The Anticipation of 2012

Niharika joined us last year as our Marketing & Communications Intern, working on our Winter Festival. As she finished her time with us, she took a moment to tell us about what she’d been up to over the past few months.

2011 was a fabulous year for me because I had the chance to join Spitalfields Music as their Marketing and Communications intern! I’ve learnt loads with the help of an awesome team. I worked at the recent Winter Festival, which was really exciting as I had the chance to take on different roles such as front of house, concert management and box office.  If you haven’t already, check out some of the photos and reviews from our Winter Festival here.

Currently, The Spitalfields Music HQ is buzzing with anticipation about our Summer Festival 2012: the line-up is ready, artist photo shoots are complete, images are being chosen and written material is being proof-read. We have an exciting range of events in our programme featuring early and contemporary music, music theatre, late night after-dinner concerts, walks, talks, free outdoor events and family activities!

Summer Festival 2012 brochure cover featuring one of our Associate Artists Matthew Barley – renowned cellist and Music Director of BBC2 TV’s Classical Star programme

There will be a lot of fun things on in London during 2012 and Spitalfields Music will be bringing you something you will definitely want to be a part of!

Booking for the Spitalfields Music Summer Festival 2012 is now open!
You can book via our website or call the Box Office on 0207 377 1362 (Monday-Friday, 10am-6pm)

Niharika Jain
Marketing & Communications Intern

Booking now open for Summer Festival 2012!

So it’s still cold and miserable outside, and too dark in the evenings, but summer is hotting up Spitalfields Music HQ as booking is now open for our Summer Festival 2012!

Matthew Barley at Village Underground (Image: Alys Tomlinson)

Running from 8-23 June, the Festival is packed with more musical treats than ever! Leading the programme as our Associate Artists are the Gabrieli Consort & Players, cellist Matthew Barley and tabla player and music producer Talvin Singh. Between them they present an eclectic series of performances ranging from Purcell’s The Fairy Queen, and Stravinsky’s mass setting to a fusion of tabla, folk and electronic, a candle-lit performance of John Tavener’s The Protecting Veil and a search for the answer to the question, What’s Music For?

Paul McCreesh in Old Spitalfields Market (Image: Alys Tomlinson)

We welcome a number of music-theatre encounters, as The Sixteen return with a new commission from Alec Roth with Samuel Beckett’s Old Earth monologues. La Nuova Musica collaborate with Vignette Productions on Sacrifices: a new staging and installation around two baroque oratorios, and The Opera Group come together with the London Sinfonietta in Harrison Birtwistle’s tale of love and jealously, Bow Down.

Talvin Singh at Oxford House (Image: James Berry)

Alongside all this, Dutch cult sensation Night of the Unexpected makes its London debut, with a cocktail of experimental beats improvised jazz, composed repertoire and conceptual pop music. Late-night concerts from Melvyn Tan with Bach suites and new variations plus EXAUDI celebrating the beauty of John Cage’s vocal music. There’s also choral music of every flavour as the Monteverdi Choir go on a European choral pilgrimage, the Choir of Royal Holloway bring songs from the Baltic States and the distinct sounds of South American baroque from Florilegium and the Arakaendar Bolivia Choir.

All this and much, much more will be filling the extraordinary spaces of Spitalfields this summer! See our website for the full festival listings, or flick through the Festival brochure online.

Booking is now open: online 24 hours-a-day at spitalfieldsmusic.org.uk (just register an account if you’re new to us) or via the Box Office phone lines on 020 7377 1362 (open Mon-Fri, 10am-6pm).

My Favourite Places around Spitalfields

Our Learning & Participation Programme Director, Clare Lovett shares with us some of her favourite places in the area.

For thinking, meetings and catching up with friends: Skylight Cafe

I’m always on the lookout for great meeting spots, and I’ve recently discovered the fantastic Crisis Skylight Cafe on Commercial Street.  The cafe is just beyond the hustle and bustle of the market, and has plenty of space to spread out! They have amazing coffee and cakes; lunch here is also delicious!  Recent meetings have included discussions with potential Associate Artists and there’s usually a whole bundle of folks catching up and planning projects.  It’s an inspirational space, which also happens to provide on-the-job training and experience for homeless people and ex-offenders.  If you’re in need of a still point in a mad world of shopping, sightseeing or planning your next project, then Crisis Skylight Cafe is your thinking place.

For people watching, chilling out at lunch and spotting interesting Art:  Bishops Square

There’s always something going on at Bishops Square. On the rare occasion that I can pause for lunch, it’s my top place to sit and watch the world go by.  Recent activity has included a new installation of butterflies in jam jars, with confuses city workers and tourists trying to work out whether they’re real or not (they’re not)…the wonderful Spitalfields E1 Routemaster is often parked outside and there’s a real sense of relaxation before the onslaught of the afternoon stint of work.  Grab a falafel wrap from Pilpel, or a hot sandwich from Golds and watch the world in microcosm!

 

Intern Diaries: Christmas lights and festive cheer in Spitalfields

Spitalfields is looking prettier than ever since all the Christmas lights are up in the market and festive cheer is in the air! The Spitalfields Music Winter Festival is now underway, after opening last Saturday with the Christmas Market in Crispin Place which saw puppetry, fashion and of course, live music to get people into the Christmas spirit!

Christmas lights are up in Spitalfields Market

It has been really busy here at Spitalfields Music HQ. The Winter Festival now the Winter Festival is in progress and I am really excited as this is the first time I’m working at our various venues in Spitalfields!

I also recently attended the City of London Sinfonia’s first ever CLoSer event! It was amazing and had a really relaxed atmosphere. After the main performance, individual musicians were available for informal Q&A sessions. The Strings Masterclass event was held at Village Underground which is a great venue (it used be a Victorian warehouse!) I also discovered that the trains on top are actually offices used by the Village Underground staff. There are two more CLoSer events coming up in 2012; head over here to find out more.

I have also been working on our Winter Festival Learning and Participation events’ inserts, and they have been sent to the printers which is very exciting! The festival has an awesome mix of events for the whole family which means we will be drawing in great crowds – I can’t wait!

Niharika Jain
Marketing & Communications Intern

The Winter Festival is now on with tickets available from £5! See our website spitalfieldsmusic.org.uk for further details on contact the Box Office on 020 7377 1362 (Mon-Fri, 10am-6pm).

We’ve got mail from Brighton

Joglaresa will be performing eclectic medieval music at the Winter Festival this year. Having taken part in the Brighton Early Music Festival, they will begin their ‘On Yoolis Night’ tour very soon! They sent us a postcard from ‘sunny’ Brighton:

Joglaresa’s postcard from Brighton

Dear Spitalfields Music,

Well we’ve had a wonderful time down at the Brighton Early Music Festival (BREMF) this year.  With singing medieval slave girls, belly dancers and the wonderful Brighton Community Choir taking part, the night was never going to be anything but exhilarating! Despite a bit of rain the audience came out in force, even singing and dancing along with us, it was absolutely amazing.

Only 4 weeks to go now until we begin our On Yoolis Night tour, eek!  Really looking forward to coming back to see you all again on Dec. 19th, we’ll be sure to keep you updated with all things Christmassy through Twitter @_Joglaresa
Hope you’re having a wonderful time with the preparations for your Winter Festival!

See you soon,
Joglaresa

We’ve compiled a Joglaresa playlist on Spotify for you to sample some delectable traditional English music from the 12th-15th Century. Joglaresa will be performing at the Winter Festival on Monday 19 December from 7pm to 8pm. For more details, head over to our website. Tickets £5-£15.