As a young musician getting bookings is hard. But if you also write your own music and are keen to perform it – the task becomes a great deal harder. Concert promoters need to fill their seats so cannot really be blamed for being wary of untested new talent. Sponsors are not easy to find and promoting a concert themselves is beyond the means of most young composers. So can tiny venues like ours help? Maybe.
We were first approached last summer by Arthur Keegan who had been setting Thomas Hardy poems to music and was hoping to make a record in the autumn. However, he very much wanted the songs to be performed in front of a live audience before they went into the recording studio. It sounded like a great project so I said yes – on the understanding that the fee that I would be able to pay them would be dependent on the number of tickets that we were able to sell. In the event, you all liked the idea as much as I had and we had an all but full house – so I was able to pay them a proper fee. (And they did make the record which you can buy right here.) But I cannot be sure that would always be the case.
New composers for 2024
Since then I have been approached several times by other musicians and composers so have been putting my mind to how we could help. Hence our ‘Rush Hour’ Concert idea. A chance for the musicians to perform before a live audience at no cost to themselves – to invite people to the performance who might be able to forward their careers – and with a chance of making a little bit of money if we get a good audience.
And for you, our audience, a chance to hear (and help) some exciting new talent without committing either a whole evening or too much money – only £15 for an hour of music and a glass of wine. So not a massive investment of either time or money if it turns out you do not like the music!
The first Rush Hour on September 4th.
Jonty, Zadie, Declan and Mia
Zadie Loft is a poet, essayist and novelist and has just finished her debut novel. Jonty Lefroy Watt is a composer.
Zadie is also guitarist Declan Hickey’s girlfriend – you may remember that Declan played a lovely guitar recital for us back in May. For her birthday last year, Declan commissioned his composer friend Jonty to put two of Zadie’s poems to music. So successful were the first two that Jonty went on to set all ten of Zadie’s cycle of poems to be sung and played by Mia Serracino-Inglott and Declan. And they are all anxious to perform the new cycle.
So, our first Rush Hour Concert will showcase the first ever performance of this cycle, but will also include songs by Fauré, South African-British composer Priaulx Rainier and Benjamin Britten arranged folk songs.
4th September – 6pm for a glass of wine and an hour of delightful music for just £15! To book, go here.
7th November – William Jack – This Old Cello Box Vol 2.
William is a classically trained cellist who likes to push the boundaries of his instrument – and indeed his style – ‘transitioning seamlessly through jazz, virtuosic folk and blue grass to non-Western sound worlds’. Originally from South Australia William is now based in London and in 2022 he released a debut solo album, This Old Cello Box. It was premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe and was featured on Radio 3.
He has now recorded Volume 2 which he will be premiering at Edinburgh later this month and then on tour around Scotland and the north of England. November 7th is the London launch of the record – and we will be showcasing it here at our second Rush Hour Concert.
Before signing up for this launch I did go and hear William play – at a great live music bar in Camden called the Green Note. I really enjoyed it – even when he spun his cello across his lap and played it guitar style! If you want to hear for yourself, he has a YouTube channel here (which includes some guitar/cello playing) and you can find out more about him here on his website.
7th November – 6pm for a glass of wine and an hour of exciting music for just £15! To book, go here.
Next post…. The Portrait Players playing for us on 24th September
Claire (soprano), Kristiina (theorbo/lute) and Miriam (cello/viol da gamba) love playing the music from the 17th and 18th centuries….. More in the next post.
If you can’t wait and want to book now – go here.
For other happenings in July, at Hampstead Lane and elsewhere – see our Upcoming Events page.
Leave a Reply