Lisa Redford & Friends - This Fine City

Since the lockdown restrictions began in March there has been a gaping hole in the fine city which live music used to fill. Walking the streets during the day and especially in the evening the sound of music could be heard on the street or spilling out from any number of our special venues and music-loving pubs and bars. It has returned to a degree, in a socially-distanced, restricted kind of way but things are just not the same yet and we all feel the loss and uncertainty, making it difficult at times to feel anything other than concern and pessimism that music will ever return in its previous form in Norwich. We have also lost the OPEN venue which has resulted in community station Future Radio losing its central base, office space and studios. With the future so uncertain we desperately need a bit of positivity and hope which Lisa Redford has come up with in magnificent style with the charity single ‘This Fine City‘ which is officially released Friday 16 October 2020. Immediately upon my first listening to this rousing celebration of Norwich and hope for the future I felt renewed optimism as well as being quite moved by the heartfelt love of the city so sincerely expressed in song. Joyous and triumphant in its hope.

Lisa said “I was delighted to be asked to compose the single as a tribute to my home city, for the radio station I love. The song is a tribute to Norwich and how weʼre getting through such a challenging time. Future Radio, which is facing some tough times itself, is such an important part of the life of the city, I hope people will enjoy this anthemic celebratory song and help the station to move
to a new home.”

Referencing so many of the things and places we love about our city, from the Canaries to the Playhouse Bar, Blue Joanna and market it is probably the following lines that resonate with me most of all. Who hasn’t been in the city in recent months and felt melancholic at the memories the streets and Lanes hold and the fear that only memories remain? Lisa says ‘we’ll soon be making more‘ and ‘the Future will be bright‘.