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However, not all feedback was glowing. Two guests complained on Twitter about the “forced stillness” interlude, calling it “pretentious performance art that froze my sciatica.” The hotel responded gracefully, offering them a complimentary afternoon tea. Given the success of Freeze 23 12 08 , the Ashby Winter Boutique Hotel has announced that “Freeze” will become an annual tradition – every December 8 – with a different artist, theme, and live recording. The 2024 edition is rumored to feature a jazz trio performing inside the hotel’s outdoor ice sculpture garden (weather permitting).
If you missed it, do not despair. The audio recording will wrap you in that room, on that frozen night, among strangers who – for two hours – chose to be fully present. And isn’t that the opposite of being frozen? It’s being alive. #Freeze231208 #AshbyWinterLive #BoutiqueHotelSessions #PermafrostSongs Freeze 23 12 08 Ashby Winter Botique Hotel Live...
The vibe: low amber lighting, a single vintage microphone, and a Steinway grand piano draped in a cream-colored wool blanket (unused, purely aesthetic). Outside: -3°C. Inside: pure creative combustion. Why “Freeze”? According to the hotel’s creative director, Mira Kellerman, the concept was twofold: “Winter is a time when everything slows down, freezes, pauses. But in that stillness, something else becomes audible – raw, unpolished realness. We wanted to ‘freeze’ a moment in our hotel’s history with a live recording. No retakes. No auto-tune. Just the voice, the cold, and the warmth of strangers sharing air.” The evening also featured a “freeze dance” interlude – a nostalgic nod to childhood games – but reimagined as a dramatic performance art piece by movement collective Hollow Bone . Midway through the second act, the music stopped abruptly, and the audience had to hold completely still for 90 seconds while a lone cellist played a haunting overture. Anyone who moved was gently escorted to the bar for a complimentary “Frostbite Flip” cocktail. 3. The Live Performances: A Sonic Journey Through Solstice The headline act was Elara Voss – a neo-folk chanteuse known for her crystalline vocals and lyrics about abandonment, frost, and second chances. Backed by a three-piece ensemble (cello, upright bass, and a drummer playing only with mallets on cloth heads), Voss performed a 9-song set titled “Permafrost Songs.” However, not all feedback was glowing
On December 8, the hotel’s intimate “Great Hall” – normally reserved for private high tea or elopements – was cleared of its antique settees to make way for a . Capacity? Just 75 souls. Tickets sold out in 11 minutes after a cryptic Instagram post simply showing an icicle with the caption: "12.08.23 – Freeze. Ashby. Live." The 2024 edition is rumored to feature a
Additionally, a (20 minutes) is in post-production, featuring behind-the-scenes footage of Elara Voss composing in her hotel room, the chef’s frantic final prep, and an interview with a guest who traveled 7 hours from the Isle of Skye just for the event. 7. Critical & Community Reception Local paper The Ashby Herald called it “a triumph of atmosphere over amplification – proof that small hotels can host world-class cultural moments.” A five-star Google review from attendee @frostbite_fiend read: “I came for the hashtag, stayed for the frozen pear consommé, and left with tears and a new favorite artist. Unforgettable.”
That recording is set to be released as on vinyl (limited to 300 copies) and high-resolution streaming on December 8, 2024 – exactly one year later. Proceeds will go to the Winter Warmth Fund , a local charity providing heating assistance to elderly residents in Ashby-de-la-Zouch.