Cambridge Music Festival with Sheku Kanneh-Mason

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Mendelssohn The Hebrides ‘Fingal’s Cave’, Op.26
Dvořák Cello Concerto in B minor, Op.104

London Mozart Players
Sheku Kanneh-Mason cello
Jaime Martín conductor
Ruth Rogers leader

Dvořák wrote some of his best-loved music in the USA such as the ‘New World’ Symphony, the ‘American’ string quartet and the Cello Concerto. Composed in New York in 1894-95, the concerto is expansive and lyrical yet tinged with sadness. When his sister-in-law and former love, Josefina, fell seriously ill in 1894, Dvořák quoted her favourite of his songs in the slow movement. When she died the following year, he amended the jaunty finale to include a long contemplative coda, in her memory. The result is arguably the greatest and most popular of all cello concertos.

Winner of the BBC Young Musician of the Year in 2016, Sheku Kanneh-Mason came to worldwide attention when he performed at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding in 2018.

‘Technically superb and eloquent … he held the capacity audience spellbound.’

THE GUARDIAN on Sheku Kanneh-Mason

 

 

Dirty Beasts & The Three Little Pigs

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Roald Dahl & Martin Butler Dirty Beasts
Roald Dahl & Paul Patterson The Three Little Pigs

London Mozart Players
Polly Ives narrator
Rosie Brooks artist

Music, art and hilarious stories combine in a concert that’s perfect for the whole family.

A ‘big and wonderfully clever pig’, a ‘Tummy Beast’ that lives inside the stomach of a boy, telling him to eat sweets, and a crocodile who eats three boys and three girls every Saturday, are among the characters of  Dirty Beasts, Roald Dahl’s collection of comic and absurd poems. These gruesome and hilarious stories have been set to colourful music by Martin Butler, and LMP and narrator Polly Ives will bring them to life alongside Dahl’s subversive take on The Three Little Pigs with music by Paul Patterson. Hilarious happenings follow the little piggies as they build their houses, with some outrageously comic twists to the familiar story. Paul Patterson’s sprightly and exuberant score has plenty of musical allusions to keep the grown-ups entertained too. You can be sure that Polly Ives will deliver the necessary huffing and puffing!

Artist Rosie Brooks will also be on hand to illustrate the concert in real time, drawing the characters as the musicians play the music, with her easel projected behind the players so you can see the painting develop. This really is a concert for all the senses!

LMP’s family concerts always sell out, so do book early.

 

 

JAM on the Marsh

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Elgar Serenade for Strings, Op.20
Peter Aviss The Seafarer
Britten Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings, Op.31
Cecilia McDowall Off the Ground (New Commission) 

London Mozart Players
Michael Bawtree conductor
James Gilchrist tenor
Ben Goldscheider horn
Simon Blendis leader

The London Mozart Players return to JAM on the Marsh together with James Gilchrist (tenor), Ben Goldscheider (horn) and Michael Bawtree (conductor) to perform works by Elgar and Britten as well as a new commission by British Composer Cecilia McDowall.

SOLD OUT – Wandsworth Arts Fringe: Family Fun – Little Red Riding Hood & Ferdinand the Bull

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THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT! NO TICKETS WILL BE AVAILABLE ON THE DOOR.

Roald Dahl & Paul Patterson Little Red Riding Hood
Alan Ridout Ferdinand the Bull

London Mozart Players
Ruth Rogers director
Polly Ives narrator (Little Red Riding Hood)
Ruth Rogers and her son Alexander narrators (Ferdinand the Bull)

LMP is delighted to be part of the Wandsworth Arts Fringe, with concerts for all the family in one day, at St Mary’s Putney.

Taken from Dahl’s Revolting Rhymes, ‘Little Red Riding Hood’ is ideal for the under-10s, but is also a sharply funny and inspiring treat for adults. It’s half an hour of pure magic that never fails to entertain. ‘Ferdinand the Bull’ is a charming story of a bull with a big heart who would rather ‘sit quietly out under the tree’ and smell flowers, than fight in bull fighting arenas.

Entertaining, engaging and full of fun, this will be a wonderful way to introduce budding musicians to the instruments of the orchestra.

 

 

Wandsworth Arts Fringe: Strictly Tango! The Music of Astor Piazzolla

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We have a limited allocation of tickets – if this is showing ‘sold out’ please try the Wandsworth Arts fringe for tickets, click HERE to go to their website.

