Classical and Jazz: Preview - Second KING'S PLACE FESTIVAL
Published: 29 July 2010
by SEBASTIAN TAYLOR
A VERITABLE plethora of varied performances has been lined up for the second Kings Place Festival.
Classical, contemporary and experimental music, jazz, blues and folk are featured in 100 performances spread over four days at the King’s Cross arts venue, starting on Thursday, September 9.
Although there’s the usual stuffing of chamber music, there’s a greater weighting of other, less formal music, in this year’s festival.
Folk enthusiasts are well catered for. The festival opens with an evening of English folk music, first with highly gifted singer and fiddle player Eliza Carthy, and then with her father Martin playing guitar in his legendary duo with fiddle player Dave Swarbrick.
Folk features again the following evening with performances by North Devon fiddle/viola duo Nick Wyke and Becki Driscoll, followed by the energetic Monster Ceilidh Band from Newcastle.
On Saturday, squeezebox virtuoso John Kirkpatrick demonstrating his remarkable skills with the accordion, concertina and melodeon.
Jazz is well represented with Friday evening performances by Tomorrow’s Warrior’s Biggish Band and Quartet plus the Gary Crosby’s Nu Troop outfit playing with Myrna Hague, reputedly Jamaica’s First Lady of Jazz.
The following night has some interesting F-IRE gigs, notably the Tom Arthurs Trio getting together with the Elysian Quartet, Kit Downes Trio and Basquiat Strings.
Classical music includes performances by the Chilingirian Quartet, London Sinfonietta, Orchestra
of the Age of Enlightenment, Dante Quartet and Gould Piano Trio.
Not to be missed, too, is a free Saturday lunchtime foyer concert going by the name Rubbish Music, performed by Junk Band playing such diverse instruments as tin cans, oil drums, bits of wood and a drum kit made from cardboard boxes.
One piece of rubbish music, Brouhaha, composed by Peter Wiegold, uses repeated rhythmic cells and nonsensical vocal noises.
A new work by Peter Venables, here receiving its world premiere, explores the acoustic environment of Kings Place, creating echo and hocketting effects.
• For the full festival programme visit www.kingsplace.co.uk or call 020 7520 1490