The plants at Perrywood Garden Centre in Tiptree received a musical surprise this week when they were treated to a very special concert by local freelance performers, singer Jenna Saiz-Abo Henriksen and pianist Adam Abo Henriksen, as arranged by the Mercury Theatre Colchester.
Inspired by the Barcelona Opera House, which reopened last month with a performance to 2,292 potted plants, Perrywood joined forces with the Mercury to put on this special out of hours performance on Tuesday evening, bringing music to the plants while showing their support to their local theatre.
Perrywood Tiptree reopened on the 13 May but the Mercury Theatre still faces an uncertain wait for guidance on when and how they may be able to reopen. Perrywood Tiptree has been a Corporate Member of the Colchester based theatre for a few years, and wanted to use this opportunity to offer additional support the Mercury Rising fundraising campaign to which it has made a donation today. The Mercury Rising redevelopment project, which continues safely following government guidance during the pandemic, will see the theatre refurbished as part of a £10m capital project due to finish this year.
Hannah Powell, Communications & HR Director at Perrywood Tiptree said: “Music and plants have both played an important role in supporting people through the lockdown. They both enable people to let go of their worries and fears and to focus on something different for a while.
“It’s not just people who respond well to music; research suggests that any sound, including music, helps boost plant growth! If you enjoyed watching the performance please do consider making a small donation to the Mercury Rising campaign.”
Steve Mannix, Executive Director at Mercury Theatre Colchester said: “We are very grateful to have Perrywood’s support, especially at this time. Their donation enabled us to engage with some of our local freelancers whilst helping to ensure the future of our beloved theatre. We are looking forward to the day we will once again be able to open our doors and provide live entertainment for our audiences. Until then, we hope you will enjoy the videos of Jenna and Adam, as well as the rest of the brilliant online content our team have been producing for our current Mercury Online programme.”
You can find out more about the Mercury Rising campaign and Mercury Online programme at www.mercurytheatre.co.uk.
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Adam Abo Henriksen and Jenna Saiz-Abo Henriksen at Perrywood, Tiptree 1 - Photo by Rhianna Howard.jpg
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Adam Abo Henriksen and Jenna Saiz-Abo Henriksen at Perrywood, Tiptree 2 - Photo by Rhianna Howard.jpg
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Adam Abo Henriksen and Jenna Saiz-Abo Henriksen at Perrywood, Tiptree 3 - Photo by Rhianna Howard.jpg
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Adam Abo Henriksen and Jenna Saiz-Abo Henriksen at Perrywood, Tiptree 4 - Photo by Rhianna Howard.jpg
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Adam Abo Henriksen and Jenna Saiz-Abo Henriksen at Perrywood, Tiptree 5 - Photo by Rhianna Howard.jpg
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Adam Abo Henriksen and Jenna Saiz-Abo Henriksen at Perrywood, Tiptree 6 - Photo by Hannah Powell.jpg
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Adam Abo Henriksen and Jenna Saiz-Abo Henriksen at Perrywood, Tiptree 7 - Photo by Hannah Powell.jpg
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Adam Abo Henriksen and Jenna Saiz-Abo Henriksen at Perrywood, Tiptree 8 - Photo by Hannah Powell.jpg