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| Recitals |
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Thursday 5 March, 7.30pm
Tuesday 24 March, 7.30pm |
Two extraordinary young musical talents surprise and delight with glorious programmes including some of the corner stones of pianistic repertoire.
Evelyne Berezovsky performs Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata and music by Chopin, Brahms and Liszt on Thursday 5 March. Born in Moscow in 1991 to a musical family (her father is pianist Boris Berezovsky) Evelyne studied at the Purcell School and has since gone on to establish herself as a pianist with an international reputation performing in Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, France and in London at Wigmore Hall and St John's Smith Square. |
 Sam Haywood returns to St Martin's on Tuesday 24 with a programme of Haydn, Schubert, Beethoven and Chopin featuring the latter's famously spirited Three Ecossaises and Grande Polonaise Op 22. Sam won second prize in the BBC Young Musician of the Year awards at the tender age of thirteen and has gone on to perform widely, to great critical and popular acclaim throughout Europe and the United States. |
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| Choral Highlights |
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Friday 6 March, 7.30pm
Thursday 19 March, 7.30pm |
Choral highlights this month take audiences on a musical journey from England to Estonia and through the salons of classical France.
Acclaimed choral conductor Stephen Layton and the Holst Singers present a programme of choral classics including Parry's Songs of Farewell and works by Stanford, Tavener, Lauridsen, Pärt and Whitacre on Friday 6 March. The choir has developed an interest in exploring new and neglected works as well as the core choral repertoire and has released a number of critically acclaimed CDs on the Hyperion label including several of the concert's key works. |
 On Thursday 19 March, the Whitehall Choir and Brandenburg Sinfonia with conductor Paul Spicer perform Fauré's Requiem. The programme also includes the Cantique de Jean Racine, Grieg's Holberg Suite and Mozart's Salzburg Symphony No 2. Enjoy a truly European concert of classics. |
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| Special Events |
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Monday 2 March, 5.30pm – Tasmin Little's “Partners in Time”
Tuesday 17 March, 7.30pm – St Patrick's Day Musical Celebration
Friday 20 March, 7.30pm – Academy of St Martin in the Fields |
Our doors will be thrown open to all for a FREE (booking essential) "taster" performance celebrating the launch of Tasmin Little's new CD Partners in Time (BIS-CD-1744) with the pianist John Lenehan.
Partners in Time continues Tasmin's vision to reach new audiences through her pioneering internet project ‘The Naked Violin', in which she released a recording of solo violin works in January 2008.
This free performance will provide a whistle-stop tour of some of the works for violin and piano featured on the recording, illustrating the chronological development of the relationship between the two instruments. |
Celebrate all that is Irish this St Patrick's Day, Tuesday 17 March with a musical celebration by candlelight in association with Ireland's RTElyric. The St Patrick Singers and Locrian Ensemble are joined by harpist
Jean Kelly and flautist Fiona Kelly, fiddler Dermot Crehan, traditional vocalist Mick Sands, guitarist Clive Carroll and piper Bob White for a romping evening of classic Irish and traditional favourites topped off with a ceilidh band finale. |
 Friday 20 March sees the return of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields under director
Kenneth Sillito with viola soloist Robert Smissen. The evening's programme, part of the Academy Classics series is a mix of the classical greats including works by Mozart, Stamitz and Haydn's playful Farewell Symphony. This is a rare opportunity to enjoy a concert by the group in the year of their 50th anniversary at the place of their 1959 inception.
(Don't miss our interview with the Locrian Ensemble's Artistic Director Justin Pearson below.) |
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| Lunchtime Events |
Monday, Tuesday, Friday, 1.00pm |
| St Martin's continues a long and dedicated tradition of holding free lunchtime concerts every Monday, Tuesday and Friday at 1.00pm providing a central London platform for the best young and established talent from Britain and abroad. March has a fresh and impressive line up of musicians from across the globe. Please visit the website www.smitf.org for specific concert details. |
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| Jazz In The Crypt |
| Wednesday 4, 11, 18, 25 at 8.00pm |
| This month's hot line-up features the smooth voice and inventive approach of Clare Foster's Jazz Quintet, the energising blend of New Orleans style jazz and funk from the Brass Volcanoes, a cool and edgy performance from saxophonist Christian Brewer's Quintet and the mellow, traditional groove of TJ Johnson's Bourbon Kick. |
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| Meet The Artist |
| Justin Pearson |
 Cellist Justin Pearson is Artistic Director of the
Locrian Ensemble, one of the most versatile professional ensembles working in Britain today. Classically trained, Justin’s career combines work with some of the most prestigious classical ensembles and orchestras including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and English Sinfonia (guest principal), the National Symphony Orchestra UK (principal cello) and the Michael Nyman Band with work that has seen him record and perform with the likes of U2, Tina Turner, Jose Carreras, Pavarotti and Westlife.
The Locrian Ensemble have a number of exciting events in the coming months at St Martin-in-the-Fields including the St Patrick's Day (17 March),
St George's Day (23 April) concerts and
Haydn in London (26 May) as part of our Haydn Festival.
ITP: Justin, I am intrigued by the diverse range of your professional activity. Your career has examples of nearly every option open to a performer, is this by choice, or is a wide versatility a necessity for making a living as a classically trained musician these days?
JP: This is very much by choice. Though we are classically trained, all the musicians in the Locrian Ensemble bring differing talents and skills into our pool of activities. Our leader Rita Manning (a past leader of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields) is equally at home playing jazz as classical. Our second violinist, David Odgen, is a superb arranger of music - we call him "the Lone Arranger and Pronto".
