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Frances Barlow and Susan Wood in rehearsals |
Going for GOAL with music and opera from the movies
PREVIEW: CLASSICAL MUSIC AND OPERA AT THE MOVIES
St Martin's Church
TWO of Camden’s hidden musical talents are taking part in a benefit concert at St Martin’s Church in Vicar’s Road tonight (Thursday).
Frances Barlow and Susan Wood, both from Gospel Oak, make up part of a musical quintet performing classic music and opera ‘from the movies’ in aid of Gospel Oak Action Link (GOAL).
Frances – who has played violin since the age of seven and who was a member of the National Youth Orchestra for two years before studying at the Royal College of Music – played with the BBC Symphony Orchestra for some 35 years before moving to Gospel Oak and focusing on chamber music.
On arriving in Gospel Oak, Frances teamed up with her neighbour Susan Wood, forming a successful violin duet. Susan, who possesses an equally impressive musical CV – having studied at the Royal Academy of Music and played with fellow-violinist Carol Slater and the late, great pianist, Peter Pettinger – also plays in quartets across London.
The pair are lending their nimble hands and bow arms to St Martin’s Church for the third in a series of charity concerts.
Having donated funds to victims of the 2004 tsunami in Thailand, and raised funds for animal charities last year, St Martin’s Classical Music and Opera at the Movies event focuses on a cause that lies closer to home.
GOAL has been organising youth projects in the borough for more than a decade.
Proceeds from tonight’s concert will go towards GOAL’s series of summer projects, which include music classes taught by south London hip-hop star Stylo G.
Stylo takes part in weekly sessions at the Queen’s Crescent Community Centre, at which 13 to 19-year-olds learn the skills of music production.
GOAL chairman and poet Malcolm Wroe, who will be reciting some of his Hampstead/London-centric poetry at tonight’s concert, said the funds raised at the event would go a long way to supporting the society’s summer programme
“Every Friday evening we have five or six youth workers working with up to 60 youths,” he said.
“When they come to the centre they can take part in everything from dance lessons to courses in jewellery making.
“Over the summer we’re holding a variety of six-week courses, which will be accredited by the Assessment and Qualifications Alliance. We’ve also teamed up with Camden Youth and Connexions Service to organise and fund seven trips over the next few weeks.”
Taking the stage alongside the Gospel Oak talent are Geoffrey Hunter – St Martin’s Church organist – and Riccardo Bonci, former church organist and currently Organ Scholar in St Barnbabas Church, Dulwich and choir director at Alleyn’s Junior School, Dulwich.
They will be performing works by Beethoven (Sonata for Piano and Violin, Opus 12), Handel (Sinfonia from Solomon, ‘Arrival of the Queen of Sheba’) and Rossini (Overture from the Barber of Seville, adapted for Organ).
Vocal responsibility falls to West End performer, Judith Gardner Jones. Ms Jones recently took part in an a production of Phantom of the Opera and currently teaches singing at Hampstead Girls’ School.
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