Classical Music Emerges as Mellifluous Muse of London's Club Scene

The New York Times has issued a report on classical music cropping up in London's club scene, spearheaded by an event dubbed "The Night Shift" -- a regularly occuring club music night featuring classical flourishes from musicians of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment.

As detailed in the Times piece, music fans come from far and wide to enjoy the unique musical affair -- quite different from a normal classical theater presentation -- offered at alternating pubs on the last Tuesday of each month:

"'A classical music concert can be quite scary where you can't make much noise, you can't go to the loo, you can't have a drink or a laugh,' said Louise Mortimer, a South African-born Londoner who has attended a number of Night Shift concerts over the years. 'This, however, is a fun environment. I feel like when you go to a concert hall, you have to know a lot about classical music but here you don't need to know, you just learn and enjoy.'"

Classical and club music have long intertwined within the musical milieu. Take, for example, British ravers The Prodigy's 1996 hit single and club anthem, "Firestarter." American alternative rock band Jimmy Eat World later covered the Prodigy's song, imbuing the composition with a profusion of ambient and classical elements, rebranding the song as an avant-garde, art music canticle.

Jimmy Eat World first made their "Firestarter" version available on a limited edition Christmas vinyl single, released in 2001. The song backed Jimmy's take on Wham!'s 1984 seasonal hit, "Last Christmas." The tune later made its way to the band's Firestarter EP, issued by Interscope Records in 2004. Hear their rendition of "Firestarter" directly below.

In related news, Jimmy Eat World recently announced the completion of their ninth studio album, set to be released later this year. As covered by Billboard, the band offered lead single "Get Right" as a limited-time free download on their official website.

We want to hear from you. Do you enjoy clubbing? Do you have a favorite club anthem? Sound off in the comments section below!

TagsClassical Music, London, The Prodigy, Jimmy Eat World, Wham!, The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment