the performers:
City of London Sinfonia
the programme:
Bach Goldberg Variations
We’re big fans of the City of London Sinfonia at through the noise - they describe all their events as ‘seriously informal’, including this performance at Southwark Cathedral.
Audience members will be able to wander around the Cathedral while the concert takes place - a rare opportunity to experience how sound can change depending on where you are in an acoustic.
Audiences are welcome to bring a cushion and find a spot on the floor of this vast Gothic building, or perch on a ledge under one of the cathedral’s huge arches.
the music:
The City of London Sinfonia will be playing a version of Bach’s Goldberg Variations. Originally intended for the harpsichord, the piece has been arranged to be played by a string trio for this concert and has been edited to fit in to a one-hour slot.
The ‘variations’ part of this piece’s title dictates its whole structure and sound - all of the music is based on different versions of the piece’s opening section, or aria for its official title. We recommend listening to this tranquil rendition by Beatrice Rana to give you an idea.
There are 30 variations in the piece. Some take a more immediately noticeable approach to developing the music of that opening aria, by keeping the melody roughly the same perhaps, where others may be slightly trickier to work out - see if you can draw any parallels to this recording of the seventh variation. This particular variation takes the form of a French gigue, a popular Baroque dance from the time in which Bach wrote the piece.
The music is constructed symmetrically, which means there’s something of a dividing line at the mid-way point after variation 15 (the next variation is marked by some quite grand chords), and the piece ends as it begins, with the return of the aria.
the performers:
This will be the City of London Sinfonia’s first live indoor performance since March, and they’re so excited to play music for you again! They bring a distinctive, seriously informal style to everything they do, breaking down the barriers between their musicians and audiences.
The string trio will include the orchestra’s leader Alexandra Wood on violin, Ruth Gibson on viola and Joely Koos on cello.
the venue:
The Cathedral is simply stunning, and is in one of London’s most exciting areas - both Borough & Bankside are packed full of cool bars, quirky cafes and historic pubs.
The venue will be transformed for this concert to create an intimate experience whilst ensuring maximum safety for all. Seats will be set out in the nave, the central part of the building, in the number that you have booked to aid social distancing, and you’ll also be able to walk around the Cathedral and perch wherever you wish - you’ll have to BYO cushion, mind!
the price:
£5 (£1 for under 16s)