islington
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
Hall: Not only does
this programme begin with the gorgeous Sonata in A for
violin and piano by César Franck but it is completed
with works by two major Polish composers, Szymanowski
and Wieniawski. Bomsori Kim violin; Danny Driver
piano (wigmore-hall.org.uk);
the website includes instructions on how to get there.Friday 22 November 2024, 7.30pm, St Ja
mes’s, Spanish
Place: To commemorate the centenary of Gabriel
Fauré’s death Le Concert Spiritual directed by Hervé
Nicquet will give, I confidently predict, a ravishing
performance of one of the most popular Requiems in the
entire choral repertoire coupled with music by his friends
and contemporaries. Le Concert
Spirituel at St James's, Spanish Place (wigmore-hall.org.uk)Wednesday 18 December 2024, 7.00pm, Barbican Ce
ntre: To end the year it
looks as if the LSO are really letting their hair
down, aided and abetted by Sir Antonio Pappano in a
programme entitled Christmas Swing, which they’re actually
performing on two nights.London Symphony Orchestra/Sir Antonio Pappano | Barbican
In 2024 we have heard:
-
Three outstanding young musicians from Ukraine, Romania and Kazakhstan in Piano Trios by Shostakovich and Brahms recorded for future broadcast by BBC Radio 3.
- A solo piano recital of Chopin,
Poulenc, Liszt and Schumann from Kirill Gerstein
in the perfect setting of St Luke's.
-
Last Tango in London, a compilation of tango arrangements from the Curve Ensemble in the beautiful city church, St Giles Cripplegate.
-
Roberto Pla and his 12-piece band in sizzling Salsa and Latin infused rhythms + lovely supper c/o Pizza Express.
- A very lively evening of music and dances devised for the delectation of the Sun King.
- A superb performance of Debussy’s La Mer from the London Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Dima Slobodeniouk at the Royal Festival Hall.
- Stephanie Gonley and various other members of the Nash Ensemble performing a very attractive all-Czech programme in one of Wigmore Hall’s Coffee Concerts.
- A wonderfully varied recital from
the Sino-Scottish guitarist Sean Shibe in a sold out
LSO St Luke’s
In 2023 we heard:
- A superb pre-Christmas recital from The Sixteen which proved to be a masterclass in singing from all concerned.
-
The Basil Hodge Quartet performing tracks from their album ‘A Point of Reference’ at the Pizza Express Soho.
-
A most enjoyable violin and piano recital from young musicians Johanna Rohrig and Raffaelo Morales in a packed St James’s Piccadilly.
-
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.
For a record of what
we've been to earlier have a look in our archive.
For 2019 to 2022 look here.
For 2018 to 2019 look here
For 2016 to 2017 look here.