If you don't want to read over 200 pages of "waffle" - instead click on Shortish summary of free concerts in London webpage Summary: Pretty much every day of the week in central London, it is possible to attend free, high quality public classical music events; public history lectures, public science lectures, etc. Note: Beware the Ides of August - many churches go on Holidays during this month. Though St. Lawrence Jewry has a music festival on every day during August (2002). Quick Start (check the web as they may be on holidays) : For classical lunchtime concerts, St Martin-in-the-Fields near Trafalgar Square is a good try (Monday, Tuesday and Friday) at 1:05pm. For an evening concert, the 6.30 Friday evening concert at the National Portait Gallery (opposite St Martins) generally does not disappoint. (though they did put a Cello/Accordian duo next to the loud escalator on one occassion - bad form!). Be wary that the National Portrait Gallery may mark certain daytime events on their website that DO require free tickets as NOT requiring free tickets. An incredible range of free classical concerts and events at the Church of England / C of E / Anglican churches within the square mile defining the "City" of London can be obtained via the (new "City Events" website). If the "City Events" webpage is not up to date, hard copies can normally be obtained by most churches offering concerts, e.g, (St Anne & St Agnes, St Margaret Lothbury, etc.) Checking the literature at the individual churches and the booklet titled "a guide to opening times and services at the City's places of worship" (normally available from most City churches and includes a map locating the churches) - can reveal many more concerts than are on the (new "City Events" website) - e.g., each Thursday (not Wednesday as stated in the April 2002 "City Events" pamphlet) there is usually an organ or choral concert at St. Margaret Lothbury. Though the accuracy of "the guide" may have to be checked the hard way (e.g., despite what "the guide" states, there seems to be no regular 1:05pm Tuesday concert at St Magnus the Martyr). Visiting the Churches can also give concert information, a regular Wednesday 1:15pm to 1:45 organ recital at Temple Church; regular Wednesday 1:00pm concert at St. Sepulchre-without-Newgate; regular 1:05pm Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday lunchtime concerts at St. Bride's Church (except during Lent, August and Advent); regular Thursday 1:05pm lunchtime concert at St. Mary Le Bow; regular Friday 12:30pm lunchtime organ concert at St. Stephen Walbrook; regular Thursday 1.15pm lunchtime organ concert at All Hallows By the Tower; regular Wednesday 1.05pm lunchtime concert at St Mary-le-Strand, The Strand; and regular Wednesday and Thursday 1:05pm lunchtime concerts at St. Olave Hart Street. Though it can be best to check up as dates may change for special reasons. There are also 3 lunchtime concerts per week at St James' Church Picadilly near Picadilly Circus Tube station (Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 1.10pm) as well as some lunchtime concerts at Grosvenor Chapel, Mayfair and St Giles-in-the-Fields, Bloomsbury/Charing Cross, London. As well as many other churches around London that have yet to be properly documented. The British Museum also has free events including movies at their cinema; museum tours and some musical events. Evening freeconcerts includes those offered by St Stephens, Gloucester Road, South Kensington (seasonal). There are sporadic evening free concerts offered by other churches but most evening events require paying for a ticket. For instance Temple Church and St. Sepulchre-without-Newgate have been doing late afternoon and evening concerts on weekdays and weekends (July 2002) - though be wary that some/many of these evening concerts may require tickets - even if they do not state this on the City Events brochure. Normally, the St. Sepulchre website is pretty accurate in this regard but the Temple Church website can be ambigious. There are also a wide variety of free musical events at various days and times at the Royal Academy of Music. For a range of free public lectures on science, philosophy, rhetoric, etc - Gresham College is a good place to check out ("Providing free public lectures since 1597"). The London Organ Concerts Guide can also give a wide range of concerts and many secular and church venues. But be wary that some organ concerts in the London Organ Concert Guide may "NOT" have free entry (though the Sunday evening organ concerts at St Paul's Cathedral and Westminster Abbey are free). (Warning: Following is a personal opinion that is more gratuitous, opinionated, biggoted, rude, ill-informed, using poor grammar and more poorly spelt than usual(?)) London Free Concerts: Advance warning for those who like their music to have some coherant melody and don't like the horrible modern stuff For those who prefer music to have (by defininion) some coherant melody, it may be best to avoid any concerts including compositions from or close to being written near the twentieth century. This is the time when the concept of melody within music seems to have been flushed down the toilet by many composers - at least in what gets served up at concerts. Thus first time attendees to a free London concert containing "horrible modern compositions" might be very disappointed and give up on going to any more concerts. This would be a mistake. Only a moderate proportion of free London concerts have horrible twentieth century compositions in them; and if you get the free concert brochures in advance, you can "often" safely avoid them. Given one of the major aims of these free London concerts is to give the routinely mind damaged London public some peace and respite in the form good music in pleasant surroundings; the inclusion of music of modern non-melodic composition could be considered dysfunctional (but opinions may vary on this?). A possibly dodgy, non-statistically valid options is that the excellent artists know what a lunchtime concert crowd wants and needs - and thus only plays "music"; good artists who insist on playing the horrible modern stuff normally put this in the middle, finishing off with "music". Thus (personal experience and personal opinion) concerts to avoid or be wary of include compositions by Prokofiev, Debussy, Stravinsky, Ravel and anyone else composing close to or around the 20th century. (this is not to say that these composers only composed "non-melodic rubbish" that is more akin to random sets of notes than music - just that much of what is publically performed could give that impression). Be wary that a "Centenary Concert" might be on