Thursday 21 June, 7pm
St Giles-without-Cripplegate
Storm and Refuge
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2025 Festival Programme
Eternal Light
Fauré Requiem
Wednesday 18th June, 7.30pm
St Giles-without-Cripplegate
Tickets £30 (£15 under-30s)
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For the opening night of Summer Music in City Churches, Sir John Rutter conducts the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and City of London Choir in a performance of Fauré's much-loved Requiem.
Artists:
Hannah Dienes-Williams, soprano
Edward Grint, baritone
Emer McDonough, flute
Suzy Willison-Kawalec, harp
City of London Choir
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Sir John Rutter, conductor
Programme: ​
Fauré: Cantique de Jean Racine
Debussy: Danse Sacrée et Danse Profane
Rutter: Suite Antique
Fauré: Requiem
[Light and Shade: Tier3 Trio]
This concert was cancelled at short notice.
Thursday 19th June, 1pm
St Giles-without-Cripplegate
Tickets £12 (£6 under-30s)
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Hope and courage shine through melancholy in imposing works for piano trio by three brilliant young composers confronting tragedy: Mozart, Lili Boulanger and Smetana.
Artists:
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Joseph Wolfe, violin
Jonathan Ayling, cello
Daniel Grimwood, piano
Programme:
Mozart: Piano Trio in C major K548
Lili Boulanger: D’un soir triste | D’un matin de printemps
Smetana: Piano Trio Op. 15 G minor
The Trout Quintet
Thursday 19th June, 7.30pm
St Giles-without-Cripplegate
Tickets £20 (£10 under-30s)
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Principals of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and pianist Mark Bebbington perform a delightful programme of chamber music by Schubert, Ireland, Poulenc and Manu Martin.
Artists:
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Mark Bebbington, piano
Emer McDonagh, flute
Janice Graham, violin
Andrew Storey, violin
Abigail Fenna, viola
Jonathan Ayling, cello
Joe Cowie, double bass
Programme:
Manu Martin: Lim Fantasy of Companionship
Poulenc: Flute Sonata
Ireland: Phantasie Trio in A Minor
Schubert: 'Trout Quintet'
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Beginning to see the Light - Eleanor Grant & Gus McQuade
Friday 20th June, 1pm
St James Garlickhythe
Tickets £12 (£6 under-30s)
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Breaking down musical barriers, rising stars Eleanor Grant (voice and double bass) and Gus McQuade (guitar) present a delightfully eclectic programme - from Hildegard von Bingen to Duke Ellington to Jacob Collier - focusing on hope and comfort to be found around us in light.
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Programme:
Duke Ellington: I’m beginning to see the light
Eric Wetherell: Shall I Compare Thee To A Summer’s Day?
Florence B. Price: Dawn’s Awakening
Thomas Bateson: Sister, Awake! Close Not Your Eyes
Robert Johnson: Have You Seen But a White Lily Grow
Billy Boyd: The Edge of Night (words J. R. R. Tolkien)
Joni Mitchell: I think I Understand
Hildegard von Bingen: O ignis spiritus
Bieito Romero: O Son Do Ar
John Dowland: Time Stands Still
Elizabeth Poston: Sweet Suffolk Owl
Stevie Wonder: If It's Magic
Jacob Collier: Little Blue
Artists:
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Eleanor Grant, voice and double bass
Gus McQuade, guitar
Lux Aeterna: Requiems by Duruflé and Morten Lauridsen
Friday 20th June, 7.30pm
St Giles-without-Cripplegate
Tickets £20 (£10 under-30s)
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The acclaimed Corvus Consort perform Duruflé's exquisite setting of the Requiem Mass paired with a tranquil, light-filled work by contemporary American composer Morten Lauridsen.
Artists:
Corvus Consort
Freddie Crowley, director
Andrew Lumsden, organ
Programme:
Duruflé: Requiem
Britta Byström: Lux Aeterna
Morten Lauridsen: Lux Aeterna
Sunrise and sunset: string quartets by Haydn and Mendelssohn
Monday 23rd June, 1pm
St Mary Abchurch (venue changed to St James Garlickhythe)
Tickets £12 (£6 under-30s)
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Brother Tree Sound return to the festival to perform Haydn's magical 'Sunrise' Quartet and Mendelssohn's final work, his Sixth Quartet.
