The Festival this October opens in spectacular style with two contrasting events on Friday 7th - Mozart’s Don Giovanni performed by Dulwich Opera Company in the new hall at Herne Hill School, and the Camilla George Quartet performing jazz at Off The Cuff in Railton Road.
Her quartet features herself on saxophone, pianist Sarah Tandy, bassist Daniel Casimir, and drummer Femi Koleoso. Meanwhile, up the hill, we present Mozart’s take on the legend of the great seducer and his ultimate fate. Dulwich Opera Company’s performances have won renown across South London and beyond.
We have more singing on Saturday evening 8th, with our celebration of Shakespeare’s anniversary. The Friends’ Musick choir and the Mock Tudor Band present All the World’s a Stage at St Paul’s Church. To begin our Saturday we have a free coffee morning with the Calton String Quartet at Herne Hill United Church - there will be a presentation by CalAid, who help refugees, and a collection on their behalf. This is followed by a concert by local young musicians, with a steel pan band, string soloists, a pop group and a school orchestra.
On Sunday 9th we have music in Brockwell Park from 1.30 - a family concert of Indian Classical Music with Mehboob Nadeem in Brockwell Hall, then Norwood Wind Ensemble perform outside the Hall, and across the grass in the Community Greenhouses we have Greenhouse Blues with Fran McGillivray & Mike Burke.
We begin the evening with a Choral Evensong at St Paul’s Church sung by the combined choirs of St Paul’s and All Saint’s. We follow this with Not So Silent Cinema - an evening of silent films with live music organised by star saxophone player Naomi Sullivan.
We have music every night of the following week. We have more jazz at Off The Cuff - the open jazz session hosted by HEAD’S UP on Monday 10th, and then with Jonny Phillips & Francesca Pichel Quartet on Thursday 13th. Our jazz events this year have been organised by Camberwell-based Jazz Umbrella, who are sending us some of their rising stars.
To show that we can organise a concert in a brewery, on the Tuesday we bring you Fiddling the Night Away at Canopy Beer, a night of folk fiddle music with English and Appalachian music from Rattle on a Stovepipe and Scottish folk fiddle from Carol Anderson.
We return to Herne Hill School on the Wednesday night with an early music concert, the first we have presented in the Festival. The Chelys Viol Consort will perform music of the 16th and 17th centuries. Their programme, All the Kings’ Men, presents Consort music from the courts of Charles I and II
Friday 14th brings us back to Off The Cuff, but this time with a night of protest and political songs. The World Turned Upside Down features Leon Rosselson and Joe Wilkes. Leon’s songs are loved for their satirical wit, spirited political edge and depth of insight. Joe Wilkes has has developed a politically conscious, uncompromising, European folk sensibility.
We begin our second Saturday with a a family concert at the Methodist Hall, featuring the Herne Wind Quintet, and the flamenco dancer La Morenita - both acts will involve the children, so be prepared for audience participation. We follow that with an evening concert by the Jacquin Trio to raise funds for the charity Practical Action. With their combination of clarinet, viola, and piano, they offer a lovely evening of music - at St Faith’s Church. Finally, on Sunday 16th, we have an orchestral concert given by the Southwark Sinfonietta. Also at St Faith’s Church, they will perform symphonies by Mozart and Haydn and a Mozart piano concerto, with Nadia Lasserson as the soloist.
The 2016 Herne Hill Festival runs from 7-16 October. For full details and tickets, please visit our web site: www.hernehillfestival.org
