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September at City Music Foundation

In this bumper edition of our newsletter to kickstart the new term, there are opportunities to hear music from several of our artists, live in London, on tour or fresh from the recording studio, starting with Helen Charlston's performance in just under a week! 

Helen Charlston
World Premiere: Battle Cry by Owain Park


Tuesday 7th September, 7pm
Great Hall, Barts Hospital

 
We are fast approaching 2018 CMF Artist Helen Charlston's performance of the world premiere of new four-song cycle Battle Cry by Owain Park, commissioned by CMF for mezzo-soprano and theorbo, played by Toby Carr. Helen's programme also includes music by Henry Purcell, Barbara Strozzi and Claudio Monteverdi, as the duo seek to showcase the range of music written for this pairing, from early music to modern. Conductor and academic Jeremy Summerly will introduce the concert.
 

In this concert Helen and Toby explore the stories of women such as Dido and Ariadne through the hands of women and men writing music in 17th century, stories which have been told and re-told throughout history, as Greek myths and ancient tales dealt with the reality of war and high mortality rates on the women seen to be ‘left behind’ by male adventure and success. 

Battle Cry (Owain Park CMF commission, completed 2020) considers this stance in the 21st century, giving so-called ‘abandoned women’ a platform for their own voice. See the first song of the cycle performed here back in 2019 at the Sound Unbound Festival - the concert in September will be the world premiere of the complete cycle.

This concert has been moved a number of times due to the various lockdowns and will now have an in-person audience but won't be live streamed, so please come along to show your support for a fantastic evening of music!
Helen Charlston Tickets
Pianist Antoine Préat - 15th September 1pm
City Music Foundation Lunchtime Concert Series Barts Great Hall

 
Next in our 2021 Lunchtime Concert Series is pianist Antoine Préat. Described by the French radio as ‘one of the most gifted pianists of the youngest generation’ and as ‘a young artist with a distinctive voice’, Franco-Belgian pianist Antoine Préat is establishing himself as a promising soloist and chamber musician.

Join us in the stunning Great Hall in the North Wing of St Bartholomew's Hospital for this FREE concert. We welcome cash donations on the day or online via our CAF donate page here.
 

Lunchtime Concert Tickets



Hugh Wood (1932-2021)


We were sad to learn of the death of Hugh Wood, composer, writer and academic.

Hugh received numerous commissions from the BBC over 6 decades writing music, and his works have been performed at the Royal Albert Hall including The Last of the Proms, Cheltenham Festival and Bath Fetival.  Hugh also inspired a generation of musicians working at the Royal Academy of Music and wrote extensively for The Times Literary Supplement.

Here is a treasured photo of Hugh at our concert in The Charterhouse in May, where the Eblana String Trio played his work Ithaka from their album, written in 2016.  We send our deepest condolences to his family.

 

Richard Robbins Bach’s St John Passion 17th September 2021, St Bart’s the Great
 
CMF Tenor Richard Robbins stars in the role of Evangelist in the inaugural performance by Figure Ensemble, a new historically-informed ensemble, conducted by Frederick Waxman.

Bach’s great Passions haven’t been heard for two years now in their customary place at Easter because of the series of lockdowns, so this is one of the first opportunities since 2019 to enjoy the dynamism, the humanity and the beauty of one of the finest large-scale choral works ever written.  The performance will take place in the beautiful 12th century church of St Bart’s the Great, and features some of Britain's finest young soloists.

Richard recently performed as part of CMF's lunchtime recital series to great success, and we can't wait to hear him sing one of the most notorious tenor roles in the repertoire!


Figure Website and St John Passion Tickets
 Eblana String Trio On Tour
30th September - 3rd October

 
The Eblana String Trio are joined by fellow CMF Artist Emma Halnan (flute) for a four-day long tour for Concerts in the West. There are opportunities to catch them at five different venues in four days: Taunton, Bridport, Ilminster, Crewkerne and Upwey.

Their programme includes music from their recent CD release, The King’s Alchemist, Finzi’s Prelude and Fugue for String Trio, and Emma joins them to perform works by Mozart, Viotti and a contemporary addition to the repertoire for flute and strings by David Matthews, A Blackbird Sings.
 

