Thursday 21 June, 7pm
St Giles-without-Cripplegate
Storm and Refuge
What our audiences said...
June 2026: Around the World
"You know that summer has definitely arrived once Summer Music in City Churches begins. *****
Bella Vista: RPO, Jack Hancher, Gergely Madaras
"SUPERB! MAGNIFICENT! WONDERFUL! EMOTIONAL! A truly A* performance. Wonderful music played by the best musicians in a beautiful venue - what more could you ask for!" *****
"A fabulous concert from the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra as part of the annual Summer Music in City Churches (now in its 8th year.) Highlight of the evening for me was Jack Hancher on guitar for Joaquín Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez. Rossini’s Overture to The Barber of Seville and Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 4 (Italian) were also memorable. St Giles Cripplegate has great acoustics. An excellent and
entertaining evening. Thank you to everyone." *****
Smile of the Flamboyant Wings: Brother Tree Sound string quartet
"A delightful lunchtime concert performed with style and passion by the 4 musicians. *****
It was wonderful to be quietly seated in one of Christopher Wren’s churches in the City, being absorbed in beautiful music performed by a string quartet. A glorious hour to soothe senses, the performance was one of a series of performances put on every year in the Summer Music in City Churches collection. It was truly a precious hour to escape and enjoy. The highlight for me was the title piece, the Smile of the
Flamboyant Wings inspired by a Miro painting. *****
Ocean Road Home: Eleanor Grant and Gus McQuade
What a lovely concert and nice venue. I especially liked the last couple of songs and the song from Arrietty. Eleanor was so expressive when she plays, and Gus was impressive on the guitar (his solo was entrancing). *****
New World: Brass of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
"A lovely concert with a wide variety of music from different genres. The RPO Brass as always were wonderful and the charming and amusing introductions to each piece enhanced the experience further." *****
"We've been coming to these summer concerts for a few years now and thoroughly enjoy them. Last night's featured several members of the brass section of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and was exceptionally good. The pieces were very varied, covering composers from different eras and continents, for the first half we were in Europe and in the second the Americas...the Prokofiev stood out in particular for us. We can thoroughly recommend booking for these, it's a great way to put a toe in the water of something different or enjoy the familiar." *****
"A wonderful concert from the Brass Players of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Loved the way they used the space and the great acoustics of St Giles. Thoroughly enjoyed this concert. Huge thank you to everyone. *****
I, Clara: The Virtuosa of Europe, devised and performed by Lucy Parham with Juliet Stevenson
I’ve now been to two of Lucy Parham’s storytelling and piano playing evenings related to famous composers and I’m a huge fan. She plays the piano so beautifully and with Juliet Stevenson narrating it was 90 minutes of relaxation and complete enjoyment. I find it fascinating learning about the lives of those featured and also who else was around during their era. They come to life rather than simply being a
name against a great piece of classical music. *****
"This was a mesmerisingly fabulous evening from Summer Music in City Churches. Lucy Parham was a dream on piano and Juliet Stevenson the perfect narrator of the life of Clara Schumann...These two made the perfect duo, with lots of eye contact. I was living in the story and loving every minute that this perfect duet on Clara’s life unfolded." *****
Sicilienne: Cassatt Trio
"This was an outstanding concert in one of Christopher Wren's most beautiful churches. The trio of performers: flute, viola and harp, were very fine indeed, especially in the Debussy and Ravel that bookended the concert."
Invitation to Journey: Rachel Nicholls and Michael Dussek
"It is very rare to get the quality of music-making by such outstanding musicians. Summer Music in City Churches has been outstanding. Very fortunate and rare treat to experience such a performance in such a beautiful setting. *****
"What a great combination - the wonderful voice of Rachel Nicholls with the brilliant pianist, Michael Dussek." *****
A Pianist Abroad: Viv McLean
"St Giles Cripplegate offered a sanctuary of cool calm for Viv McLean in contrast to the outside 35°C temperature. Impressively all three pieces, played from memory, were a joy. *****
"Brilliant pianist. Magnificent church. Polished performance." *****
"Gloriously, meditatively relaxing piano concert. A wonderful way to spend an incredibly hot lunch hour, listening to Viv McLean play Grieg, Beethoven and Chopin. Another perfect hit from Summer Music in City Churches, in St Giles Cripplegate."
Voices of the World: Art Deco Trio
"What an amazing concert! Wonderful music and such enthusiasm and talent. Loved it! *****
A Bohemian Rhapsody: Tier3 Trio
"An overwhelming and unforgettable concert of profoundly beautiful music by a brilliant trio. It was a true privilege to be there." *****
The second half was the Dumky trio by Dvorak and it was played in
such a moving and emotionally charged way in the slow movements that made you feel that we are so blessed as an audience that such informed and intelligent musicians are around us. Each member of the trio in turn gave such interesting insights into the background of the music and they seemed so pleased to entertain us. *****
"An expertly matched trio of excellent musicians." *****
French Connections: Alistair McGowan and Mark Bebbington
"French Connections was, I thought, an imaginative and engaging blend of by-no-means-everyday music with text and improvisatory comedy, all brilliantly performed. The complimentary programme makes a nice souvenir of the occasion." *****
"Enjoyable, light-hearted concert for a warm summer evening. Alistair McGowan introduced and interspersed the piano music with witty anecdotes, poems and readings. Good to hear Mark Bebbington playing piano. I particularly enjoyed Mother Goose." *****
I thought the combination of the pianist and narrator worked well and they balanced each other perfectly. The music was fun and in a beautiful setting. *****
There was an unusual and rarely heard selection of Erik Satie short pieces, interspersed by comments and I felt that the narration by McGowan added to the audience’s understanding of the pieces. It was also interesting to listen to the Babar children’s story, which was set to music. The church setting was calm and a pleasant venue in which to listen to the concert. *****