the composer's birth, not death, so unless you do a background check, there is a risk of being disappointed by hearing modern compositions - instead of good music. "Good" lunchtime concerts (defined here as "appreciated by the audience") playing 20th century music seem to be quite rare. There was a really "good" concert of this type last year (2001) at St Martin's in the Field by the BIT 20 Ensemble from Norway - playing Gorecki's Harpsichord Concerto op 40 (1980). But maybe this shows more the skill of the musicians in choosing compositions that are most likely to be appreciated by the target audience(?). An aphorism within Balthasar Gracian's "The Art of Worldly Wisdom" (1601-1658) (1892 translation by Joseph Jacobs) is perhaps not too inappropriate(?): 120: Live according to the custom. Even wisdom must be in style, and where it is not, it is well to know how to feign ignorance, for thought and taste change with the times: do not be old-fashioned in thought, and modern in taste. The choice of the many carries the vote in every field. For the time being therefore, it must be bowed to, in order to bring it to higher level: the man of wisdom accommodates himself to the present, even though the past seems better, alike in dress of his spirit, as in the dress of his body. Only in the matter of being decent does this rule of life not apply, for virtue should be practiced eternally: yet today it is unknown, and to speak the truth and to keep one's world, seem the marks of another age: and good men appear the creations of a good time that is past; but they are forever loved: if by chance, some be still left, they are no longer in style, and no longer imitated. Oh, the misery of this our age, which holds virtue alien, and evil the order of the day! Let the man of conscience live as he can, not as he might wish. Let him hold as better what fortune has conceded him than what she has denied him."

General Overview (Other venues being explored : Based on Hansard records : Try the Visitors - "Strangers Gallery" of the House of Lords (House of Commons is quite low quality in comparison). Other London Teaching Colleges and Institutes for the Arts. There was a report that the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden offers free concerts during the day - of which this has been confirmed! 21st December 2001) Cities do not change over the centuries. They represent the aspirations of particular men and women to lead a common life; as a result their atmosphere, their tone, remain the same. Those people whose relations are founded principally upon commerce and upon the ferocious claims of domestic privacy will construct a city as dark and as ugly as London was. And is. Those people who wish to lead agreeable lives, and in constant intercourse with one another, will build a city as beautiful and as elegant as Paris. - Peter Ackroyd on Dickens 'To Carthage then I came, where a cauldron of unholy loves sang all about mine ears', St. Augustine's Confessions. : (Notes from T.S. Eliot's "The Waste Land" (1922)) 'For a crowd is not company; and faces are but a gallery of pictures; and talk but a tinkling cymbal, where there is no love.' - Francis Bacon : To the casual observer(?), much "generic" going out in London seems to be based around frequenting places that require extremely well stocked wallets as well as an appreciation and desire for alcoholism, despair, futility, the presence of loud/violent drunks, chain smoking {cough, cough, splutter . . }, etc, etc, etc. Another comment received from a brief visitor to London on a budget was of the ilk : "I did hang out in London for couple of days before I came home but didn't manage to find a single free thing to do... So I manage to buy some good books and sit in door all day. :-( " To quote from someone claiming to be in the know (Roy Porter, in London A Social History): "This London of the new Millennium has "critical and intensifying problems, and is no longer routinely offering all its citizens the elementary benefits that Aristotle thought were the city's raisons d’être (sic): shelter. safety, society, support... a downward spiral of infrastructural and human problems that will prove hard to halt."(p3) Extract from This Scene of Dissipation and Vice: Visions of London: part of the Jane Austen Society of Australia webpage. If interested in the side of ye olde London not hyped in the tourist agitprop, refer to City of Dreadful Night (1874) by James Thomson (1834-82) Thus for the tee-totalling and/or budget conscious type, existing in London on the standard London slum wage might seem bleak if alternative refuges and sanctuaries are required. However, if you like polite, high quality (often informal) musical concerts, the arts, events, history, scientific history, lectures and talks (and on a very limited budget), London can abound with some top notch free entertainment; surrounded by amazing architecture and artwork. Pretty much every day of the week can provide multiple options for most months and days of the year. However, it should be noted that many people born and bred in London, and/or who claim an active interest in the arts and sciences can be very ignorant of what is available in terms of high quality free events. Thus trying to rely on "local" knowledge may not get you sound advice in finding a good range of possible venues to explore. Elaborating on the above: there is a varied range of free classical and historical concerts/lectures/talks in central London. Many of the regular classical concerts are based around the Anglican London City Churches and Guild Churches lunchtime concerts. If the "City Events" webpage is not up to date, hard copies can normally be obtained by most churches offering concerts, e.g, (St Anne & St Agnes, St Margaret Lothbury, etc.) Checking the literature at the individual churches and the booklet titled "a guide to opening times and services at the City's places of worship" (normally available from most City churches and includes a map locating the churches) - can reveal many more concerts than are on the "City Events" brochure - e.g., each Thursday there is usually an organ or choral concert at St. Margaret Lothbury. Though the accuracy of "the guide" may have to be checked the hard way (e.g., despite what "the guide" states, there seems to be no regular 1:05pm Tuesday concert at St Magnus the Martyr. Visiting the Churches can also give concert information, a regular Wednesday 1:15pm to 1:45 organ recital at Temple Church and a regular Wednesday 1:00pm concert at St. Sepulchre-without-Newgate) "It's often remarked by visitors to the West End that there seems to be a lack of churches in London: this is because