🎶 Summer Music in City Churches
Summer Music in City Churches returns for the eighth time in June.
🌍 This year the festival takes flight over its home in the City to travel Around the World with nine days of music inspired by travel and home thoughts from abroad. Evening concerts are mainly in St Giles Cripplegate, with lunchtimes at St Andrew by the Wardrobe, St Botolph-without-Bishopsgate and St Stephen Walbrook.
A Quick Tour:
- The opening concert conjures up warm nights in southern Europe – the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is joined by talented young guitarist Jack Hancher as soloist in Rodrigo‘s much-loved Concierto de Aranjuez, with Rossini and Ravel in Spanish mood, plus Mendelssohn in sunny Italy. Daniel Hyde conducts the City of London Choir for Festival Evensong, featuring music associated with cathedrals and churches around the British Isles.
- Then by popular demand after last year’s runaway success, the award-winning duo Eleanor Grant and Gus McQuade return with their unique and delightful take on songs of travel. Meanwhile there is a chance to experience beguiling French and English song from superstar soprano Rachel Nicholls and pianist Michael Dussek, or to be mesmerised by Viv McLean playing piano tributes by Grieg, Chopin and Beethoven to their homelands.
- Iain Farrington is back with his brilliant Art Deco trio for witty jazz takes on familiar shanties, spirituals and melodies from around the world. Iain’s fabulous arrangements of orchestral classics are played by members of the RPO in a fun family concert with talented youth choir Hackney Choral and City of London Choir – including John Rutter‘s London Town and choral music to lift the spirits of all ages.
Two outstanding actors join the festival for the first time this year: BAFTA-winning Alistair McGowan joins pianist Mark Bebbington to narrate Poulenc‘s enchanting Babar the Elephant in a menu of entertaining music by Satie, Ravel and Debussy with a twist that’s bound to make an impression, while Juliet Stevenson plays itinerant virtuosa Clara Schumann in Lucy Parham‘s brilliant composer-portrait.
Plus charming chamber music from around the world performed by the ever-delightful Brother Tree Sound, Tier3 Trio, the Cassatt Trio and Sonas Quartet; more stunning arrangements from the brilliant brass of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra; and an uplifting finale of song with the City of London Choir – from traditional folk melodies to George Shearing‘s jazz settings to Elgar in Bavaria.
🔗 If you’re spoilt for choice, a festival season ticket is just £120 – and you can read more about the festival at the Summer Music in City Churches website: www.SummerMusicCityChurches.com