 

Piazzolla Four Seasons of Buenos Aires
Piazzolla Oblivion
Piazzolla Libertango
Piazzolla Grand Tango
Bartok Romanian Dances
Tchaikovsky Waltz from Serenade
Brahms Hungarian Dance No.5
Copland Hoedown

London Mozart Players
Ruth Rogers violin
Sebastian Comberti cello

LMP is delighted to be part of the Wandsworth Arts Fringe, with concerts for all the family in one day, at St Mary’s Church, Putney.

After our children’s concerts at lunchtime, now something for the grown ups! Let the London Mozart Players transport you to the sweltering squares of Buenos Aires as they mark the centenary of Argentine composer Astor Piazzolla with a sultry, slinky and seductive set of works that will raise all our temperatures!

Piazzolla revitalised the music of his homeland, particularly music inspired by the tango. Passionate, tense and driven by an endless supply of rhythmic energy, his spinetingling compositions translate the aching soul into music. The four movements of his ‘Four Seasons of Buenos Aires’, inspired by Vivaldi’s famous take on the seasons, appear at intervals through the concert, interspersed with other dance-inspired works by Bartok, Tchaikovsky, Brahms and Copland. The explosive ‘Oblivion’, ‘Libertango’ and ‘Grand Tango’ will have you reaching for your dancing shoes, or your glass of Malbec!

Summer String Serenade

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Britten Simple Symphony
Ireland Downland Suite
Finzi Eclogue
Holst St. Paul’s Suite
Elgar Serenade for Strings 

No interval

London Mozart Players
Mark Bebbington piano
Simon Blendis director

The opening concert of the third Summer Music in City Churches is a glorious programme of British music for strings. Celebrating the longed-for return of live music and the re-opening of churches, the festival’s theme is SUNSHINE AFTER RAIN: concerts filled with joyful, optimistic music to lift the spirits, with interludes for reflection too. Summer String Serenade sets the scene perfectly, with lively, evocative music rooted firmly in English folksong and countryside, and characterised by masterful orchestration. An abundance of timeless, bucolic sunniness characterises both Holst’s St Paul’s Suite and Ireland’s Downland Suite; between them the London Mozart Players are joined by pianist Mark Bebbington for Finzi’s Eclogue: ‘a rapt but not untroubled meditation’ (in the words of the composer’s biographer) in which the summery, pastoral scene is permeated with aching nostalgia and bittersweet tenderness. The programme opens with Britten’s exuberantly witty and youthful Simple Symphony and culminates with another early masterpiece: Elgar’s evergreen and much-loved Serenade for Strings. It all takes place in the historic church of St Giles-without-Cripplegate in the heart of the Barbican. 

Seaford Music Society

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Mozart Oboe Quartet in F Major for Oboe and Strings K370 K368b
Britten Phantasy Quartet for Oboe and String Trio Op.2
Beethoven Variations from The Magic Flute WoO46
Beethoven Eyeglass Duo WoO32

London Mozart Players Chamber Ensemble

The London Mozart Players Chamber Ensemble returns to Seaford, this time as an Oboe Quartet, to play Mozart’s Oboe Quartet in F Major for Oboe and Strings, K370, K368b, Britten’s Phantasy Quartet for Oboe and String Trio, Opus 2, Beethoven’s Variations from The Magic Flute, WoO46 and his Eyeglass Duo, WoO32.

CANCELLED: The Waynflete Singers: 50th Anniversary Gala Concert

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Eves Waynflete Fanfare
Parry arr. Lawson I Was Glad
Howells arr. Neary A Hymn for St. Cecilia
Roderick Williams To Autumn
Vaughan Williams Five Mystical Songs
Barber Toccata Festiva
Wesley Ascribe unto the Lord
Tavener Svyati
Parry Blest Pair of Sirens

London Mozart Players
The Waynflete Singers
Roderick Williams baritone
Andrew Lumsden organ
Alice Neary cello
Martin Neary conductor
David Hill conductor
Andrew Lumsden conductor

The Waynflete Singers conclude their fiftieth anniversary season in celebratory style with a Gala Concert which re-unites them with former music directors Martin Neary and David Hill. Both musicians have chosen to conduct works that reflect their own particular tastes, while at the same time showcasing the typically wide repertoire of the Waynfletes. Martin Neary’s long association with John Tavener will ensure a very special musical experience while David Hill’s love of English music will illuminate the magic of Vaughan Williams.

