A WARM WELCOME TO CLASSICAL VAUXHALL 2024
Fiachra Garvey, Co-Founder & Artistic Director
I’m delighted to welcome you back for the fifth annual Classical Vauxhall festival. I’m of course a bit biased, but I think we have a wonderfully engaging programme of concerts and educational activities on offer.
MAIN CONCERT PROGRAMME
The main concert line up begins on Thursday evening with yours truly! For a few years now, the festival’s co-founder and CEO of Vauxhall One, Bernard Collier, has asked me when I’ll give a solo recital, so I thought this year could be the year. I’ve entitled the concert Fairytale and Fantasy, featuring music that’s inspired by mythical events.
Elena Urioste and Tom Poster gave a glorious recital for Classical Vauxhall in our 2021 Behind Closed Doors online festival. It was incredible to have them as part of it, but without an audience it all just felt a bit wrong. I’m thrilled to have them back with us in a much warmer atmosphere at St. Mark’s on Friday evening.
On Saturday afternoon the Vauxhall Band will present historic dance workshops, taking us back in time to the Georgian and Victorian dance halls! The Vauxhall Band is a collective of musicians dedicated to performing a wealth of original and unique 18th and 19th-century repertoire on period instruments. For those who want to learn a few new steps for the disco dancefloor, this one’s for you!
China Moses is an icon of the jazz world. As a singer and songwriter, she is a trailblazer in every respect. “She commands the stage from the moment she makes her entrance” (The Times). In her Saturday night headline concert, Classical Soul, she will perform all of her own original music, featuring hits from albums old and new.
I’m always trying to find new, creative ways to interact with younger audiences in Vauxhall. The Chineke! Wind Quintet features in our Sunday morning family concerts of Prokofiev’s Peter & The Wolf, in partnership with Workspace. Chineke!’s mission is to “champion change and celebrate diversity within classical music”. Peter & The Wolf is a much-loved classic and the perfect family-friendly concert. Our thanks to Workspace for helping us to open up the world of classical music to local children.
A capella vocal ensemble, Apollo5, is a wonder to behold, praised for their powerful singing and distinctive sound. Members of the group have previously given vocal workshops to schools as part of Classical Vauxhall. Watching them inspire young children to sing and create was a privilege to witness and, without getting too sentimental, was enough of a reason to know that what we are doing with Classical Vauxhall is definitely a good thing! Their Sunday afternoon concert will be a fitting celebration of St Mark’s bicentennial year and a reflective way to close the 2024 festival.
SCHOOLS PROGRAMME
Working with the community in Vauxhall, and providing opportunities for the next generation of young musicians to benefit from inspiring musical activity, are amongst our top priorities.
This year, as part of our educational outreach programme, we continue our hugely successful Overture Day with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. 60 young musicians from all over Lambeth will work with the LPO for a whole day, culminating in a public performance with their LPO tutors. Being part of the LPO at the age of 11 or 12 is a pretty cool feeling, I’d imagine!
This year, we will also partner with London Festival Opera to deliver Opera Magic workshops to children all over Vauxhall and Lambeth. We endeavour to reach as many schools as possible. If you’re working in a local school and would like to find out more, please email info@vauxhallone.co.uk.
As always, a huge thank you to Vauxhall One and Lambeth Council for their continued and valuable support in making this festival possible. A further thanks to Vicar Steve and his team at St Mark's Church for making us feel so welcome and to all of the production, videography, and logistical team for working with us to deliver these concerts.
I hope you enjoy your musical experience at Classical Vauxhall. Please do come and say hello during the festival. It’s a pleasure to meet our patrons!
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Bernard Collier, Co-Founder and CEO of Vauxhall One
My team’s excitement for Classical Vauxhall builds as soon as our summer season comes to a close – and this year is no exception! Once again, we’re thrilled to bring such a diverse range of world class performers to the area and we’re looking forward to a long weekend of stellar concerts.
The fifth Classical Vauxhall looks set to be bigger and better than ever, with some new experiences to add to the main line-up of concerts. Vauxhall has a rich cultural heritage and strong associations with classical composers: this festival builds on those links in a modern setting that is open to all.
On Saturday afternoon you can join a historic dance workshop at Montgomery Hall and step back in time to the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens’ heyday. Early dance specialist, Mary Collins, will guide you through quadrilles and minuets to authentic accompaniment from the Vauxhall Band. Dressing up is optional, but encouraged!
If you’re a history buff like me, you’ll be keen to join our guided walk around Vauxhall’s classical past on Sunday morning. Led by a knowledgeable local from Lambeth Tour Guides, the walk will bring to life the area’s classical music stories, taking in Handel, Gilbert and Sullivan, Thomas Arne and Ralph Vaughan Williams, amongst others.
On behalf of the business community in Vauxhall, we hope you enjoy every moment of Classical Vauxhall 2024!
Previous festival highlights