Artist:
Brother Tree Sound string quartet
Programme:
Haydn: String Quartet in B flat major 'Sunrise', Op. 76 No. 4
Mendelssohn: String Quartet No. 6 in F minor, Op. 80
The Memory Garden: Jack Hancher, classical guitar
Tuesday 24th June, 1pm
St Botolph-without-Bishopsgate
Tickets £12 (£6 under-30s)
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Award-winning guitarist Jack Hancher performs a programme inspired by remembrance and light-filled impressionism, including works by Debussy, Ravel, and contemporary composers Laura Snowden and Dani Howard.
Artists:
Jack Hancher, classical guitar
Programme:
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Debussy: La Fille Aux Cheveux de Lin
Debussy: The Little Shepherd
Debussy: Danse Bohémienne
Ravel: À la manière de Boridine
Ravel: Pavane pour une infante défunte
Jose: Allegro Moderato (from Sonata for Guitar)
Jose: Pavana Triste (from Sonata for Guitar)
Dani Howard: You Don't Have To Tell Me Twice
Laura Snowden: The Memory Garden
Rêverie: the life and loves of Claude Debussy
Tuesday 24th June, 7.30pm
St Giles-without-Cripplegate
Tickets £20 (£10 under-30s)
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Words and music: pianist Lucy Parham's highly acclaimed composer portrait shines a light on the intriguing life of the man behind Clair de Lune, performed with actor Henry Goodman.
Artists:
Lucy Parham, piano
Henry Goodman, actor
Programme:
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Rêverie by Lucy Parham
Moonlighting: Viv McLean, pianist
Wednesday 25th June, 7.30pm
St Giles-without-Cripplegate
Tickets £20 (£10 under-30s)
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Music for a midsummer's night: solo piano works inspired by night and the moon, by Beethoven, Debussy, Chopin, Schumann and more.
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Artists:
Viv McLean, piano
Programme:
Fauré/Bonis: Clair de Lune
Debussy: Clair de Lune
Schumann/Kirchner: Mondnacht
Reynaldo Hahn: Au Clair de Lune
Beethoven: 'Moonlight' Sonata
Chopin: Nocturne in C Sharp Minor Op. Post.
Nocturne in E Flat Op. 9 No. 2
Ballade No. 3 in A Flat Op. 47
Polonaise-Fantasy in A Flat Op. 61
Scherzo No. 3 in C Sharp Minor Op. 39
Shining Brass: Bach and Bruckner to Walton and Wagner
Thursday 26th June, 7.30pm
St Giles-without-Cripplegate
Tickets £20 (£10 under-30s)
A glittering programme of works by Bach, Walton, Rachmaninoff, Bruckner, Wagner and more, performed by the brass players of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
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Artists:
Royal Philharmonic Brass
Iestyn Evans, organ
Programme:
Walton: Crown Imperial
Morten Lauridsen: O Nata Lux from 'Lux Aeterna'
Gibbons: Fantazia of Foure Parts
Bruckner: Christus Factus Est
Bach: Passacaglia & Fugue in C Minor
Prokofiev: March & Scherzo from ‘The Love for Three Oranges’
Fauré: Ave Verum
Bach: Prelude and Fugue in C (BWV 545)
Mahler: Urlicht
Rachmaninoff: Music from the ‘All Night Vigil’
Wagner: Procession to the Minster
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Verdi Requiem
Friday 27th June, 7.30pm
St Giles-without-Cripplegate
Tickets £30 (£15 under-30s)
Verdi's immortal setting of the requiem mass, with all the passion and drama of opera. Daniel Hyde conducts the City of London Choir.
Artists:
Rachel Nicholls, soprano
Claire Barnett-Jones, mezzo
David Junghoon Kim, tenor
Edward Grint, bass
Iain Farrington and Libby Burgess, piano
Paul Greally, organ
Tristan Fry, timpani/percussion
City of London Choir
Daniel Hyde, conductor
Programme:
Verdi: Requiem (version by Richard Blackford)