they are crammed into the City, far too many to serve today's atheistic populace (Mammon is better served with banks - at the latest survey fewer than one million believers attend church on a regular basis in the whole of England) and some are relegated to monuments or the private chapels of the guilds." - The Square Mile of the City of London Some galleries and museums also have quite a range of lunchtime and evening concert events (e.g., the National Portrait Gallery, The British Museum). All of these many and various concerts are open to everyone who can make the time and are of a very high quality - potentially of a higher standard than paid concerts such as presented at the BBC Proms in the Royal Albert Hall (though it is only £3 to get a "standing" ticket in the Royal Albert Hall "Arena"). "Retiring from the popular noise, I seek This unfrequented place to find some ease" from Samson Agonistes by Milton Concerts can vary from being sparsely attended to quite crowded; though I have "yet" to attend a concert where anyone "did not" get a seat (or a bit of floor in the case of the Friday night National Portrait Gallery concerts). Some events require free tickets, and might be fully booked a few days to a few weeks in advance (the occassional lecture or more formal concert at the National Portrait Gallery can require free tickets - though if you stand in the non-ticket queue on the day, you can often get in). Concerts are on the whole, informal, agreeable and very pleasant to attend (unlike many upmarket paying variety). As part of an introduction to a concert, a request to "consider" giving a donation at the end of the concert might be politely requested (if you can afford it) to help with upkeep of church buildings; or to assist in work helping the local disadvantaged. The National Portrait Gallery is even more discreet than this and don't request a donation - but there is a donation box at the front door for those who would like to give. Some special concerts do charge an entry fee (mainly evening concerts), but this is normally advertised in advance. Some of the larger churches (e.g., St Martin-in-the-Fields and St James' Church Picadilly) seem to have their concert schedules independently listed on their website and not the Church of England "City Events" website. Reason (after minor local brain-storm) is that the main City Events newsletter describes only the Church concerts within the square mile defining the "City" of London; not those Churches outside the "square mile". (Bit of related trivia passed on by a colleague: you will not find any "Roads" within the "City" of London; as traditionally, a Road is something that connects "between" towns or cities - not within.) "Take a music bath once or twice a week for a few seasons, and you will find that it is to the soul what the water bath is to the body." - Oliver Wendell Holmes (1809 - 1894) For the C of E based "concerts", these are normally completely secular. Also, as this is the Church of England, everything is very polite and inclusive, very much "soft sell" - there is almost nil to fear of an involuntary indoctrination before, during or after these events. (For some background on the Church of England, one minorly relevant reference includes the 1860 publication: "Essays and Reviews" (by Church of England theologians: Temple, Williams, Powell, Wilson, Goodwin, Pattison and Jowett). This book resulted in a number of unsuccessful heresy trials against the authors, including one against the Church of England clergyman, Henry Bristow Wilson, that "he denied the doctrine of eternal punishment" (i.e., Hell was a Myth). "On this the court decided that it did "not find in the formularies of the English Church any such distinct declaration upon the subject as to require it to punish the expression of a hope by a clergyman that even the ultimate pardon of the wicked who are condemned in the day of judgment may be consistent with the will of Almighty God."". "the cynical remarked that it (the court decision) had "dismissed hell with costs."" Another quote worth quoting: "In his book, The English, Jeremy Paxman says that he once asked the Bishop of Oxford what you needed to believe to become a member of his church. A look of slight bafflement crossed the bishop's face "An intriguing question,'' he said, as if it hadn't occurred to him before, adding that the C of E doesn't lay down rules, it gives people space. I am neither religious nor a royalist, but last Sunday on the village green if you had asked me to pray for the Queen for a week I'd have dropped to my knees like a shot. What does this mean? Was it the sun or the fresh air or the old men reminiscing or singing "Shine Jesus Shine" or the tambourine or even that rare commodity we Londoners don't see much of, community spirit, that softened my brain?" - Sue Arnold Though be aware that if you attend a church sung "service", carol "service" or related "service", (as opposed to a "concert"), you will be at a Christian "C of E" church service. Based on information and advice from those claiming to be in the know; many of the sung services and music centred church services (Choral Evensong, Choral Vespers, Sung Mattins, etc) are worth considering independent of your personal beliefs, as they can be very beautiful. Refer to an entry in Boswell's Diary: "I went to the Temple Church and heard a very good sermon on 'Set thy house in order, for thou shalt surely die.' This with the music and the good building, put me into a very devout frame and after service my mind was left in a pleasing calm state." Interrogating Dr. Samuel Johnson's Dictionary: PIOUS, adj. 1. Careful of the duties owed by created beings to God. During the Christmas season, London can be a more depressing place than usual for foreign visitors and foreign workers away from home. Attending some of the choral services with a full choir and organ can be a wonderful way to spend 40 minutes to an hour during lunch or early evening. (e.g., St. Lawrence Jewry next to the London Guild Hall ; Temple Church near the law courts and Fleet Street (Temple Church seems to have the best Choir in London); a "choral concert" at St Margaret Lothbury near the Bank of England, etc) Attending these choral Christmas services can provide a nice pleasant slice of the English Christmas tradition that even much of the local London population seem oblivious of(?) ("the light shineth in the darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not" ?). If stretched for time, I would recommend first considering the Temple Church choral services; St Brides Sung Evensong services; or a lunchtime "choral concert" at St. Lawrence Jewry - which (Xmas 2001 