Thaxted Festival

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Haydn arr. Salomon Symphony No.102
Hummel Concertino
Beethoven arr. Lachner Piano Concerto No.3

Howard Shelley piano
Simon Blendis leader

LMP and Howard Shelley perform three pioneering arrangements of symphonic works all dating from the closing years of the eighteenth century. Haydn’s Symphony No 102, one of his twelve London symphonies, marks an expansion of the symphony’s musical ambitions, frequently flouting Classical conventions. Hummel’s bright and graceful Concertino is considered his first mature concerto. Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No 3 brings the programme to a high-spirited conclusion.

CANCELLED: Grayshott Concerts: Tchaikovsky in Grayshott

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Mozart Magic Flute Overture
Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto
Haydn Symphony No.104

Jonathan Bloxham conductor
Leia Zhu violin
Simon Blendis leader

13-year-old Leia Zhu will perform Grayshott’s first-ever performance of Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto in D. Also on the programme Mozart’s Overture Magic Flute and Haydn’s Symphony No.104

Online Concert: Ryedale Festival: The Lark Ascending

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Vivaldi Spring
Grieg Holberg Suite
Vaughan Williams The Lark Ascending

London Mozart Players
Ruth Rogers (violin)

Spring is in the air! London Mozart Players is delighted to be performing in the annual Ryedale Festival, a wonderful gathering of performers who come from around the world to perform in Ryedale, North Yorkshire, an area of outstanding natural beauty that’s also packed with history. The best news is that we can ALL enjoy the festival this year, as it is now going online: tickets are free (donation requested).

Filmed in the stunning surroundings of Castle Howard, LMP will be performing a programme that’s perfect for this time of year. ‘Spring’ from Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons and Grieg’s Holberg Suite are on the programme, with Vaughan Williams’ ever-popular The Lark Ascending as the centrepiece. LMP’s own Ruth Rogers takes the solo spot in what is going to be a truly ravishing concert. Do support this exciting and enterprising festival!

Content will be free-to-view via the Ryedale Festival YouTube channel, but please make a donation to support Ryedale’s digital programme if you can.

Live Concert: Spotlight on…Jess

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Mozart  Symphony No. 35 in D Major, K.385 (Haffner)
Glazunov Concerto in E flat for alto saxophone & string orchestra
Nyman Saxophone Concerto, Where the Bee Dances

London Mozart Players
Jess Gillam saxophone
Ruth Rogers leader
Jonathan Bloxham conductor

Former BBC Young Musician finalist and now BBC broadcaster Jess Gillam joins London Mozart Players in two spectacular works for saxophone including Nyman’s electrifying ‘Where the Bee Dances’. Gillam brings virtuosity and ‘life-affirming talent’, as described in the BBC Young Musician final, to an evening that takes in Glazunov’s romantic and beautifully lyrical Saxophone Concerto. The programme, under the baton of Jonthan Bloxham, is completed by an LMP favourite – Mozart’s ‘Haffner’ Symphony No.35.

Gillam burst onto the music scene in 2016 as the first saxophonist ever to reach the final of the BBC Young Musician competition. She has wowed audiences and inspired young musicians with her passion for music ever since – her first album, Rise, released in April 2019, shot to No.1 in the UK’s Official Classical Charts, while her second album Time was released in autumn 2020. If you thought the saxophone was just for jazz, think again: this will be an extraordinary night of music-making from a Classical Brit-winning soloist and an internationally celebrated orchestra.

There will be two concerts on the same day to accommodate social distancing. 

This concert will be filmed for later release on the LMP website. 

As part of LMP’s 100k Challenge (to reach 100,000 children and young people through music in 2021) we are working with schools and music hubs across the UK to make our Spotlight concert films available to schools for a limited time, for free, along with specially curated ‘listening guides’ for different age groups.

If you would like your schools to be part of this initiative, please contact Tegan Eldridge for more information.

