islingtonu3a

CONCERT VISITS — CLASSICAL & JAZZ

Visits to classical concerts, with the occasional foray into jazz and world, in various London venues.

Group Coordinator: Celia Ballantyne (click to contact)

When

Our visits are on an ad hoc basis, depending on what's on.

Where

London concert halls and churches.

We go to a wide variety of concerts including orchestral, choral, chamber, vocal, recital and big band. Suggestions are always welcome. Concerts might be late morning, lunchtime or evening and are in a variety of venues. Wherever possible ticket prices are very reasonable and chosen with the acoustics and sightlines of the venue in mind. Some concerts are free.

The way it works is that the Group Coordinator identifies a concert to visit, and notifies members on her mailing list. Those expressing interest then receive all relevant information, including guidance on which row to buy tickets in, and then they buy their own tickets.

All iU3A members are entitled to be on the mailing list to receive information and to join visits if they wish. To join the mailing list, click here

Our Next Concert Visits

Friday 6 October, St James’s Piccadilly — 1.10pm: Beethoven and Schubert violin works, Johanna Rohrig (violin), Raffaelo Morales (piano). A free lunchtime concert given in the lovely surroundings of St James’s Piccadilly. https://www.sjp.org.uk/whats-on/johanna-rohrig-violin-raffaelo-morales-piano/. How to get there: https://www.sjp.org.uk/visit-us/

Tuesday 14 November, Pizza Express Soho — 6.30pm for 8.00pm: Basil Hodge Quartet. A London Jazz Festival appearance from pianist Basil Hodge and his band performing numbers from their album ‘A Point of Reference’: https://www.pizzaexpresslive.com/whats-on/basil-hodge-quartet. How to get there: https://www.pizzaexpresslive.com/venues/soho-jazz-club

Monday 18 December, Wigmore Hall — 1.00pm: Resonet in laudibus — The Sixteen
A glorious Christmas programme to end the year from The Sixteen for the absolute bargain price of £20 — I can’t quite believe it!: The Sixteen (https://www.wigmore-hall.org.uk/whats-on/202312181300). How to get there: https://www.wigmore-hall.org.uk/visit-us

As ever, please can you let me know whether you are coming to any of these so I can look out for you. See you in September.

Previous Concert Visits
So far in 2023 we have heard:

The London Symphony Orchestra conducted by the young, dynamic conductor Barbara Hannigan in an engrossing performance of Stravinsky’s Pulcinella.
Parisian jazz and tango featuring the ‘jazz diva’ Gabrielle Ducomble and her outstanding ensemble at Pizza Express Chelsea.
An excellent recital from Olivier Latry on the Royal Festival Hall organ ending with an outrageously good improvisation on God Save the King.
An exhilarating performance of Prokofiev’s Third Symphony from the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Gianandrea Noseda, who talked us skilfully and amusingly through the piece beforehand.
A BBC Radio 3 lunchtime concert of Alessandro Scarlatti, Francesco Mancini and Handel from Concerto Italiano directed from the keyboard by Rinaldo Alessandrini.
The excellent Astatine Trio performing Mozart and Brahms in the lovely surroundings of St James’s Picadilly.
A piano four hands recital with Pavel Kolesnikov and Samson Tsoy performing works by Beethoven, Schubert and Britten at LSO St Luke’s.

In 2021-22 we heard:

Polyphony/Britten Sinfonia conducted by Stephen Layton in J S Bach’s Christmas Oratorio at the Barbican.
Soprano Veronique Gens and pianist Susan Manoff in a recital of songs by Reynaldo Hahn at St John’s, Smith Square.
A harpsichord recital of Scarlatti Sonatas by Mahan Esfahani at the Queen Elizabeth Hall.
The Zemlinsky Quartet performing Mozart and Dvorak at Wigmore Hall.
The Academy of Ancient Music in a programme of Lully, Delalande, Campra and Rameau at Milton Court.
A Half Six Fix of Brecht and Weill’s Seven Deadly Sins from the London Symphony Orchestra and Simon Rattle.
The Fieri Consort in a programme entitled The Excellence of Women at King’s Place.
Organist Anna Lapwood in a free lunchtime recital at Temple Church.
A highly original concert from the young players of the Southbank Sinfonia in a programme taking in Mendelssohn, Mozart, Holst and Jimi Hendrix.

For a record of what we've been to earlier have a look in our archive.
From 2019 look here.
For 2018 to 2019 look here
For 2016 to 2017 look here.