Villiers Quartet: New Works Competition
As always, a treat to take in the gorgeous canal views from an outside sofa during a balmy Sunday at the wonderful King’s Place. The double whammy being the equal treat for chamber music enthusiasts of the Villiers Quartet New Works Competition. This only comes around once every couple of years and is not to be missed.
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Tom Gamble: CD + London dates
Classically-trained guitarist Tom Gamble recently played a solo set at the Poetry Cafe in Covent Garden, going down a storm with the assembled literary crowd at the Playerist Comedy Night. He’s soon to leave these shores to further his studies abroad so catch him while you can. Meanwhile, music lovers will be more than satisfied with Mr Gamble’s fantastic début Jazz CD Rooftop Music. Recently graduating with a First from Trinity Laban Conservatoire in Greenwich, the maestro leads the Tom Gamble Ensemble at the South Bank Centre on August 8. He then departs with fitting flourish as Director of the Quiet Nights Orchestra at a very special gig at the National Portrait Gallery on August 22.
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Alessandro Martire: Italian Cultural Institute – December 2
Alessandro Martire is an Italian pianist and composer born in Como, 1992. He has been fascinated by music and keyboard instruments since childhood. Alessandro commenced music studies at the Centro Musicale, and has since studied at Music Academy Genoa. In 2012, he gained a placement in Music Composition at Berklee College in Boston.
Alessandro draws upon Minimalist influences such as Ludovico Einaudi and the ‘Classical Crossover’ works of David Lanz. He realigns the Classical tradition through a contemporary lens producing evocative harmonies and catchy melodies. Alessandro’s approach, though larger-than-life, is accessible and open to interpretation. Signor Martire recognises a vital communication with the listener; sharing his feelings, thoughts and dreams as if an old friend. His is an Impressionistic and contemplative style whether a solo artist or in ensemble.
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Greek Tragedy at The Scoop with More London
I’ve walked past The Scoop countless times and thought ‘well, that looks awesome. A scooped seating area right next to Tower Bridge and The Shard? Epic’. But then I’ve always trundled on past and forgotten about it. So when I stumbled upon the More London events site I could not resist paying a proper visit. Particularly when I saw they are having a summer of Greek Tragedy. You just can’t go wrong with some violence, questionable parent/child relationships, and some divine intervention (well, you can, hence the tragedy part).
Greek tragedy is best watched out doors, as it originally was. At The Scoop the actors get help from the surroundings – darkness falls as the play gets darker and the characters get more wretched. By the end of Antigone, at about 10pm, the atmosphere had grown really quite thick with hatred and misery so with the darkness thrown in on top, it got pretty emotive.
The evening is split into three parts: the first, the family section, is The Prince of Thebes, then after a short break it moves into the much more adult Oedipus and from there into Antigone. By the nature of the venue there were people milling about everywhere, wandering in to watch a bit and wandering back out again. Rather than being a distraction, I think this is a strength of the whole enterprise. The venue allows people to either have a taste or fully immerse themselves in the evening.
Pop-Up Shop: ‘I Saved a Gorilla in Carnaby Street’
A new campaign shop has popped-up at 19 Faubert’s Place in Carnaby Street Village. It’s an attractive and ambient space with distinct elements of an African rainforest village. Here you can sit and browse information about the inspirational work of The Gorilla Organisation. Available for purchase are eye-catching T-shirts, gorgeous cuddly gorillas, traditional African kikoys (hand-woven and hand-dyed sarongs), Fair Trade crafts, and books signed by authors Ian Redmond and Stanley Johnson. You can also ‘Adopt a Gorilla’ with a beautiful gift pack including a T-shirt and Adoption Certificate.
Defying gravity in London
Have you always admired Man on a Wire without quite having the stomach for this kind of endeavour? If you are in for something a little less life threatening, the Argentinean artist Leandro Erlich has made possible for you to safely defy gravity. You have until August 4th, 2013 to levitate at Dalston House.
Born in Buenos Aires in 1973, Leandro Erlich has gained notoriety thanks to the Swimming Pool, an installation that was exhibited at the Venice Biennale in 2001. His work is often made out of architectural components at human scale. The participants are invited to experience surroundings with a twist.
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Our top 5 free yearly events in London
Get out and enjoy London for free at some of the best free annual events around
Do you find yourself turning down invitations to go out with your friends? Is the main reason for declining the invite because you cannot afford it? Well, we have a solution to that problem. You don’t always have to pay an entrance fee at some events. Some events are absolutely free (excluding the obvious – travel, food & drink). We have found a few annual events for you to visit that come without a price tag. Some are coming up soon so pay attention to the dates.
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