible audience. With every Prom broadcast on BBC Radio 3, available across multiple platforms and many televised on the BBC, the Proms reaches far beyond the Royal Albert Hall. The 2023 BBC Proms runs until Saturday 9 September. The mission of the BBC Concert Orchestra is to bring inspiring musical experiences to everyone, everywhere, with the ensemble’s versatility as the key. The orchestra can be heard on BBC Radio 2’s Sunday Night Is Music Night and for BBC Radio 3 it explores a wide selection of music, ranging from classical to contemporary. They have performed on many soundtracks, including Blue Planet and Serengeti for BBC One, and this year have worked with over 20 artists, including Stormzy and Noel Gallagher, for BBC Radio 2’s Piano Room with BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds. The orchestra makes regular appearances at the BBC Proms, London’s Southbank Centre and venues across the UK. It takes a leading role in Create Yarmouth, engaging and inspiring young people and adults in the Great Yarmouth area, and is also involved in BBC Ten Pieces, the BBC Young Composer competition and the BBC Open Music programme. The Craig Charles Funk and Soul Show, Northern Soul Special (6pm-9pm), The Northern Soul Prom (9pm-12am) and All-Nighter Playlists from Golden Torch, Wigan Casino, Twisted Wheel and The 100 Club are produced by TBI Media. Morning After Mix, Northern Soul Special (4am-7am) and Lights On With Stuart Maconie (7am-8am) are produced by Audio Always. SH8