LMP Friends Christmas Lunch 2024
10.15am – Coffee and Mince Pies
11am- Concert
12pm – 2 course lunch and raffle
2pm – Finish (approx.)
Archives
Four World Seasons: Vivaldi and Panufnik pre-concert talk
An exclusive pre-concert talk for LMP Friends with composer Roxanna Panufnik ahead of our Four World Seasons concert.
If you would like to attend, sign-up to become an LMP Friend today.
Mayfield Festival: Messiah
Jack Gonzalez-Harding conductor
Ruth Rogers leader
Theano Papadaki soprano
Louisa Stuart-Smith alto
Sebastian Hill tenor
George Robarts bass
The Mayfield Consort chorus
Handel Messiah
Guildford International Concert Series: Vivaldi – Four Seasons
Mozart Eine kleine Nachtmusik (Serenade, K.525)
Tchaikovsky Serenade
Vivaldi The Four Seasons
Simon Blendis director/soloist
Oxford Bach Choir: Handel, Messiah
Handel Messiah
Ruth Rogers leader
Benjamin Nicholas conductor
Daisy Bevan soprano
Emma Roberts alto
Sebastian Hill tenor
James Geidt bass
Ealing Choral Society: Eternal Light, A Requiem
Bairstow Blessed City, Heavenly Salem
Stanford Ye Choirs of New Jerusalem
Stanford O For a Closer Walk With God
Stanford For Lo I Raise Up
Vaughan Williams Five Mystical Songs
Interval
Howard Goodall Eternal Light, A Requiem
Simon Blendis leader
Peter Asprey conductor
Viola Virtuosity with Tim Ridout and Ruth Rogers
Lera Auerbach Sogno di Stabat Mater
Mozart Sinfonia Concertante in E-flat Major K364
Interval
Hummel Potpourri mit Fantasie op.94
Beethoven Symphony No. 1 in C Major, Op. 21
Ruth Rogers leader/solo violin
Jonathan Bloxham conductor
Timothy Ridout viola
Karl Jenkins’ 80th Birthday at Grayshott
Jenkins Lament for the Valley (5′)
Requiem 2. Dies Irae
9. Pie Jesu
He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven
The Armed Man 11. Now The Guns Have Stopped
One World 9.Tikkun Olam
One World 15.Sakura, Spring Has Come
The Peacemakers 9.Solitude
Chatterbox!
Palladio
Jenkins (arr. Gibbons) Stabat Mater
Karl Jenkins conductor
Kathryn Rudge mezzo-soprano
Ruth Rogers leader
Joo Yeon Sir violin
Mill Hill Music Club
Elgar Serenade for Strings
Holst St Paul’s Suite
Vivaldi Concerto for 2 violins in A minor
Vaughn Williams (arr. Gerigk) The Lark Ascending
Grieg Holberg Suite
Vivaldi Concerto for 2 violins in A minor
Vaughn Williams (arr. Gerigk) The Lark Ascending
Grieg Holberg Suite
Simon Blendis leader
Aki Blendis violin
London Mozart Players
Flights of Fancy
Vaughan Williams (arr. Martin Gerigk) The Lark Ascending
Dvořák Serenade for Strings in E Major, Op.22
Joanna Marsh In Winter’s House
Coleridge-Taylor Four Noveletten for Strings
Simon Blendis director/solo violin
Where there’s music, there’s meaning. And where there’s meaning, there’s heated debate about who’s right and who’s wrong.
Sometimes the symbolism is clear, like in Vaughan Williams’ The Lark Ascending; it beautifully depicts a soaring bird, brought to life by the solo violin. Joanna Marsh’s In Winter’s House draws from a fairy-tale like setting of light and dark text. Other pieces leave their narratives open to interpretation, like Coleridge-Taylor’s Four Noveletten (translated as ‘short stories’) which lets listeners’ imaginations run wild.
Meaning can also be attached retrospectively. Take Dvořák’s Serenade for Strings – written in the 19th century, it was intended to provide light entertainment and background music for social gatherings. Today, aviation enthusiasts might identify it with piña coladas and getting caught in the rain, all thanks to British Airways adopting it as their boarding music.
Under 30? Get tickets for just £10.
