THIS IS LONDON JUNE EDITION 2025 - Flipbook - Page 22
SUMMER MUSIC IN CITY
CHURCHES
Kestrel Music is to present its
seventh annual festival, ‘Summer Music
in City Churches’, from 18 - 27 June, an
eight-day celebration of music in the
City of London. Choral requiem settings
form the cornerstones, inspiring this
year’s theme ‘Eternal Light’. Guest artists
are drawn from the finest musicians
performing internationally today,
including the Royal Philharmonic
Orchestra and City of London Choir,
conductors Sir John Rutter and Daniel
Hyde, and soloists including guitarists
Jack Hancher and Gus McQuade,
pianists Iain Farrington, Lucy Parham,
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Photo: Victoria Cadisch
Photo: Sim Canetty-Clark
lovers Daphnis and Chloé. The second
suite is rarely performed with a choir,
because of the numbers needed, so this is
a great opportunity to hear this
shimmering and sumptuous music –
almost like a film score.
The Poulenc Gloria is a short, lively
choral piece that will take you by surprise.
While Poulenc had a really deep faith, his
music is quite quirky and a joy to listen
to. The beautiful floating soprano lines are
perfect for the clear, gorgeous voice of
Lucy Crowe.
The Berlioz Te Deum is rarely
performed – it’s too big and expensive for
most organisations to stage – and these
amazing musical forces will give it a
fantastic outing. With an 80-strong
orchestra, full organ, incredible young
singers and a huge choir, this piece will
lift you off your seat and absolutely make
your day.
The concert will be conducted by
renowned choral specialist, Jeremy
Backhouse, to mark his retirement as
Music Director of the Vivace Chorus (one
of the six choirs involved) after 30 years.
www.royalalberthall.com/tickets
Lucy Crowe.
Nicky Spence OBE.
Photo: Ki Price
BERLIOZ TE DEUM AT THE ROYAL
ALBERT HALL
If you are looking for a ravishing tourde-force live music performance this July,
look no further than the wonderful
programme of simmering French music
being performed at the Royal Albert Hall
on Sunday 13 July.
Visiting the Royal Albert Hall is a mustdo London experience. This performance
will treat you to the Royal Philharmonic
Concert Orchestra, boasting some of the
world’s best orchestral players. In addition,
a choir of up to 400 singers – including a
100-strong youth choir – will take you on
fabulous musical journeys, with the music
of Ravel, Poulenc and Berlioz.
The concert will feature the Royal
Albert Hall organ. In the second half, the
Berlioz Te Deum uses all the forces that
the organ brings to bear, giving you a
truly astounding experience. The evening
will also feature the internationallyrenowned soloists, Nicky Spence OBE
(tenor) and Lucy Crowe (soprano).
The programme will begin with
Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloé second suite.
This is ballet music, telling the story of
Mark Bebbington and Viv McLean, and
singers Eleanor Grant, Edward Grint and
Rachel Nicholls. Embracing the theme of
‘Eternal Light’ – sunrise, moonlight and
reflected light in nature, as well as the
everlasting light of remembrance – live
music takes place in four of the historic
churches in the City of London.
Closing the Festival in a blaze of
glory, at St Giles, CLC also performs
Verdi’s Requiem complete with all its
passion and drama in the arrangement
by Richard Blackford for two pianos,
organ and percussion.
Daniel Hyde, the recently appointed
conductor of CLC, directs with Iain
Farrington and Libby Burgess at two
pianos, Paul Greally at the organ
and Tristan Fry playing percussion.
T H I S I S L O N D O N M A G A Z I N E • T H I S I S L O N D O N O N L I N E • w w w. t i l . c o m • @ t h i s i s l o n d o n m a g