and 2002) had poetry as the "readings". Trying out some of the other sung services or choral masses are also worth a consideration. Again, these are Christian services based around music and singing - as opposed to the "concerts" which are normally 100% secular music concerts. People who browse through the writings of David Hume may want to note his comment in The Natural History of Religion (1757): "Ignorance is the mother of Devotion: A maxim that is proverbial, and confirmed by general experience. Look out for a people, entirely destitute of religion: If you find, them at all, be assured, that they are but few degrees removed from brutes." Much of London could provide a sound test, most likely positive, for the above opinion. A good book to read if visiting or staying in "the futile city", is George Orwell's "Nineteen Eighty-Four"; as it is all about living in London. Of which an extract of Winston Smith's thoughts follow: "The fabulous statistics continued to pour out of the telescreen. As compared with last year there was more food, more clothes, more houses, more furniture, more cooking-pots, more fuel, more ships, more helecopters, more books, more babies - more of everything except disease, crime and insanity. Year by year and minute by minute, everybody and everything was whizzing rapidly upwards." . . . but . . . "Always in your stomach and in your skin there was a sort of protest, a feeling that you had been cheated of something that you had a right to. It was true that he had no memories of anything greatly different. In any time that he could accurately remember, there had never been quite enough to eat, one had never had socks or underclothes that were not full of holes, furniture had always been battered and rickity, rooms underheated, tube trains crowded, houses falling to pieces, bread dark-coloured, tea a rarity, coffee filthy-tasting, cigarettes insufficient - nothing cheap and plentiful except synthetic gin. And though, of course, it grew worse as one's body aged, was it not a sign that this was not the natural order of things, if one's heart sickened at the discomfort and dirt and scarcity, the interminable winters, the stickiness of one's socks, the lifts that never worked, the cold water, the gritty soap, the cigarettes that came to pieces, the food with its strange evil tastes? Why should one feel it to be interolerable unless one had some kind of ancestral memory that things had once been different?". After hearing a small fragment of "Oranges and Lemons", Winston Smith also ponders the "bells of lost London": 'Where was St Martin's?' said Winston 'St Martin's? That's still standing. It's in Victory Square, alongside the picture gallery. A building with a kind of triangular porch and pillars in front, and a big flight of steps.' Winston knew the place well. It was a museum used for propaganda displays of various kinds - scale models of rocket bombs and Floating Fortresses, wax-work tableaux illustrating enemy atrocities, and the like. 'St Martin's-in-the-Fields is used to be called,' supplemented the old man, 'though I don't recollect any fields anywhere in those parts.' Winston did not buy the picture. It would have been an even more incongruous possession than the glass paperweight, and impossible to carry home, unless it were taken out of its frame. But he lingered for some minutes more, talking to the old man, whose name, he discovered, was not Weeks - as one might have gathered from the inscription above theshopfront - but Charrington. Mr Charrington, it seemed, was a widower aged sixty-three and had inhabited this shop for thirty years. Throughout that time he had been intending to alter the name over the window, but had never quite got to the point of doing it. All the while that they were talking the half-remembered rhyme kept running through Winston's head. Oranges and lemons, say the bells of St Clement's, You owe me three farthings say the bells of St Martin's! It was curious, but when you said it to yourself you had the illusion of actually hearing bells, the bells of lost London that still existed somewhere or other, disguised and forgotten. From one ghostly steeple after another he seemed to hear them peaking forth. Yet so far as he could remember he had never in real life heard church bells ringing. Many of these "bells of lost London", while having being bombed or demolished in "Nineteen Eighty-Four", can still be re-found below in the links to free concerts and events found in central London. Also note that the "St Martins" and "St Clements" quoted in "Oranges and Lemons" are unlikely to be referring to St Martins-in-the-Fields and St Clement Dane; but most likely refer to St.Martin-within-Ludgate and St. Clement Eastcheap within the square mile defining the "City of London". Much tourist promotational material featuring "The London Churches of Oranges and Lemons" seem to get this routinely wrong. The concept that George Orwell might have got this wrong in "Nineteen Eighty-Four" is moderately worrying - though not inconsistent with the idea that the more famous and are more prominent St Martins-in-the-Fields and St Clement Dane were better for dramatic effect. (It is easy to pass St.Martin-within-Ludgate and St. Clement Eastcheap without noticing them as they are pretty much engulfed and hidden by secular buildings - as as many City of London churches). Though many "native-born" Londoners, "non-native" people in London and visitors to London would not know that St.Martin-within-Ludgate and St. Clement Eastcheap actually exist. Most of the popular London rags for tourists and describing things to do, time-out information, etc generally concentrate on bars, pubs, theatres, trendy tourist rip-offs, etc - not churches. As another aside, idealistic tourists should be aware that much of the local London/English population are rather jaded. In a very rare occurance, a friendly chat with a retired London gent after a concert at St Martins-in-the-Fields (strangers tend to not engage eachother in friendly conversation in London - it is considered very bad form and wierd to do so; if you are so engaged, the surrounding crowd will probably avoid eye contact and attempt evacuation of the area); on my mentioning that within "Nineteen Eighty-Four" that the church has been converted into a museum for showing propaganda displays - the response was that is already is one. Woh! - you don't expect to hear that type of thing as quick reposte!. However, on the whole, if you main aim is to find some temporary, safe sanctuary in the futile city of London, it would be hard to find a better option than attending the free concerts held in London. Various Resources and