Marvellous Maestros
JS Bach Orchestral Suite No.2 in B minor
7. Badinerie
Corelli Concerto Grosso, Op.6 No.8
JS Bach Brandenburg Concerto. No.5 BWV 150
Mozart Clarinet Concerto in A Major, K.622
Ruth Rogers director
In a concerto, a star soloist steps into the limelight, accompanied by an orchestra. Classical composers wrote flashy solo parts for their friends, pupils, or – if they really wanted to show off – themselves.
Our concert begins 400 years ago when Johann Sebastian Bach ruled the music scene. His music proves timeless, permeating everything from film scores to technology. Take his Badinerie; you might not recognise the name, but you may well know the tricky flute tune from its stint as Nokia’s catchy ringtone…
His Brandenburg Concerto No.5 features three solo instruments: harpsichord, flute and violin, but the harpsichord is the undisputed star of the show. It has a dazzling solo passage, written to impress all who were listening – most likely premiered by Bach himself.
Fast forward a few decades and we end up with Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto. Mozart, ever the visionary, composed this piece for an instrument that hadn’t fully developed yet, showcasing his belief in its future potential. It was written for his frenemy Anton Stadler who invented the special type of clarinet Mozart would have known.
This concert has been designed to include the set works of the 2025 GCSE music syllabus, making it ideal for students preparing for their exams.
Under 30? Get tickets for just £10
Under 5s go free
Christmas Crackers with LMP: St John’s, Upper Norwood
Alan Thomas director/trumpet
LMP Brass Ensemble
Come one, come all (ye faithful) to St John’s Upper Norwood to experience the magic of the festive season with the irresistibly Christmassy sound of the LMP Brass Ensemble. Unwind with a smorgasbord of timeless classics from a professional orchestra including sing-along carols and catchy Christmas No.1s. Joined by a host of local choirs and performers, this family-friendly concert will leave you feeling merry and bright this Christmas period by bringing you the music, sleigh bells and mince pies the whole family know and love.
Under 30? Get tickets for just £10
Under 5s go free
Christmas Crackers with LMP: Hastings
Alan Thomas director/trumpet
LMP Brass Ensemble
Come one, come all (ye faithful) to Henry Ward Hall to experience the magic of the festive season with the irresistibly Christmassy sound of the LMP Brass Ensemble. Unwind with a smorgasbord of timeless classics from a professional orchestra including sing-along carols and catchy Christmas No.1s. Joined by a host of local choirs and performers, this family-friendly concert will leave you feeling merry and bright this Christmas period by bringing you the music, sleigh bells and mince pies the whole family know and love.
Changing Seasons
Vivaldi The Four Seasons
New commissions devised by Club Soda, Croydon Music & Arts, Queer Croydon and Subrang Arts with composers Fiona Brice and Sarah Freestone
Jonathan Bloxham conductor
Simon Blendis leader/violin
Ruth Rogers leader/violin
Club Soda
Croydon Music & Arts
Queer Croydon x Stanley Arts
Subrang Arts
When Vivaldi wrote his Four Seasons in 1723, the world was a different place. As nature continues to inspire art, Vivaldi’s piece remains popular and still has a place in today’s society. But how do we respond when the world around us is changing?
Changing Seasons is our new multi-genre spectacular, created as a reflection on the climate emergency and its impact on our future. This exciting production mixes Vivaldi’s classic with new commissions from four talented local arts groups. Working with professional composers Fiona Brice and Sarah Freestone, four community groups – Queer Croydon, Club Soda, Subrang Arts and CMA – will perform their unique pieces which have been inspired by the seasonal themes in Vivaldi’s music. These new works respond to our changing world, creating a fusion of genres and art forms that culminate in a spectacular performance at Fairfield Halls.
Complete with new poetry from Croydon poet Jeremiah Brown, dance performances and engaging video content to introduce each artist, Changing Seasons is an accessible and proudly Croydon-made performance suitable for audiences of all ages.
As part of this event, we’re hosting a free afternoon showcase in the public open spaces of Fairfield Halls, featuring local talent from over 30 music and dance groups.
Under 30? Get tickets for just £10
Now That’s What I Call (Classical) Music: Baroque to Rock
JS Bach Brandenburg Concerto No.5, BWV 1050
JS Bach Orchestra Suite No.2 in B minor
7. Badinerie
Mozart Clarinet Concerto in A Major, K.622
Elgar Serenade for Strings
2. Larghetto
Coleridge-Taylor Four Noveletten for Strings
2. No.2 in C Major
Piazzolla Libertango
Kate Bush (arr. William Newell) And Dream of Sheep
Ruth Rogers director
Nothing is certain in life but death, taxes and the evolution of great music. Join us for a concert that will transport you through some of music’s most iconic moments from Bach to Kate Bush.
