Feature: Kenwood House Picnic Concerts 2011
Published: 30 June, 2011
by DAN CARRIER
THE white stucco Robert Adams façade of Kenwood House has long been admired by those strolling through the Humphrey Repton-designed gardens. But as well as charming those walkers who take their daily constitutional across Hampstead Heath, it has become the perfect sales pitch to some of the world’s biggest pop stars.
Joel Smith is the programmer for the Kenwood Concert series, and he says while the grassy slope heading towards the ornamental lakes is not the biggest stage in London, he can attract major stars. The reason? “They simply love the setting,” he says.
“We use the house to sell the idea to top stars. They see the house and they think: that looks like a great place to do a gig. We use the beauty of Kenwood to persuade them to play here instead of Hyde Park or the O2.
“We send pictures over to American agents, and when they see it, they realise immediately what a special setting this is to perform in.”
Last Friday, Tom Jones gave his only major British show of the summer at Kenwood, and Jools Holland teamed up with Sandie Shaw on Saturday.
Liza Minnelli will be performing tomorrow (Friday), followed by George Benson on Saturday. Other acts in July and August include The Gypsy Kings, Aled Jones and James Blunt.
The Kenwood Concert season is put together by estate managers English Heritage and international music promoters IMG and while in the past the concerts were free and aimed at bringing classical music out of stuffy concert halls into the open air, the series is now a major moneyspinner for the conservation body.
They say it is much-needed – the upkeep of Kenwood House runs into millions each year, and English Heritage don’t charge to wander round, admiring the Rembrandts, Turners and Vermeers that grace its walls. And with the house due to be shut in 2012 for serious structural work on the roof, the appearance of Tom Jones, Liza Minelli and George Benson mean bums on deck chairs are needed more than ever.
It wasn’t always like this. The series, which celebrates its 60th anniversary this year, was established as part of the Festival of Britain celebrations with London County Council’s music adviser Frank Wright putting together a programme that would feature works that were “robust, with apt-sounding titles for the open air”.
Now Mr Smith says the aim is to find something for everyone, and counters criticisms that what was once a major date in the classical music calendar has been dumbed down.
“We try to create the widest possible audience and as eclectic line-up as we can,” he says. “We hope to attract people who perhaps would not come up here otherwise. It did used to be classical – and we still put on two classical concerts – but we know our programme is popular as the tickets sell.”
Full line-up for at www.picnicconcerts.com