Free lunchtime concerts in September and November
Thursday, August 27th, 2009
Starting September 2nd, Saint Stephens hosts another new concert series curated by local musician David Mowat. It brings together some familiar favourites with fresh new talent. There will be classical music, jazz, guitar roots music, and sounds from around the world.
These concerts are free, so why not join us on a Wednesday lunchtime from 1pm to try them for yourself?
Here is the programme:
September 2nd – Moussa Kouyate, solo kora – West African harp music
Moussa is a Senegalese Master Kora player descended from a famous family of bards. The Kouyate are advisers to kings and holders of the anthology of music of the Mandinka people since 1235. Moussa worked in Dakar for twenty years, and has since performed at WOMAD, the Royal Festival Hall and BBC Radio 3. Artist site
September 9th – Royal Court Players – Golden age of baroque music with strings
Their generosity has underpinned the high standard of performances at Saint Stephens for many years. They will be playing baroque music with string ensemble and continuo.
September 16th – 40 Minutes of Noyes – Auriol Britton celebrates poet Alfred Noyes
Auriol is a member of the congregation at Saint Stephens. She has acted and recited poetry since childhood and won recent prizes at the Bristol Festival of Speech and Drama for her performance.
September 23rd – Bristol Georgian Choir – Folk songs and sacred chants from Georgia
A mixed adult chorus, led by Anthony Johnston, performing three part harmony folk songs and sacred chants from the Republic of Georgia. The choir began in Bristol in 2004 and has delighted audiences around Bristol such as the Ashton Court Festival, the Watershed and the Harbourside Festival. New members are welcome – please enquire after the concert.
September 30th – Gordon Pullin, tenor – Songs by Ivor Novello and Noel Coward
Gordon has sung all over the UK, Europe and the USA. He has given a number of solo broadcasts for BBC Radio Three, including a complete programme of Coleridge Taylor. Since winning a choral scholarship to Cambridge Gordon has covered the whole tenor repertoire, but especially likes English song and new works by contemporary composers, including Philip Wilby who programmed the St Stephens lunch time concerts last year and writes for Black Dyke Mills Band.
(No concerts in October)
November 4th – Jazz piano with Anders Olinder – with David Mowat on trumpet
Bristol is blessed with perhaps the best jazz scene outside London. Earlier this year Anders Olinder’s refined, spacious and very contemporary take on some jazz ‘standards’ impressed the ‘Imaging God’ arts event here at Saint Stephens, and so he’s back. Anders, originally from Sweden, tours frequently with Glen Hughes (of ‘Deep Purple’ fame) but finds time to accompany and support more modest Bristol acts as well. He will be accompanied this time by David Mowat (and accompanying as jazz is a two way street)
November 11th – Juan Gabriel – Sacred sound sculpture
When Juan, who has become a lynch-pin for the Thursday evening ‘Critical Mass’ liturgy and sharing, played here last May, we weren’t sure what to expect. The impact was such that we are eager to have him back. He has the gift of gently taking people who may never before have heard singing bowls or throat singing and blowing them to another, peaceful shore. Close your eyes, suspend judgement and enjoy this shaman-influenced journey. Artist link Hear a previous concert by Juan
November 18th – A Bristol Ecoshow – Silent film with Ben Baddoo and Chai 4 Two
You will hear much more about this film in 2010. It is the first expression of what will become a large participatory performance next summer and beyond. Made by Annie Davenport, it is drawn from her work with a Southville Baby and Toddler group which led, last summer, to a new community garden. The point of the Ecoshow project is for arts practitioners to help make Bristol people and the systems that govern us much greener than they are now. Ben Baddoo and Chai For Two (Knud Stuwe and David Mowat) play their ambient music to accompany the images.
November 25th – Royal Consort Players – Baroque chamber music
To round off another extremely diverse series, Mike and Fran Wilshaw and friends bring us back to our western cultural roots with the best of baroque music.
