London


More great festivals in the capital full english:


baritone Marcus


Farnsworth drops by the London Song Festival


Routes Academy, the Proms has an infi nite capacity to renew itself. Season to be announced on 14 April. TEL 0845 401 5040 (UK only) WEB www.bbc.co.uk/proms


serving an ace: Rachel Podger tests her Bach-hand at Wimbledon


since the warders are members of the English Concert, the boots are likely to be patent leather evening shoes… Harry Bicket and the English Concert join songwriter-composer Mica Levi as associate artists at the head of a festival revelling in its ‘past’ – Zelenka to Purcell’s King Arthur. And it takes a creative look at the music of today, too, whether programming Berio’s Cries of London in Spitalfi elds Market, exploring English radicalism and US idealism with the London Sinfonietta and New London Chamber Choir, or getting wired up for Parisian electronica. WHEN 10-25 June WHERE Spitalfi elds, London TEL +44 (0)20 7377 1362 WEB www.spitalfi eldsmusic.org.uk HIGHLIGHTS London Sinfonietta/ New London Chamber Choir: Weeks The Freedom of the Earth (13 June); Dan Laurin, Arti dei Suonatori: Telemann (13 June); I Fagiolini, English Concert/Robert Hollingworth: Purcell King Arthur (15 June); Academy of Ancient Music: Bach, Zelenka (16 June); BBC SO/Renes: Michel van der Aa, Mahler (18 June); CHROMA: Rolf Hind, Jonathan Harvey, Param Vir (20 June); Gabrieli Consort: Byrd, Dove (20 June); Eliane Radigue: Naldjorlak (21 June); English Concert/ Harry Bicket: Handel Aci, Galatea & Polifemo (23 June); We Are Shadows (24,25 June).


WIMBLEDON MUSIC FESTIVAL Wimbledon Synagogue to Sacred Heart Edge Hill via… Royal


TÊTE À TÊTE OPERA FESTIVAL 4-21 August Riverside Studios claims to be London’s ‘pre-eminent space for risk, inspiration and creativity’, making Tête à Tête’s wacky celebration of musical theatre a good fi t – over 30 world premieres plus visiting companies such as WNO and Opera North. TEL +44 (0)20 8237 1111 WEB www.tete-a-tete.org.uk


LONDON HANDEL FESTIVAL 14 March-1 May Foundling Hospital to St George’s Hanover Square, Handel is ‘at home’ in a festival that ends with a premiere (a 1745 version of Comus) and fi nds room for liturgical Bach and operatic Hasse. TEL +44 (0)1460 54660 WEB www.london-handel- festival.com


ETHER 24 March-28 April More cross-arts experimentation that includes the Philharmonia accompanying Kubrik’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, a robust championing of Xenakis and the electronica of Pantha du Prince. TEL 0844 875 0073 (UK only) WEB www.southbankcentre.co.uk


FESTIVAL OF BRITAIN 22 April-4 September


Wimbledon Golf Club. There’s something ecumenical about the venues for Anthony Wilkinson’s SW19 fest. And any festival that sandwiches the Claude Bolling Trio between Beethoven’s last three piano sonatas and Schoenberg is ecumenical in its programming. Last year’s festival blazed a rather literal trail when the roof of Southside House caught fi re during Elizabeth Wallfi sch’s Bach Chaconne. St John’s will be crossing its fi ngers during this year’s opening Bach B Minor


58 BBC MUS IC MAGA ZINE


Four-month jamboree to celebrate the Festival of Britain 60 years on. With ‘Massive Messiah’ and young pianists with Lang Lang, diamond- jubilee Southbank Centre glitters. TEL 0844 875 0073 (UK only) WEB www.southbankcentre.co.uk


PROMS AT ST JUDES 18-26 June Hampstead’s answer to the Albert Hall spends an evening with Felicity Lott and Thomas Allen, premieres Ronald Corp’s String Quartet No. 3 and bangs the drum for Orff and Bartók. TEL +44 (0)20 8458 8798 WEB www.promsatstjudes.org.uk


BBC PROMS 15 July-10 September Last year’s opening weekend of Mahler 8, Meistersinger and Simon Boccanegra was formidable. But from Dr Who Prom to Cadogan chamber music, Webern to World


Mass. Others braving incendiary Bach include Trevor Pinnock and Brecon Baroque with violinist Rachel Podger, while the St Cecilia’s Day community Noye’s Fludde has the luxury two-by- two of the Brodsky Quartet and Piers Adams to fl oat David Wilson-Johnson’s boat. And with Lawrence’s Power’s Viola Day, Wimbledon’s serve is pitch-perfect. WHEN 12-27 November WHERE Wimbledon, London TEL 0844 871 7685 (UK only) WEB wimbledonmusicfestival.co.uk


KINGS PLACE FESTIVAL 8-11 September Exuberance comes to King’s Cross with the back-to-back four-day- eventing of this September fest. OAE, London Sinfonietta, Aurora Orchestra and YouTuba are among the eye-catching courtiers. TEL +44 (0)20 7520 1490 WEB www.kingsplace.co.uk


LONDON SONG FESTIVAL 3-30 November It opens saluting Elizabeth Barrett Browning, and ends with a giggle implicating Flanders and Swann and Coward. ‘England’ is the theme with a song in its heart; Roderick Williams and Marcus Farnsworth are among those singing, with masterclasses from Ann Murray. TEL 0843 208 0500 (UK only) WEB www.londonsongfestival.org


HIGHLIGHTS Academy Choir and Orchestra: Bach Mass in B minor (12 November); Joanna MacGregor, Ensemble Bash (13 November); Trevor Pinnock: Couperin, Bach, Handel, Scarlatti (16 November); Rachel Podger/Brecon Baroque: Bach concertos (20 November); David Wilson-Johnson, Catherine Wyn-Rogers, Brodsky Quartet, Piers Adams: Noye’s Fludde (21,22 November); Brodsky Quartet and Friends: Verklärte Nacht etc (26 November).


Festival Special JONAS SACKS, BEN EALOVEGA


Festival Special


Festival Special


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