The Crossrail Roof Garden (just above Canary Wharf station) is just the perfect place for the Vauxhall Band to be playing as it is a 21st century look-a-like of the original 18th century Vauxhall Gardens. An open yet enclosed space with lots of exotic trees (think the Palm House at Kew) in which you can wander at your leisure; eating houses a-plenty and a raised space designed specifically for entertainments – jugglers, theatre, poetry readings and music. The only issue (which is one that no doubt also plagued the players at Vauxhall Gardens) is competing with the ambient noise. At Vauxhall, crowds of noisy revellers – at the Crossrail Roof Garden, planes taking off and landing at City airport just down the road, ambulances and police cars screeching down the street and, on the night we were there, the rain hammering on the roof!
But, undeterred, the Vauxhall Band – Laura Piras on the flute, Anna Brigham on the violin, Carina Drury on the cello and David Wright on the harpsichord – played on. And for the most part, they were heard!
But before they started David talked a bit about their instruments and those who played them – specifically Handel who, aside from his musical talents, was quite a character! So much of a charcter that we very nearly lost him before he had really even got into his composing stride!
After these tales of Handel it seemed appropriate to give you a little taste of his music. This is a couple of clips from his Trio sonata in B Minor (Op 2 No.1) that they played on the night. Also included in their programme was music by Thomas Arne, Lewis Granom, James Oswald, Carl Weiss and Francesco Geminiani.
The Vauxhall Band are supported by The Continuo Foundation.
Rerun at Mc & Sons in Vauxhall on 28th July
If you are thinking that you are sorry you missed this concert, there is another opportunity to hear the band on 28th July on home territory – at the historic Mc & Sons in Vauxhall.
In the spirit of the eighteenth century (where there was always a concert going on somewhere in a room above a pub!) the band will perform in the very room upstairs where the gentlemen of the orchestra used to eat.
For more details and to book tickets (only £12) go here.
And don’t forget….
September 4th at 6pm – Our first Rush Hour Recital with…
Jonty, Zadie, Declan and Mia
Zadie Loft is a poet, essayist and novelist and has just finished her debut novel. Zadie is also guitarist Declan Hickey’s girlfriend. And for her birthday last year, Declan commissioned his composer friend Jonty Lefroy Watt 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 hear the first ever performance of this cycle, sung by Mia Serracino-Inglott and accompanied by Declan on his guitar – along with other songs by Fauré, South African-British composer Priaulx Rainier and Benjamin Britten arranged folk songs – join us on September 4th.
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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