examples follow in no particular order Note: Beware the Ides of August - many churches go on Holidays during this month. Though St. Lawrence Jewry has a music festival on every day during August (2002). Recapping the Quick Start (check the web as they may be on holidays) : For classical lunchtime concerts, St Martin-in-the-Fields near Trafalgar Square is a good try (Monday, Tuesday and Friday) at 1:05pm. For an evening concert, the 6.30 Friday evening concert at the National Portait Gallery (opposite St Martins) generally does not disappoint. (though they did put a Cello/Accordian duo next to the loud escalator on one occassion - bad form!). Be wary that the National Portrait Gallery may mark certain daytime events on their website that DO require free tickets as NOT requiring free tickets. An incredible range of free classical concerts and events at the Church of England / C of E / Anglican churches within the square mile defining the "City" of London can be obtained on a downloadable PDF file (new "City Events" website). If the "City Events" webpage is not up to date, hard copies can normally be obtained by most churches offering concerts, e.g, (St Anne & St Agnes, St Margaret Lothbury, etc.) Checking the literature at the individual churches and the booklet titled "a guide to opening times and services at the City's places of worship" (normally available from most City churches and includes a map locating the churches) - can reveal many more concerts than are on the (new "City Events" website) - e.g., each Thursday (not Wednesday as stated in the April 2002 "City Events" pamphlet) there is usually an organ or choral concert at St. Margaret Lothbury. Though the accuracy of "the guide" may have to be checked the hard way (e.g., despite what "the guide" states, there seems to be no regular 1:05pm Tuesday concert at St Magnus the Martyr). Visiting the Churches can also give concert information, a regular Wednesday 1:15pm to 1:45 organ recital at Temple Church; regular Wednesday 1:00pm concert at St. Sepulchre-without-Newgate; regular 1:05pm Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday lunchtime concerts at St. Bride's Church (except during Lent, August and Advent); regular Thursday 1:05pm lunchtime concert at St. Mary Le Bow; regular Friday 12:30pm lunchtime organ concert at St. Stephen Walbrook; regular Wednesday 1.05pm lunchtime concert at St Mary-le-Strand, The Strand; regular Thursday 1.15pm lunchtime organ concert at All Hallows By the Tower; and regular Wednesday and Thursday 1:05pm lunchtime concerts at St. Olave Hart Street. Though it can be best to check up as dates may change for special reasons. There are also 3 lunchtime concerts per week at St James' Church Picadilly near Picadilly Circus Tube station (Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 1.10pm) as well as some lunchtime concerts at Grosvenor Chapel, Mayfair and St Giles-in-the-Fields, Bloomsbury/Charing Cross, London. As well as many other churches around London that have yet to be properly documented. The British Museum also has free events including movies at their cinema; museum tours and some musical events. Evening freeconcerts includes those offered by St Stephens, Gloucester Road, South Kensington (seasonal). There are sporadic evening free concerts offered by other churches but most evening events require paying for a ticket. For instance Temple Church and St. Sepulchre-without-Newgate have been doing late afternoon and evening concerts on weekdays and weekends (July 2002) - though be wary that some/many of these evening concerts may require tickets - even if they do not state this on the City Events brochure. Normally, the St. Sepulchre website is pretty accurate in this regard but the Temple Church website can be ambigious. There are also a wide variety of free musical events at various days and times at the Royal Academy of Music. For a range of free public lectures on science, philosophy, rhetoric, etc - Gresham College is a good place to check out ("Providing free public lectures since 1597"). The London Organ Concerts Guide can also give a wide range of concerts and many secular and church venues. But be wary that some organ concerts in the London Organ Concert Guide may "NOT" have free entry (though the Sunday evening organ concerts at St Paul's Cathedral and Westminster Abbey are free). (Warning: Following is a personal opinion that is more gratuitous, opinionated, biggoted, rude, ill-informed, using poor grammar and more poorly spelt than usual(?)) London Free Concerts: Advance warning for those who like their music to have some coherant melody and don't like the horrible modern stuff For those who prefer music to have (by defininion) some coherant melody, it may be best to avoid any concerts including compositions from or close to being written near the twentieth century. This is the time when the concept of melody within music seems to have been flushed down the toilet by many composers - at least in what gets served up at concerts. Thus first time attendees to a free London concert containing "horrible modern compositions" might be very disappointed and give up on going to any more concerts. This would be a mistake. Only a moderate proportion of free London concerts have horrible twentieth century compositions in them; and if you get the free concert brochures in advance, you can "often" safely avoid them. Given one of the major aims of these free London concerts is to give the routinely mind damaged London public some peace and respite in the form good music in pleasant surroundings; the inclusion of music of modern non-melodic composition could be considered dysfunctional (but opinions may vary on this?). A possibly dodgy, non-statistically valid options is that the excellent artists know what a lunchtime concert crowd wants and needs - and thus only plays "music"; good artists who insist on playing the horrible modern stuff normally put this in the middle, finishing off with "music". Thus (personal experience and personal opinion) concerts to avoid or be wary of include compositions by Prokofiev, Debussy, Stravinsky, Ravel and anyone else composing close to or around the 20th century. (this is not to say that these composers only composed "non-melodic rubbish" that is more akin to random sets of notes than music - just that much of what is publically performed could give that impression). Be wary that a "Centenary Concert" might be on the composer's birth, not death, so unless you do a background check, there is a risk of being disappointed by hearing modern compositions - instead of good music. "Good" lunchtime concerts (defined here as "appreciated by the audience") playing 