Grayshott Concerts: Howard’s Way

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Haydn arr. Salomon Symphony No.94 “Surprise”
Beethoven arr. Lachner Piano Concerto No.3

London Mozart Players
Howard Shelley piano/conductor

Our very good friend Howard Shelley performs Beethoven’s great Piano Concerto No 3 and conducts Haydn’s ever-popular Surprise Symphony.  

Grayshott Concerts: Best of Baroque

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Vivaldi Concerto for Strings in G minor RV157
Bach Violin Concerto in A minor BWV1041
Vivaldi Mandolin Concerto in C major RV425
Telemann Viola Concerto in G major TWV51:G9
Bach Concerto for Two Violins in D minor BWV1043

Adrian Butterfield violin
Sijie Chen violin
Judith Busbridge viola
Simon Mayor mandolin

We return to Grayshott with Bach’s Double Violin Concerto, the super-sparkling Vivaldi Mandolin Concerto in C and Telemann’s Viola Concerto in G.

ONLINE EVENT: Piano Explored – Hummel Zoom Q&A

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Join us for our second ‘Watch Party’ Zoom Q&A with Howard Shelley and members of the LMP directly after the third Piano Explored concert (Hummel Piano Concerto No. 4) on Thursday 22nd April at 2.30pm. If it’s anything like our first zoom Q&A after the Mozart No.21, it will be full of enlightening (and amusing) answers from Howard and the LMP team. Tickets are free, but numbers are limited!

Please note registrations via the website close at 1pm.

The Zoom link will be sent to all participants before 1:00pm on Thursday 22nd April. If you don’t receive the link by then, please check your spam folder. If you wish to register after 1pm, then please email info@lmp.org for the link.

ONLINE CONCERT: Beethoven & Britten

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Britten Simple Symphony
Beethoven Concerto for Violin in D

Jonian Ilias Kadesha violin
London Mozart Players

If you missed LMP’s Classical Club concert with Jonian Ilias Kadesha last November, when he performed Beethoven’s epic Violin Concerto, then you won’t want to miss a futher opportunity to see this incredible musician in action. A leading talent of his generation, Jonian joins LMP for another electrifying performance of Beethoven’s Violin Concerto in D. The lyricism and exuberance of Beethoven’s work are complemented by the characterful movements of Britten’s Simple Symphony, labelled by the composer as ‘boisterous, playful, sentimental’ and ‘frolicsome’.

This performance, filmed at St Martin-in-the-Fields is part of the SMITF Fresh Horizons concert series, and is for online viewing only. Concert goes live on Thursday 25th February at 7.30pm and will be available to view on demand for the following 30 days.

Mozart Zoom Q&A

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Join us for an enlightening Zoom Q&A with Howard Shelley and members of the LMP directly after the second Piano Explored concert (Mozart Piano Concerto No. 21) on Thursday 18 March. You’ll get some extra insights from Howard as well as a preview of the next concert in the series. Please note registrations via the website close at 1pm.

The Zoom link will be sent to all participants at 1:00pm on 18 March. In case you don’t get the link, please check your spam folder. If you wish to register after 1pm, then please email info@lmp.org for the link.

Live Concert: Spotlight on…Leia

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Mozart Magic Flute Overture
Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto in D major, Op.35
Beethoven Symphony No. 8 in F major, Op.93

London Mozart Players
Leia Zhu violin
Jonathan Bloxham conductor
Simon Blendis leader

Join us for the magnificent final concert in the Spotlight On series, when LMP brings the music of three classical giants – Mozart, Beethoven and Tchaikovsky – to Fairfield Halls. The concert showcases the prodigious talents of 14-year-old violinist Leia Zhu, who is destined for a stellar career. She will bring all her virtuosic talent to one of the favourites of the violin repertoire, Tchaikovsky’s lyrical and expressive Violin Concerto in D. LMP will also perform Beethoven’s short, ebullient and somewhat experimental Eighth Symphony and the concert kicks off with Mozart’s cheerful Overture to his beloved opera The Magic Flute. Conductor Jonathan Bloxham will be in charge of proceedings; this will be a highlight of LMP’s autumn season!

As part of LMP’s 100k Challenge (to reach 100,000 children and young people through music in 2021) we are working with schools and music hubs across the UK to make our Spotlight concert films available to schools for a limited time, for free, along with specially curated ‘listening guides’ for different age groups.

If you would like your schools to be part of this initiative, please contact Tegan Eldridge for more information.