 
Concerts in the West
Artists Recordings



A4 Brass Album Release 'Mosaic'


A4 Brass released their latest Album on 20th August with SOMM Recordings. The disc features a wide variety of music, through Bruckner and Bartok, and premiere recordings of little-known composers Bramwell Tovey, Christian Overhead and Daniel Hall, whose work won A4's inaugural composition competition.  

Both Radio 3 and Classic FM have presented music from the album in recent weeks to great acclaim. We're delighted to see the ensemble doing so well!

 
Mosaic

Iona Ffye - The Cauld
 
Scottish Folksinger and 2019 CMF Artist Iona Ffye is releasing a new single on 10th September, called The Cauld, written in the Scots language. The single features Michael Biggins (piano) Charlie Stewart (electric double bass), Jack McRobbie (guitar) and Graham Rorie (electric tenor, mandolin fiddle) of the folk band Gnoss, who also engineered, mixed and produced the single.

Iona is nominated in the upcoming third annual Scots Language Awards, which are taking place in person on 25th September at the Gardyne Theatre in Dundee and is open to the public. Iona is nominated for PROJECT OF THE YEAR (Iona Fyfe’s Spotify Campaign) and SPEAKER OF THE YEAR.

Voting opens on 6th September and you can vote here!
Stream The Cauld

Wellcome Collection & Open House
at Barts Heritage, North Wing
St Bartholomew’s Hospital
5th September-2nd December


Beginning with an Open House Event on 5th September, Barts Heritage open their doors to a multi-sensory exhibition with two new works from the photographic series Regarding Forests by Chrystel Lebas in connection with the On Happiness season at Wellcome Collection. In these monumental works, the artist creates an atmosphere of tranquility and provides visitors with a restorative encounter that reminds us of our reliance on the natural world.

The Open Day gives visitors the opportunity to visit the Great Hall, Hogarth Stairs, the Museum and the temporary installation. The Hospital was founded in 1123, was rebuilt to designs by James Gibbs and remains one of London’s most spectacular and least known venues for classical music.

The exhibition can be visited for free Tuesdays-Fridays between 11am-4pm from Tuesday 7th September.



Shiratani Unsuikyo Ravine #9, Yakushima, 2017 Chrystel Lebas, Wellcome Collection.

 
George Fu, Presteigne Festival 26th – 31st August
 
CMF Pianist George Fu has played three concerts at the Presteigne Festival at the end of August. Presteigne Festival is renowned for its adventurous programming, and George performed the work of no fewer than 15 composers, with repeated solo performances on Friday 27th and Sunday 29th, before two collaboration concerts on Bank Holiday Monday.

The first programme was centered around a new commission by Bedfordshire-based composer James B Wilson, Water Dance, alongside pieces by Henri Dutilleux, Timo Andres, Freya Waley-Cohen and Ravel.

For the second, George again paired music by French and English writers, notably Claude Debussy, Paul Dukas, Michael Tippett, Oliver Knussen and Ninfea Crutwell-Reade.

Finally, joining forces with Ensemble Perpetuo, George was involved with a second world premiere in the space of three days, Trio Dances by Adrian Sutton, before Jean Francaix’s String Trio and Schumann’s Piano Quartet.
 
Congratulations George on this test of musical stamina!

 
29th June Barts Heritage Launch Concert Video
 
We are delighted to share our filmed concert celebrating the new partnership with Barts Heritage.

Featuring CMF Artists Giacomo Susani, Anna Cavaliero and the Echea String Quartet, our audience enjoyed music by Schubert, Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Britten and a CMF commission for solo soprano, guitar and string quartet by Giacomo.  Viewers can also discover more about the work of luthiers WE Hill and Sons, the special arrangement made of Britten’s Les Illuminations by Paul Edlin, as well as the work of Barts Heritage and City Music Foundation.

Working alongside CEO Will Palin, City Music Foundation will continue to use Barts Hospital Great Hall as its concert venue for the lunchtime concert series, as well as special events.
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