20th century music seem to be quite rare. There was a really "good" concert of this type last year (2001) at St Martin's in the Field by the BIT 20 Ensemble from Norway - playing Gorecki's Harpsichord Concerto op 40 (1980). But maybe this shows more the skill of the musicians in choosing compositions that are most likely to be appreciated by the target audience(?). An aphorism within Balthasar Gracian's "The Art of Worldly Wisdom" (1601-1658) (1892 translation by Joseph Jacobs) is perhaps not too inappropriate(?): 120: Live according to the custom. Even wisdom must be in style, and where it is not, it is well to know how to feign ignorance, for thought and taste change with the times: do not be old-fashioned in thought, and modern in taste. The choice of the many carries the vote in every field. For the time being therefore, it must be bowed to, in order to bring it to higher level: the man of wisdom accommodates himself to the present, even though the past seems better, alike in dress of his spirit, as in the dress of his body. Only in the matter of being decent does this rule of life not apply, for virtue should be practiced eternally: yet today it is unknown, and to speak the truth and to keep one's world, seem the marks of another age: and good men appear the creations of a good time that is past; but they are forever loved: if by chance, some be still left, they are no longer in style, and no longer imitated. Oh, the misery of this our age, which holds virtue alien, and evil the order of the day! Let the man of conscience live as he can, not as he might wish. Let him hold as better what fortune has conceded him than what she has denied him." Dietry Considerations of attending too many free Lunchtime Concerts As is the way with London, some of the many and varied ways of minimizing the costs of living can also involve minimizing food intake (and/or being careful of the cost of food). Skipping too many lunches to attend lunchtime concerts, over time, could lead to subtle and/or not so subtle effects caused by nutritional deficiencies. Possible effects over time, such as gum problems or tiredness, to the unwary might not feel like a nutritional problem. Personal advice is to try and grab a hearty sandwich before or after the concert. A friend recommends the good (and not expensive) chicken salad sandwiches at Boots (cheap sandwich meal deals for lunch are also available at Boots). According to those in the know, many students in London (undergraduate and postgraduate - plus Post Docs) can suffer extended periods of basic nutritional deficiencies, such as protein or calories (not to mention vitamins and minerals). Compounding this trend of poor health, sporting facilities in London can be very rare, expensive, and/or of erratic quality / availability. Supposedly (verbal here say), the NHS (National Health Service) effectively discouraged exercise and sport when it went through a period of considering sporting injuries as "self inflicted" and thus given ultra low priority on treatment waiting lists. (Extra trivia: according to an elderly gentleman on a flight back from New York to London: just living on Mangos and Coffee can cause unexpected heath problems due to nutritional deficiencies. (as can happen to someone doing anthropological work in 1950's Ceylon - where the villagers are not inclined to sell you any of their chickens)) Depending on the website visited, a person needs from 1 gram to 2.5 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight per day (still to clarify properly on this). B and C group vitamins can also be lacking; as found in fresh fruit and vegetables. However, getting enough fruit and vegetables in London can be problematic. Fruit and vegetables are not cheap and generally of erratic quality (mediocre to poor) from many supermarkets. Either partially rotten on the inside (apples, bananas and pears) - or they refuse to ripen altogether (bananas and pears). However, someone who claims to know of the protein side states: "There are definitely specific requirements for proteins, though the exact amount is somewhat questionable. The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of protein according to U.S. government standards is 0.8 gram per kilogram (1 kilogram equals 2.2 pounds) of ideal body weight for the adult. Ideal body weight is used in the calculation because amino acids are not needed by fat cells, only by the lean body mass. So an adult male who should weigh about 154 pounds, or 70 kilograms, requires 56 grams of protein daily. A female whose best weight is 110 pounds, or 50 kilograms, needs 40 grams a day. The RDA increases by 30 grams per day during pregnancy and 20 grams per day during lactation. During growth, different amounts are needed. For example, 2.2 grams of protein are needed per kilogram of body weight each day in the first six months of life, and 2.0 grams per kilogram for the next six months." Exercise Considerations of attending free Lunchtime Concerts Due to poor quality and/or expensive sporting facilities (private and public), it can be quite difficult getting any decent or regular exercise while working or living in London. Even many of the University based sporting facilities are quite variable. At one College, the powers-that-be decided that the squash courts were better used as store rooms. At another, the booking system for trying to play some badminton allowed for "triple booking" (two separate books as well as a computer system). On the one time friends invited me to play some badminton on a weekend, a one-day management course was giving the priority of the triple booking system of the sporting facilities. Thus one other benefit of attending free Lunchtime (or evening) Concerts is that it can be quicker to walk than take a tube - which allows the opportunity to get some sorely needed exercise. For example, to attend a concert at St Brides with your origin at Malet Street, Bloomsbury, you can get there by walking quickly in around 25 minutes; but it can take greater than 30 minutes if you use the tube. Walking to Temple Church from Malet Street near Fleet Street generally takes around 20 minutes. Lunchtime walks of this nature can also provide a good opportunity to explore short cuts and side streets. For instance, getting to Fleet street can be quickly done by going via Lincoln's Inn Fields; though New Square - Lincoln's Inn; via the south-eastern archway through Wildy and Sons, law booksellers; down Carey Street behind the Royal Courts of Justice; then continue down Chancery Lane towards Fleet Street. As this can be less crowded and the roads contain less car traffic, it can make for a quicker and more pleasant walk.

