May 18th 2010 marks 30 years since the suicide of Joy Division’s Ian Curtis, and while the world remembers him in many different ways, one particular memorial notably stands out above the rest. Schoolchildren in the former frontman’s hometown of Macclesfield, England have teamed up to try their hand at a Joy Division symphony based on three of the outfit’s songs. The Northern Chamber Orchestra is reportedly hard at work with the children, with the Orchestra education coordinator Helen Quayle explaining “The style of music is quite sparse and very simple. The kids can understand and take elements of that and write for a string quartet using the same technique.” Macclesfield plans to celebrate Curtis in other ways as well, with writer/curator Jon Savage heading an exhibit featuring posters, setlists, and letters. The exhibit will breathe oxygen from July 29th till August 7th at the 1813 Sunday School Heritage Centre. Head festivities honcho, Richard de Peyer said of the events, “Macclesfield has never had the opportunity to celebrate Ian Curtis’ work in a way which benefits the communities of the town and also attracts music fans from far and wide. This summer seemed like the right moment to do that.”
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