At the age of 12, Chris Miggells began to play the piano – something which was encouraged by his parents to keep him out of mischief. From that point on, the Mansfield composer fell in love with the instrument, channelling his synaesthesia into writing classical works and performing candlelit concerts across the county and beyond. With word out about his incredible talent, Chris brought “The Piano Experience” concert series to the recently renovated Sherwood Observatory for three sold out shows in their new Planetarium. A candlelit concert under the moon and stars? This is one show we simply couldn’t miss…
An Observatory out in the sticks of Sherwood isn’t the usual Nottingham gig spot, which adds a special feeling in the air straight away upon arriving at tonight’s venue. It becomes immediately clear what a great job has been done of the renovation here, with the place looking spotless from the cafeteria to the toilets. Here’s hoping they get more events here, as it’s quite a building to visit.
We have a bit of time before the show which allows us to explore the exhibition downstairs, showcasing humanity’s history with space exploration. From models of the Apollo spacecraft, to newspaper cuttings of the moon landing, it helps to suitably set the scene for tonight’s journey into the outer limits of the universe.
It’s finally time for the concert to begin, so we make our way upstairs and take our seats in the intimate planetarium. It’s cinema-style seats that recline all the way back, allowing the audience to look up at the stunning 360˚ visuals projected from the ceiling. Electronic candles are also arranged all around the edges of the room and in Chris’ piano at the front and centre of the room, creating a wonderfully calm and peaceful setting. The pianist himself then makes his way to sit in front of the 88 keys, before beginning to play.
There are no phones allowed in the planetarium which means no notetaking for this writer, but it also allows the audience to switch off and soak in the sensory splendour. As Chris begins his set with a composition called Flight of the Phoenix, about rising from the ashes, the Planetarium is set ablaze with a flaming Sun gently gliding across the ceiling. Love. Silence. Diplomacy – three things Chris believes the world needs more of and I’m inclined to agree – then takes the audience across the curves of the Earth, allowing us to see our home planet from a rare outside perspective.
The first half then continues to draw heavily from Chris’ beautiful 2023 album SYNESTHESE, while taking the audience to various parts of the solar system. Memories of Summer brings us into the Rings of Saturn, while Violet Eyes showcases a colourful and flying ball of gas, possibly the inside of a star. I Don’t Want To Lose It is then a highlight of the first half, Chris’ own piano arrangement for the Patrick McDaid song of the same name, which contains a real earworm melody at its heart. Departure For New Beginnings then sees shooting stars and vibrant colour strands light up the ceiling before Spectrums closes out a dazzling first half.
After a brief intermission, Chris re-emerges, having done a quick costume change from a purple shirt and white trousers combo into a full tuxedo. He opens the second half on Turning The Tide, a track about overcoming writer’s block that sounds like the soundtrack to a Bond film – although Chris jokes it may just be the tuxedo that is giving that impression. He then performs a faultless cover of Debussy’s classic Clair De Lune, with mesmerising projections of the moon of course accompanying this one. Chris sticks with the classical covers by giving the audience a bit of Chopin, before then performing The Iron Cathedral, a piece he incredibly wrote on the spot during a live performance at the Clipstone Colliery Headstocks. It’s a real standout of the entire show, the context of the piece’s origin making it all the more awe-inspiring to hear and witness.
After Stone Giant, a piece inspired by a visit to the Grand Canyon, Chris then introduces special guest Matt Nutter, the man in-charge of the Planetarium’s incredible visuals. He narrates over displays showing various star constellations, as Chris plays a sublime instrumental of Across The Universe by The Beatles. He then sticks with the celestial theme by performing a melody of Hans Zimmer pieces from the movie Interstellar. Before you know it, the show then draws to a close as Chris performs his own track Aurora, written after seeing the Northern Lights in Iceland, as Aurora Borealis lights up the ceiling to accompany the performance. He receives a huge applause at the end of the set, bringing him back out for an encore of his new composition, Time Echoes – a piece he reveals he has never played the same way twice.
It’s a dazzling end to a truly magical evening, with Chris’ performance in the Observatory tonight delivering a real unique experience. Like Nottingham’s own version of the Las Vegas Sphere but with the noise and hedonism welcomingly replaced with peace and tranquillity, here’s hoping for more intimate events like this at Sherwood Observatory in the future.
Chris Miggells performed at Sherwood Observatory on 14th April 2025
We have a favour to ask
LeftLion is Nottingham’s meeting point for information about what’s going on in our city, from the established organisations to the grassroots. We want to keep what we do free to all to access, but increasingly we are relying on revenue from our readers to continue. Can you spare a few quid each month to support us?
