Entries by Jessica Peng

A chat with Isata Kanneh-Mason and Jonathan Bloxham

Beethoven and Mendelssohn with Isata Kanneh-Mason at St John’s Smith Square Friday 3 November 2023 Isata Kanneh-Mason piano Jonathan Bloxham conductor Ruth Rogers leader London Mozart Players (LMP) Arvo Pärt Cantus in Memorium Benjamin Britten Anna Clyne Stride Mendelssohn Piano Concerto No.1 Beethoven Symphony No.5 Before our concert together at St John’s Smith Square, we […]

London Borough of Culture Showcase – Sunday 2 April

Sunday 2 April Free performances from 2-6pm Fairfield Halls __________________________________ As part of the opening weekend celebrations for Croydon’s year as London Borough of Culture we’re hosting a free afternoon showcase in the public open spaces of Fairfield Halls featuring local talent from across Croydon, including choirs, sea shanties, solo performances, dance groups and bands.

Mendelssohn and his Birkenstocks

(Other shoe brands are available) In his early twenties, Felix Mendelssohn did what most of us dream of doing and packed his bags, donned his Birkenstocks, waved goodbye to his home country Germany and set off on a grand tour of Italy. He spent nine months as a proper tourist: seeing the sights, speaking the […]

The Secret History of Beethoven’s Violin Concerto

1. A tale of two procrastinators You may know the story about Mozart’s Don Giovanni (1787). He procrastinated the overture and ended up staying up late the night before, kept awake by his wife pouring him drinks. The ink was still wet when the musicians received the scores the next day. However, such was his […]