Classical Vauxhall, live concerts online

Jess Gillam, Nicky Spence and friends entertain live from south London

Tenor Nicky Spence sings at the closing concert of Classical Vauxhall
The charismatic saxophonist Jess Gillam and supertenor Nicky Spence head a starry line-up over a weekend of classical music streamed from 18 to 21 March, by Classical Vauxhall.

Performed live at St Mark’s Church, Kennington, with its wonderful acoustics, all events are free. Click here to book your ticket. All concerts are from 7PM to 8:30PM.

The Navarra Quartet takes its name from a red wine from a region known for its multi-coloured landscapes, and the quartet embodies the universal power of music with the players’ diverse cultural backgrounds. The four players are joined for opening concert on Thursday 18 March by pianist and festival director Fiachra Garvey for Shostakovich’s electrifying Piano Quintet in G Minor, Op 57.

Husband and wife piano and violin duo Tom Poster and Elena Urioste play music by Benjamin Britten and George Gershwin's Song Suite in a programme of the best 20th-century works from both sides of the Atlantic (Friday 19 March).


Jess Gillam performs tracks from her latest album. Photo: Robin Clewley

On Saturday 20 March, Jess Gillam plays tracks from her latest album, TIME, with pianist Zeynep Özsuca. The very wide range of pieces swings from John Dowland’s solemn Flow My Tears to Astor Piazzolla’s foot-tapping Histoire de Tango. At 22, Gillam is already a star of the Last Night of the Proms and the youngest ever presenter on BBC Radio 3, where This Classical Life (Saturdays 12.30PM) breaks down musical boundaries.

Finally, the hugely admired and award-winning tenor Nicky Spence with pianist Dylan Perez presents a very lively programme of music for voice (Sunday 21 March), with songs by Hugo Wolf, Gustav Holst, Richard Strauss, Schumann and Britten among others. Stand by for a big showbiz finale with songs from John Dankworth, Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim and Gershwin. No one is going to argue when the tenor sings 'I Got Rhythym'.

It may be a few weeks before we can venture into the concert hall ourselves, but in the meantime, Classical Vauxhall is as close as we can get to the magic of live performance.
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What Classical Vauxhall, live concerts online
Where Online | MAP
When 18 Mar 21 – 21 Mar 21, Four nightly concerts, streamed live
Price £0
Website Click here for more information and booking