There's no shortage of activity around the Joy Division camp these days. There's Peter Hook's An Evening of Unknown Pleasures roadshow, and then there are the Joy Division walking tours in Curtis's hometown. Now, because fans of the band aren't exactly getting any younger, there's a new Joy Division-inspired symphony. Or maybe the fans are getting younger: the symphony is for kids.
The Northern Chamber Orchestra will be composing the work with children from two schools in Curtis's UK hometown of Macclesfield, Cheshire. The symphony will get its inspiration from three Joy Division songs, reports the BBC, although it hasn't been announced which songs those are.
"The style of music is quite sparse and very simple," Helen Quayle, education co-ordinator for the Northern Chamber Orchestra told the BBC about Joy Division's tunes. "The kids can understand and take elements of that and write for a string quartet using the same technique."
The symphony's performance is part of a Joy Division exhibition that will take place at the 1813 Sunday School Heritage Centre from July 29 until August 7. As previously reported, the exhibition, curated by punk historian Jon Savage, will include lots of band memorabilia for fans to drool over, including handwritten documents, letters and set lists, as well as posters and handbills.
One of the more interesting documents is a handwritten note from Curtis calling the band's second album, Closer a "disaster."
All these Joy Division-related events are marking the 30th anniversary of Curtis's suicide, which took place on 30 years ago today (May 18).
The Northern Chamber Orchestra will be composing the work with children from two schools in Curtis's UK hometown of Macclesfield, Cheshire. The symphony will get its inspiration from three Joy Division songs, reports the BBC, although it hasn't been announced which songs those are.
"The style of music is quite sparse and very simple," Helen Quayle, education co-ordinator for the Northern Chamber Orchestra told the BBC about Joy Division's tunes. "The kids can understand and take elements of that and write for a string quartet using the same technique."
The symphony's performance is part of a Joy Division exhibition that will take place at the 1813 Sunday School Heritage Centre from July 29 until August 7. As previously reported, the exhibition, curated by punk historian Jon Savage, will include lots of band memorabilia for fans to drool over, including handwritten documents, letters and set lists, as well as posters and handbills.
One of the more interesting documents is a handwritten note from Curtis calling the band's second album, Closer a "disaster."
All these Joy Division-related events are marking the 30th anniversary of Curtis's suicide, which took place on 30 years ago today (May 18).