Our journey begins 400 years ago in the Baroque era when Bach ruled the music scene. His music has proved timeless, permeating everything from film scores to technology. Take his Badinerie; you might not recognise the name, but you may well know the tune from its stint as Nokia’s catchy ringtone…
Fast forward a few decades and we end up with Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto. Mozart, ever the visionary, composed this piece for an instrument that hadn’t fully developed yet, showcasing his belief in its future potential.
After making some stops in the 19th century with some Elgar and Coleridge-Taylor, we land in the 20th century to wrap things up with some toe-tapping Piazzolla and a strings arrangement of Kate Bush’s 80s hit And Dream of Sheep.
This concert has been designed to include the set works of the 2025 GCSE music syllabus, making it ideal for students preparing for their exams.
A Place in Time: Jess Gillam and LMP
Tchaikovsky Serenade
James Macmillan Saxophone Concerto
Vaughan-Williams Fantasia on Greensleeves
Jessie Montgomery Strum
John Harle RANT!
Dowland Flow My Tears
Bartok (arr. Willner) Romanian Folk Dances
Trad. (arr. Tonsgaard Sørensen) Shine You No More
Jess Gillam saxophone
Jonathan Bloxham conductor
Ruth Rogers leader
Full of memorable tunes and toe-tapping dances, the electrifying saxophonist Jess Gillam brings the heart and soul of folk-inspired music to life.
From the Scottish Isles in Macmillan’s punchy Saxophone Concerto to the pastoral English countryside of Vaughan Williams’ Fantasia on Greensleeves, the programme showcases the rich variety of folk-influenced classical music. As well as spanning the globe, tonight’s music also traverses time, transporting you from Dowland’s olde lute-inspired Flow My Tears to the contemporary pizzicato in Jessie Montgomery’s Strum.
Jess Gillam, known for her charismatic presenting style on BBC Radio 3’s This Classical Life, will guide you through the programme with engaging spoken introductions.
Under 30? Get tickets for just £10.
French Connections: Music from the Parisian Stage
Couperin (arr. Ades) Les Barricades Misterieux
Ravel Le Tombeau de Couperin
Ravel Piano Concerto in G Major
Lili Boulanger (arr. Iain Farrington) D’un Matin de Printemps
Debussy Danses Sacrée et Profane
Mozart Symphony No. 31 in D Major, K.297 ‘Paris’
Zee Zee piano
Jonathan Bloxham conductor
Young Mozart understood that while all roads may not lead to Rome, the truly successful ones led to Paris.
Struggling to find work and establish himself as a serious composer, Mozart set his sights on the French capital in the 1700s to compose his largest orchestral work to date; his Symphony No.31, ‘Paris’. With a fierce ambition to woo the discerning aristocrats, Mozart pulled out all the stops to create a piece full of dramatic flair. The result? A masterpiece that not only conquered Paris but solidified his reputation as an international sensation.
France’s position as a cultural capital continued to thrive. When new music was made, Paris was the hot-spot premiere platform artists rushed to. The city buzzed with new, exciting works from popular French composers, all determined to have their name on the Parisian stage. The music in this concert recreates some of these highlights including Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G Major, brought to life by the exhilarating Zee Zee, alongside works by Lili Boulanger, Debussy and Couperin.
Under 30? Get tickets for just £10.
Christmas with London Mozart Players
Tess Jackson conductor
LMP Brass Ensemble
Croydon SDA Gospel Choir
Trinity Boys Choir
Trinity Girls Choir
It’s the most wonderful time of the year…Experience the magic of the festive season with the irresistibly Christmassy sound of the LMP brass ensemble. Be transported to a musical winter wonderland, where Smith Square Hall comes alive with dazzling lights and festive décor. Gather your loved ones, don your best seasonal outfit and embrace the Christmas cheer at this family-friendly concert.
After your hard day’s Christmas shopping in central London, join us for a smorgasbord of timeless classics including sing-along carols and catchy Christmas No.1s. Complete with the majestic sound of the organ and an array of choirs, we’ll leave you feeling merry and bright this Christmas period by bringing you music the whole family know and love.