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A feast of music on the move
PREVIEW: IVOR SETTLEFIELD
Banqueting house
YOU will probably have noticed that St Martin-in-the-Fields is in the midst of a major refurbishment programme.
The James Gibb church is undergoing a £36-million redevelopment and as a consequence its excellent programme of music faces something of a problem.
Rather than simply finding an alternative site for concerts, the church has decided the work which begins inside the church in May, making it impossible for concerts to continue, provides an excellent opportunity for the musicians to go on tour.
The touring begins on June 22 when Ivor Settlefield and the New London Singers go to the Inigo Jones’s Banqueting house in Whitehall.
The Banqueting House is revisited in July when a programme of Handel and Mozart is presented by the Belmont Ensemble of London.
And on July 27, the Feinstein Ensemble, with Baroque flautist Martin Feinstein, will be appearing at the National Portrait Gallery.
St Martin’s lunchtime concerts will be moving to St Mary le Strand and St Mary le Bow while work is continuing and will take place two Wednesdays a month at each every month.
It is not often that the Banqueting House or the National Portrait Gallery host concerts so St Martin’s on tour presents an excellent opportunity to see some excellent music in some stunning buildings. Keep an eye on the listings for details.
As for the redevelopment, it is due to be finished in 2008 and promises to be spectacular.
In the meantime, Mozart and Handel in the Banqueting House, I can’t wait. |
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