No, the Islington Festival has not moved to St Pancras – but they did hold their preview fund raising concert in the amazing St Pancras clock tower. How come? Well, beneath the clock is an extremely tall square living space which now houses some chairs, a grand piano and a small library…
…and boasts spectacular views over King’s Cross and the city –
– and to which is attached a luxury two bedroom flat.
The flat (which is available to rent on Air BnB if you fancy treating yourself) belongs to friends of Joana and Martin, the fons et ergo of the Islington Festival, and is quite often used for small concerts and recitals.And so, before Christmas, we were treated to a feast of Beethoven, Mozart, Lilli Boulanger, Robert Kahn and Gabiel Fauré interspersed with an auction and a raffle (in which I was delighted to win one of Alison Gardiner’s fab sketches) to raise money for next year’s festival.
The festival – as Martin is telling us here – runs from July 13th to July 22nd and will include 4 lunchtime concerts at Islington Square, 6 evening concerts at St Mary’s and Christ Church, and 5 late night concerts, 3 at the delightful Little Angel Puppet theatre and 2 at Christchurch.
The theme is Van Gogh’s painting, The Starry Night over the Rhone, and the programme will include 3 Mozart piano concertos and his Grand Partita for 13 Wind Instruments, the complete canon of Chopin Nocturnes played by virtuoso pianist Dmitri Kalashnikov, the first festival appearance of the London Handel Players – and LOADS more. Keep an eye on the festival site where you can catch up on what happened last year and where this year’s details will be posted further into the new year.
Meanwhile, get an eyefull of Joana’s spectacular wrap around…. I was sitting immediately in front of her so had a full frontal view. She was, obviously, far too involved in her music to notice me, but not so those two ladies on her skirt who eyeballed me throughout the concert to make sure that I was properly attentive!
Next concert at Hampstead Lane…
13th January – London Chamber Ensemble and late Beethoven
Herbert Howells Luchinushka (Lament on a Russian folktune)
Beethoven String Quartet No 15 in A minor op.132
6.30pm for a drink with the concert starting at 7. Followed by wine of every colour and a tasty buffet supper.
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