Closing the Summer Music in City Churches festival in a blaze of glory, City of London Choir (CLC) are to perform Verdi’s Requiem 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. Soloists are soprano Rachel Nicholls, mezzo Claire Barnett-Jones, tenor David Junghoon Kim, and baritone Edward Grint. The performance takes place at 7:30pm on Friday 27 June.
On the choir’s behalf, Director Jenny Robinson said: “The City of London Choir is excited to be singing some of the most greatly loved choral repertoire in the closing concert. Richard Blackford’s arrangement of the Verdi Requiem has had tremendous reviews; it’s thrilling that it’s now possible to perform that roof-raising piece in an intimate space like St Giles Cripplegate.”
Summer Music in City Churches was founded in 2018, presenting beautiful music to engage, divert and inspire, in ancient and architecturally stunning churches in London’s Square Mile. Standing cheek by jowl with City offices, these churches are glorious settings in which to listen and reflect: oases of history, beauty and peace amidst the 24-7 hurly-burly of City life.
Following the success of last week’s programme, with audiences flocking to hear some of the country’s most established performers as well as innovative young artists, the final week of Summer Music in City Churches continues until Friday 27 June. 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 the historic churches in the City of London including St Giles-without-Cripplegate, and highlights include live music for choir, piano, guitar and brass:
Tuesday 24 June, 1:00pm
St Botolph-without-Bishopsgate, Bishopsgate EC2M 3TL
Catch the final lunchtime concert under the barrel-vaulted ceiling of St Botolph-without-Bishopsgate, when award-winning classical guitarist Jack Hancher – lately featured on BBC Radio 3 and BBC Radio London – performs solo works programmed around a theme of remembrance, including works by Debussy, Ravel and Antonio José, and excerpts from his new album The Memory Garden, named after a commission from Laura Snowden, and Dani Howard’s You Don’t Have To Tell Me Twice, replete with the guitar’s richest tones and colours.
Tuesday 24 June, 7:30pm
St Giles Cripplegate, Fore Street, Barbican EC2Y 8DA
Rêverie – The Life and Loves of Claude Debussy is pianist Lucy Parham’s highly acclaimed portrait of the ground-breaking impressionist composer. Taking the form of a personal journal, read by actor Henry Goodman and punctuated with lyrical piano solos, Rêverie depicts Debussy’s complex intellectual and emotional world, complete with entangled love life.
Wednesday 25 June, 7:30pm
St Giles Cripplegate, Fore Street, Barbican EC2Y 8DA
Evergreen repertoire follows in Viv McLean’s Moonlighting, following his sell-out performance in last year’s festival; a programme of piano solos for a midsummer night, with works by Debussy, Fauré and Schumann alongside ever-popular crowd-pleasers: Beethoven’s ‘Moonlight’ Sonata and Nocturnes by Chopin.
Thursday 26 June, 7:30pm
St Giles Cripplegate, Fore Street, Barbican EC2Y 8DA
Returning by popular demand, the brass players of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra present a lustrous selection of music entitled Shining Brass, with Walton, Prokofiev, Mahler, Rachmaninov, and Wagner in regal and celebratory mode, and more reflective works by Morten Lauridsen, Bruckner, Fauré and Bach.
