Shrewsbury’s free street music festival, The Big Busk, will return for a fourth year today.
Musicians will be performing in the streets, in shops and at other venues around Shrewsbury today as part of the event.
The Big Busk is held in memory of talented musician, poet and artist Ben Bebbington, who was killed in 2012 in an unprovoked attack.
The year’s Big Busk has the theme The Future of Music – the idea came from one of the organisers, Karen Higgins’s son, Nathan, who said he wanted to see an area where people could try musical instruments for themselves and speak to artists about their music.
The idea is being turned into a reality by two of the Big Busk’s newest members, Rebecca Hope and Olly James. The pair will be holding sessions throughout the day at Shrewsbury Central Baptist Church in Claremont Street. Like every other Big Busk event, the sessions will be free, with people asked to just donate what they can afford.
As part of the event musician Paul Henshaw is taking part in a music marathon of 24 gigs in 24 hours at a number of venues in the town. Paul started the challenge yesterday morning on BBC Radio Shropshire and is set to play his 24th gig at 11.45am at Big Busk Introducing in Butcher Row.
Young musicians Louis Briggs and Tom Barras known as Guitar Cubed are attempting to set a new world busking record as part of this years Big Busk. They shall be playing for 25 hours at Starbucks in the Square in Shrewsbury, they began their record attempt at 9am yesterday.
Throughout the Big Busk volunteers will be on hand with collection buckets around the town for anyone wishing to make a donation.
Last year the event raised an incredible £6,100 for the Shrewsbury Ark, a centre for homeless and vulnerable people in the town, which relies almost entirely on charitable donations for its running. It costs £120,000-a-year to keep the Ark running.
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