The violist, Morgan Goff, studied in Australia and is an expert at contemporary music and a member of the celebrated Kreutzer Quartet. Our double bassist, Patrick Lannigan, is a professional actor who has taken parts in the West End. Our lovely harpist, our "angel", Jean Kelly, is a wonderful folk harpist as well as being a duo partner for Sir James Galway. So there is a versatility and diversity within the group that allows us to work in so many directions.
ITP: And work in many directions you certainly have! You for example, teach, perform, record, promote concerts and events and dress up! Have you ever considered concentrating on just one of these?
JP: Variety is the spice of life, though I certainly don't want to be considered a "jack of all trades". After many years of working in music, I know how to put together concerts, how to coach youth orchestras, how to promote events etc. What takes much more time and diligence is in writing scripts. In an ideal world I would own a theatre, spending my days running festivals and recording chamber music. I buy one lottery ticket every weekend, with this end in mind.
ITP: You've also worked as a session musician that has seen you perform with some big names in both films and concerts, how does the 'pop' life contrast with your 'classical' performing activities?
JP: The massive energy generated by the huge audiences at pop concerts is infectious. I have performed on stage with Eric Clapton at Earl's Court, and with Oasis at the height of their fame at Manchester City football ground in front of tens of thousands of their fans. There you are on a particular day with a cello, displaying an "AAA" (Access All Areas) badge, performing with these iconic musicians who are idolised, and are household names.
It is a huge adrenalin rush, but at the end of the day, it is all about the power of the media, amplification and hype. The next day you are sitting down quietly to discuss quaver lengths in a Haydn string quartet. That's nice. Both experiences are so different that they cannot be compared, but I feel privileged to be able to work in both these areas of music-making.
ITP: People often ask why they should attend a live concert when they can listen to a recording in the comfort of their own homes. What are the differences from a performer's point of view between performing for a live audience and recording in a studio?
JP: There is no substitute, whatsoever, for live music. For instance, when we give our annual "Spirit of Christmas" concert in St Martin's in December, we have three choirs, orchestra, vocal soloists, organ and audience all singing and playing, at the top of their voices.
It feels as if we will lift the roof together. As I conduct, I look into the eyes of audience and performers, and can see the thrill of all this bringing them close to tears, goose pimples rising on the back of their necks. No recording can give this infectious feeling of inclusivity, of being really alive in the music, surrounded by friends and family. It's unforgettable, and restorative.
ITP: Another and completely contrasting aspect of your career is your work for music in the community, for charities, outreach and education...
JP: I am currently Chairman of the Royal Society of Musicians of Great Britain, a charity run by musicians for musicians. We were founded in the early eighteenth century by Handel, amongst others, and I feel a great debt to the altruism and philanthropy of my predecessors. Many musicians still hit very hard times, and are often ill-prepared for weathering the storm. We are a safety net to catch them, and hopefully get them back to work again.
The Society works with a quiet efficiency, and I'm proud to be a member of an organisation that has been associated with the top names in classical music for the past three hundred years. I am also Musical patron to the Sunbeams Music Trust which inspires the lives of so many children with learning disabilities, through music, in the North of England. Their unique troupe of performers will be coming to St Martin's for a lunchtime concert on 14 September 2009. I would urge you to see them as it will be one of the most uplifting experiences you will ever witness!
ITP: We wouldn't miss it! This range of your musical activity means that you must reach a large and diverse audience...
JP: We (the Locrian Ensemble) toured with a concert of Christmas music last December around Ireland, and thousands turned out to hear our nine piece group at each concert. We are getting much better at handling large audiences. It requires being very well organised - we have roadies, stage managers and vans for touring. I need to be more protective of my own energy during the day, so that when I am on stage I can be really focused on performing at consistently high level. You can't hide when you are so much in the public eye, you need to be confident and well-prepared.
ITP: Justin, thank you so much for taking the time to afford us a glimpse into the fascinating life of a Locrian Ensemble cellist! Before we finish, I would like to ask you quickly about your connection with St Martin's and Locrian's ongoing series here. The next concert is the St Patrick's Day Concert. Irish born yourself, what treats to you have in store for us on March 17?
JP: Many members of the Locrian Ensemble are Irish - we met up whilst playing in the Irish Youth Orchestra many moons ago, and we certainly know how to enjoy ourselves on St Patrick's Day! Dermot Crehan and Jean Kelly, who were soloists on the soundtracks to the Lord of the Rings films, will be performing suites of old Irish melodies. We have the St Patrick Singers singing An Irish Blessing by Rutter and of course, Danny Boy.
I am playing a wonderful Celtic lament for cello and orchestra, Cariad, by, Julie Cooper. We pay tribute to Ireland's national composer, the blind harpist, Turlough O'Carolan. And to round the evening off, we have pipes, whistle, flute, fiddle and more to raise the roof and set your feet tapping with a ceilidh band finale. Last time we gave this concert there even some "whoops" in the church! |
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| ITP Competition |
Congratulations to February's ITP competition winner Tony Delaney who will be enjoying two free tickets to a concert of his choice and a free meal at the Café in the Crypt.
To enter this month's competition, simply email your answer to the question below to music@smitf.org with 'Competition' in the subject field. The answer to the question can be found in this email. We look forward to hearing from you!
Q: In what year was the Academy of St Martin in the Fields founded by Sir Neville Marriner at St Martin-in-the-Fields? |
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