Special 10-foot gramophone coming to Kenilworth

The gramophone, made of steel and weighing 800kg, is fully functional as a music- playing device.

The giant gramophone will be situated in multiple places across the town Friday (tomorrow) and Saturday September 28.

The gramophone will make a visit to the Castle Brook Care Home and Kenilworth Senior Citizens Club on Friday September 27.

Jan Ford, a volunteer with the festival, said: “We want to encourage residents of Kenilworth to have an opportunity to revisit musical memories, share memories with those around them and to experience the joy that music and art can provide.”

Jan and some festival volunteers have visited the Castle Brook Care Home over the last few weeks to find out about the musical memories from the residents.

She added: “Many of the people we’ve spoken with associate music with very personal memories such as meeting their husband or wife for the first time, being young and out dancing.

“There is much research highlighting the impact and importance that music can play on memory, particularly for those with dementia.”

The gramophone, which was created by the Irish artist Donnacha Cahil, is a fully working installation that allows people to play music through a working speaker, which can be done through vinyl or via other technology such as a phone.

It is an interactive visual sculpture that will be in Abbey Fields and around the town centre Saturday September 28.

Jan added: “It brings generations together for a novel collective experience and the gramophone itself is very beautiful.”