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St Jude-on-the-Hill |
Camden Review | Classical and Jazz | Proms at St Jude's | St Jude -on-the-hill | Finchley Children's Music Group
PREVIEW: PROMS AT ST JUDE'S
St Jude-On-The-Hill
FEEL like throwing on your gladrags for a night at the Proms? Can’t bear to wait until the Royal Albert Hall opens its doors in July to have your diary filled with an embarrassment of classical riches?
Well, take a trip to Hampstead Garden Suburb on Saturday and you’ll be treated to the opening night of the Proms at St Jude’s.
Now in its 16th year, the week-long programme of events at St Jude-on-the-Hill is one of London’s top music festivals, attracting artists of national and international reputation.
And it’s all in a good cause. The festival donates its annual surplus to charity, with Toynbee Hall and the North London Hospice receiving almost £70,000 between them last year. Profits from this year’s festival will again be sent in their direction.
The opening night features the London Chamber Orchestra – with star of this year’s Hampstead and Highgate Festival, cellist Gemma Rosefield, in toe – performing works by Mozart, Schubert and Brahms.
Sunday’s Opera Evening, featuring the London International Orchestra and Pegasus Chorus, is followed on Monday by guitar legend John Williams in concert with jazz virtuoso John Etheridge.
Jazz enthusiasts are set to be further enthralled on Tuesday by multi-award-winning singer Stacey Kent, who will be showcasing her 2007 album, Breakfast on the Morning Tram.
Red Priest: Pirates of Baroque bring their unique swashbuckling twist to the church on Wednesday, with a presentation of “stolen masterworks and long-lost jewels of the Baroque Era”. Bandanas and eyepatches are, presumably, optional for the audience.
For those inclined more towards the great outdoors, there’s also a number of heritage walks led by local history enthusiasts and examining everything from architecture in the suburb to a guided tour of the area’s famous and not-so-famous residents.
And if you’re lucky enough to be free on weekdays – or work somewhere where you won’t really be missed if you sneak off for a few hours – there’s a full programme of free lunchtime concerts (12.45pm daily), with highlights including the Finchley Children’s Music Group (Saturday June 14), The Vardanyan Quartet (Tuesday) and a Family Concert in the company of Nonesuch Orchestra on Thursday.
Of course, a large a large part of any Proms season is spent in anticipation of the all-important “Last Night”, and with the Southbank Sinfonia lined up to perform Haydn’s Trumpet Concerto and a selection of traditional Last Night music, the St Jude’s season is sure to go out on a high note.
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