On 1st July 2023, The Matchgirls Memorial (TMM) was delighted to work in partnership with the East London Music Group (ELMG) to put on a fantastic musical celebration, ‘Striking Sparks: The Story of the Matchgirls’ by composer, Jonathan Pease and conducted by ELMG Musical Director, Matt Hardy.
The concert took place in the Great Hall of the People’s Palace at Queen Mary University and there were over 600 people in the audience, entertained by over 100 musicians, comprising the East London Community Band, Poplar Singers, Victoria Park Singers, Aldersgate Community Choir and the, Queen Mary University Choir and a brand new children's choir, handpicked from local schools.
The inspiration for the concert started in Southampton, when TMM Trustee, Graham Johnson, attended a music event at a local concert hall, the Turner Sims. The performance was by a Southampton University Orchestra and directed by Matt Hardy. Graham noticed in the programme that Matt worked in the East End of London and his curious nature led him to contact Matt. This led to Matt meeting Graham and his wife Sam (also TMM Trustee) at their home to discuss the possibility of a new and exciting musical project to celebrate the Matchgirls Strike. It is unbelievable how this project has grown and come to fruition, and we were all incredibly proud to have been part of it.
Videos of the concert are available here: https://www.matchgirls1888.org/external-videos