“Sleep Concerts have been a great success in Japan, where sleep deprived workers will happily pay £50.00 for the privilege of nodding off to a live music performance; so that they can get some much needed shut eye. This idea has inspired us to create our own UK version of the concert, which will provide exhausted Britons the opportunity to relax, take a nap and feel revitalised; resulting in improved physical, mental and emotional health.”
With the sole aim of the ‘Sleep Concert’ being to help the audience nod off, Travelodge surveyed 6,000 Britons across the UK to establish the repertoire for the performance. As a result Travelodge is working with quartet String Mania to devise a range of snooze inducing music which will include; works by Mozart, Bach, alongside renditions of crooner Michael Buble, Coldplay and Snow Patrol’s chart-topping hits, amongst others.
Somehow I don’t think Bach & Mozart would be thrilled with this one ….
They used to do sleep concerts every so often at CalArts, but for those they always played works by student composers written for that specific purpose. I think that sleep concerts really only make sense if the pieces that are being played were intended to be fallen asleep to. Otherwise, let’s face it—it’s pretty rude!
Sorry I’m just responding, Sydne … I’ve been a bit out of it.
I figure if music is written and performed it’s meant to be heard. I suppose sleepers might be listening subliminally, but still …?