Bascule Chamber Concerts, Tower Bridge

Venues don't come much more atmospheric that the Bascule Chamber – the great cavity below the workings of the Tower Bridge colossal raising mechanism. To attend an event here, be prepared to wind down and down into a man-made cave where sound resonates in an eerie underworld – and bring a woollie: even the temperature is different in this parallel universe.

Last year’s Totally Thames festival concert series in the Bascule Chamber sold out, and now composer/curator Iain Chambers is back, to fill the subterranean Victorian time capsule with a brand-new programme.

The concerts (20-23 Sept) will feature newly commissioned vocal works performed by the Marian Consort, a dynamic and internationally-renowned young early music vocal ensemble, praised for their fresh approach and innovative presentation. They will also perform classic Renaissance pieces, ideally suited to this timeless cavern.

River use may change the schedule at short notice – the bridge may need to be raised – but for now 14 performances are planned, each lasting an hour. Two are preceded by full guided tours of the bridge and its workings.

And if you are river-side on the previous Sunday (16 Sept, 2:15PM-3PM), listen out at the Scoop by Tower Bridge for more than 500 singers from choirs across the country raising their voices – and raising funds and awareness for the vital work done by the charity WaterAid. Sing for Water will be led by Roxane Smith and Katie Rose with guest conductors Una May Olomolaiye and Janna Goodwille.

The concert will feature innovative arrangements of songs such as Bobby Darin’s classic Beyond the Sea, and Umwegitane, a piece based on a traditional Rwandan song.

Listen out too for A Fistful of Spookies, a small UK-based section of the internationally renown Australian men’s choir The Spooky Men's Chorale, will be entertaining with their quirky close-harmony humour.

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The Bascule Chamber Concerts are at 8PM (20 Sept); 6PM, 7.30PM, 9PM (21 Sept); 12PM-3PM with tour, 2PM, 4PM, 7PM, 9PM (22 Sept); 12PM-3PM with tour, 2PM, 4PM, 8.30PM (23 Sept). Booking essential. Suitable for children from 14 upwards; no under-18s without an adult. Click here for full details of access.

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