Unfortunately I was away last weekend and already engaged on Friday so missed most of the first half of the festival which started on the 5th. But I did my best to make up on Saturday by getting to two of the three concerts on offer – and very delightful they were too.
The Coffee Concert
First up was a Coffee Concert at The Green in Clerkenwell Green. Coffee mornings were a regular feature of 18th century life – and what better way to spend a Saturday morning? The Festival offered us two Haydn quartets – the delightfuly upbeat and charming Opus 54 no.1 in G – and the slightly more sombre Opus 20 no.3 in G. Ellie, the first violinist that you see here….
….suggested that the more sombre tone reflected the down beat mood that afflicted not only Haydn but the whole of Prince Niklaus’ household who had been forced to decamp to the his new palace at Eszterháza built, bizarrely, on swampily unhealthy lands on the shores of the Neusiedler See many miles from Vienna.
But whatever Haydn’s mood, his quartets were wonderful, played by Ellie Fagg and Joana Ly on violins, Dorothea Vogel on viola and Gemma Wareham on cello. As were the coffee and bonne bouche chocolate brownies that came free with your ticket!
(The Green, btw, is one of mini chain of four gastro pubs including the Duke of Cambridge in Islington. The Duke has been a certified member of the Soil Association since 1998, has a star rating from the Sustainable Restaurant association – and serves seriously delicious food.)
Postcards from Home
Sadly I missed an amazing world tour in song at St Mary’s Church earlier on Saturday evening but did make it to Postcards from Home at the charming Little Angel Theatre behind the church later on Saturday.
Violinist Jacqueline Shave, guitarist John Parricelli and tabla player Kuljit Bhamra combined rather magically to bring us haunting melodies from the Isle of Harris, a sea jurney from Scotland to Morocco, dancing Dervishes, the mountains of Tibet and a taste of guarana from Brazil!
So what is left?…..
I am sorry to say that we have all missed the Yoga with Harp sessions (a sell out success) and, unless there are any dropouts, the Walking Concert around Islington on Friday evening but – there are still a few treats in store.
Pianist Dmitrii Kalashnikov who was such a great success last year.
At 7pm on Thursday evening (18th) Dmitrii will be playing Sibelius, Chopin and Liszt at Christ Church in Highbury.
Miguel Ángel Villeda Ceron
And then at 9pm on Friday evening we are back at the Little Angel Theatre, this time for Miguel Ángel and his cello. Miguel Ángel too appeared at last year’s festival and is another very welcome returnee. He will be giving us a mini Bach fest with the cello suites nos 2 and 6.
And then at 6pm on Saturday 20th at Christ Church – the Grand Finale!
A feast of Czech music with Vítězslava Kaprálová’s string quartet opus 8, Leoš Janáček’s Pohádka/A Fairytale for cello and piano and Antonín Dvořák’s String Quartet no. 11 in C.
Francesca Barritt and Joana Ly on violins, Dan Shilladay on viola, Su-a Lee on cello and Martin André on piano.
For all details – and to grab the few remaining tickets! – go here.
What else is on the menu?
August 18th – Jazz in the garden
Salon Music’s summer party at Hampstead Lane with Sol Grimshaw and his gypsy band.
For more details and to tell us that you can come check in here.
September 4th – Our first Rush Hour Recital with…
Music by Jonty Lefroy Watt, poems by Zadie Loft, sung by Mia Serracino-Inglott and accompanied by Declan Hickey on his guitar – with a bit of Fauré, Rainier and Britten thrown in for good measure!
6pm for a glass of wine and an hour of delightful music for just £15!
To book, go here.
For other happenings in July, at Hampstead Lane and elsewhere – see our Upcoming Events page.
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