Singer Van Morrison, who is to be granted the freedom
of Belfast, is to play a free concert to mark the accolade.
The 68-year-old
musician will perform at the Ulster Hall on 15 November, after he is conferred
with the title.
The ceremony
and concert has been billed as the highlight of the fourth annual Belfast Music
Week.
Mr Morrison
said: "Belfast is my home. It is where I first heard the music that
influenced and inspired me."
He added:
"It is where I first performed and it is somewhere I have referred back to
many times in my songwriting over the past 50 years.
"I am
delighted and honoured to receive the freedom of the city."
Morrison is
only the second person in 10 years to receive the accolade - the highest a
council can bestow.
Known to fans
across the world as "Van the Man", Morrison has drawn inspiration
from streets where he was born and raised for hits such as Cyprus Avenue and On
Hyndford Street.
Heaney tribute
During his
50-year music career, Morrison has risen from the Irish showband scene to
global stardom winning six Grammy Awards, a Brit as well as places in both the
Rock 'n' Roll and the Songwriters Halls of Fame.
In May, former
Olympic champion Dame Mary Peters was awarded the accolade.
Previous
recipients include the Merchant Navy, who were given the freedom of the city in
2002, the poet, John Hewitt, and former prime minister Sir Winston Churchill.
Lord Mayor of
Belfast Máirtín Ó Muilleoir said he hoped the November concert would help
deliver the best Belfast Music Week yet.
"The music
sector in Belfast has grown significantly over the past three years, and now
plays a key role in the overall economic development of the city," he
said.
Other
highlights of Belfast Music Week, which runs from 11-17 November, include a
series of special Ulster Hall concerts, showcasing local acoustic, heavy metal,
and dance music, culminating in a special tribute to late poet Seamus Heaney
with the Ulster Orchestra.
Source: BBC
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