National Portrait Gallery, London - Education - daytime and evening lectures and evening concerts At http://www.npg.org.uk/live/lecindex.asp Evening music concerts are normally on Friday evenings at 6.30pm (check the web to confirm) and are signposted at the front entrance to the National Portrait Gallery. Most often the concerts are placed in Room 20 on the 2nd floor (up the elevator from the main reception). Room 20 is "The Regency Room" with quite grand paintings including that of the Prince Regent (George IV), William IV and the Reformed Parliament. Get in early if you want a chance to get a seat on the plush leather couch in Room 20. (though personal experience is that the plush leather couch is not as comfortable as the chairs) Not all evening concerts are in Room 20 and, as repeated stated, they did put a Cello/Accordian duo next to the loud escalator in the main foyer on one occassion - bad form indeed! Most events at the National Portrait Gallery do not require free tickets - you can just walk in. Be wary that the National Portrait Gallery may mark certain daytime events on their website that DO require free tickets as NOT requiring free tickets (something you might find out the hard way). "Daytime lectures are free, but some indicated by the symbol * require tickets." "Tickets for all lectures can be obtained from the Gallery's Ticket Desk or by sending a s.a.e. to the Education Department, enclosing a cheque made payable to the National Portrait Gallery for the appropriate amount." "All lectures take place in the Ondaatje Wing Theatre, unless otherwise indicated. " Examples attended/to attend: 23rd October 2001 Tuesday 1.10pm * Royal Society Lecture Series B. Free Franklin - the Enlightenment in America Sir Alan Cook FRS October 26th 2001: Friday 6.30pm Free : The Arnold Ensemble : Brass ensemble perform music by British composers including Arnold and Handel November 2nd 2001: Friday 6.30pm Free (The Regency Room - Room 20 - 2nd Floor) : 'Songs of Innocence and Experience' A journey through English song and poetry performed by Gary Tushaw (Bass-Baritone) and Andrew Charity (Piano) November 11th 2001: Sunday Lecture - 3pm Free : Behind the Lines. For Remembrance Day, Gabriel Woolf, with Anne Harvey presents his moving programme of WW1 poetry and prose. November 16th 2001: Friday 6.30pm Free : Czardas Duo : Matthew Forbes (cello) and Ian Watson (accordian) perform a diverse programme including the London premiere of John Webb's "Into a Several World" November 23rd 2001: Friday 6.30pm Free (The Regency Room - Room 20 - 2nd Floor) : Flute Recital : Ian Mullen (Flute) and Juliet Allen (Piano) performs a programme of mainly French music for flute including Bach, Debussy and Poulenc November 25th 2001: Sunday Lecture - 1:10pm or 3:00pm Free: William Hogarth in Words: his own and others - Alfred Bradley and Susan Morris November 30th 2001: Friday 6.30pm Free : William Chen, Piano - playing Robert Shumann (Carnaval, Op. 9), Percy Grainger and Franz Liszt December 9th 2001 : Sunday 3pm Free A Thousand Years of Christmas : Music and readings presented by Timothy West with singer Sally Bradshaw, accompanied on the piano by Michael Haslam (this required obtaining free tickets - but did not state this fact on the webpage - be warned!) December 15th 2001 : Saturday 3pm Free : Oppressed with Sin and Woe? Readings from the diaries and letters of Victorian parsons with music by women hymn-writers and composers. Presented by ARION: Brian Davis (harp) and Andrée Back (soprano) December 16th 2001 : Sunday 3pm Free : The Poisoned Chalice: The Policies of Elizabeth I and the Problems of James I : Justin Nolan December 22nd 2001 : Saturday 3pm Free : Lord George Gordon and the Gordon Riots : Peter Street's talk marks the 250th anniversary of Gordon's birth January 4th 2002 : Friday 6:30pm Free : Music by Women Working in London 1750-1830 : Performed by The Barthelemon Circle: Patience Tomlinson, Clare Norburn, Marsha Skinns, Leah Stuttard and Michelene Wandor; Music: Concerto V in B flat Major (first movement) by Maddelena Laura Lombardini Sirmen, I have a silent sorrow (from The Stranger) by Goergina Cavendish, Forgive, Ye Fair by Elisabetta da Gambarini, Sonata I in G Major by Elisabetta da Gambarini, Fra Un Dolce Deliro by Maria Barthelemon, Tornate Sereno by Maria Barthelemon, Piano Sonata with Violin Accompaniment by Cecilia Maria Barthelemon, Digli Che'un infedele by Maria Barthelemon, Bei labbri che amore by Elisabetta da Gambarini, January 18th 2002 : Thursday 6:30pm Free : Spiritus (Directed by Aidan Oliver): The small chamber choir Spiritus, perform a selection of partsongs written in honour of Queen Victoria, including works by Elgar, Stanford and Parry. Songs actually by: A. M. Goodhart (*Lady on the silver throne - text by Edmund Gosse); Charles Hubert Hastings Perry (*Who can dwell with greatness! - test by Austin Dobson : [from 'songs of Farewell' My Soul, there is a country - text by Henry Vaughan, Never weather-beaten sail - text by Thomas Campion, There is an old belief - text by John Gibson Lockhart]); John Stainer (Flora's Queen - text by the composer); Charles Villiers Stanford (The bluebird - text by Mary Coleridge; *Out in the windy West - text by Arthur C. Benson) and Arthur Sullivan (Titwillow - text by William S. Gilbert) *Partsongs marked with an asterisk are taken from 'Choral Songs by various writers and composer written in honour of Her Majesty Queen Victoria', a collection published in 1899 in honour of Victoria's 80th birthday. The collection as commissioned by Sir Walter Parratt, the Master of the Queen's Musick, who approached many of the most distinguished poets and composers of the day to contribute to the volume. It was published in a limited edition of just one hundred copies. The historical model for Parratt's tribute was a collection of madrigals commissioned by the composer Thomas Moreley in honour of Queen Elizabeth I, which was published in 1601 under the title 'The Triumphs of Oriana'. January 25th 2002: Friday 6.30pm Free : Babbillage - German obbligato works for recorder, viola da gamba and harpsichord by C.P.E. Bach, Telemann & Handel July 5th 2002: Friday 6.30pm Free : William Walton Centenary Concert (Lucy Crow - Soprano; Harriet Mackenzie - violin; Christopher Glynn - piano) From 'A Song for the Lord Mayor's Table' A Song for the Lord Mayor's Tabl (Jordan) Wapping Old Stairs (Anon) Holy Thursday (Blake) The Contrast (Morris) Sonata for Violin and Piano i. Allegro tranquillo ii. Variazioni Three Songs to poems by Edith Sitwell Daphne Through Gilded Trellises Old Sir Faulk August 23rd 2002: Friday 6.30pm Free : Spanish and Latin American Songs - Rodolfo Cavero (tenor), Kim Brown (soprano) and Jean- Bernard Marie (piano) November 10th 2002: Sunday Lecture - 3pm Free : Isaac Rosenberg - Poet and Painter : Jean Liddiard and Sam Dastor

Royal Parks in London At http://www.royalparks.gov.uk St James's Park (near Buckingham Palace) - Events and Activities : http://www.royalparks.gov.uk/james_events.htm "Music: During the summer season, St. James's bandstand is host to over twenty different brass bands, providing free concerts for the public." Hyde Park - Events & Activities : http://www.royalparks.gov.uk/hyde_events.htm "Royal Ceremonies: Perhaps the most spectacular events in the Park are the Royal Ceremonies which are held on the Parade Ground, North-East of the Park. In 2002 they include: 41 Gun Salute for the Birthday of Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother (August 5th midday) The Household Cavalry pass through the Park daily on their way to their guard duties." The Regent's Park and Primrose Hill - Events & Activities : http://www.royalparks.gov.uk/regent_events.htm Open Air Theatre (May - September) Sport: There are tennis courts (including netball facilities) in the Park, Tel: 020-7486 4216 There are also golf and tennis courts on the Outer Circle. Tel: 020-7724 0643 Entertainment: There is a wide variety of music, dance and exhibitions held within The Regent's Park. Brompton Cemetery : http://www.royalparks.gov.uk/brompton.htm "There are around 200,000 people currently buried in Brompton Cemetery from all walks of life, including: eleven holders of the Victoria Cross, 3,000 Chelsea Pensioners and the dead of many wars." Famous people, whose gravestones can be visited, include: Emmeline Pankhurst - Suffragette Leader ; Richard Tauber - Singer and Operetta Composer; Percy Lambert - Motor Racing Pioneer and the first person to cover 100 miles in an hour; Dr John Snow - Pioneer Anaesthetist and Discoverer of the Cause of Cholera.; Sir Francis Pettit Smith - Inventor of the Four-Bladed Screw Propeller; Francis Nicholson - Watercolourist; Alfred Mellon - Violinist and Music Director; Red Indians! On 13 June 1892, the American Sioux Indian Chief, Long Wolf, was buried at Brompton Cemetery. He died of bronchial pneumonia whilst touring Europe with Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, aged 59. This was a sad death of a man who had led a glorious life leading his braves in the Sioux Wars against the "paleface". Long Wolf's body remained in London for over a century, until a British woman, Elizabeth Knight, "discovered" the grave with the help of a book of poetry and essays written in the 1920's and purchased from a book stall for £4. She decided to trace his family, before campaigning with them to have him returned to South Dakota - the land of his fathers.

St Martin-in-the-Fields, Trafalgar Square, London Browse the C of E "City Events" webpage for this Month's free concert and free London events: new "City Events" website. (If the "City Events" webpage is not up to date, hard copies can normally be obtained by most churches offering concerts, e.g, (St Anne & St Agnes, St Margaret Lothbury, etc.) Visiting the Churches can also give concert information that may not be reliably updated in the City Events pamphlet. e.g.,: a regular Wednesday 1:15pm to 1:45 organ recital at Temple Church; regular Wednesday 1:00pm concert at St. Sepulchre-without-Newgate; regular 1:05pm Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday lunchtime concerts at St. Bride's Church (except during Lent, August and Advent); regular Thursday 1:05pm lunchtime concert at St. Mary Le Bow; regular Friday 12:30pm lunchtime organ concert at St. Stephen Walbrook; regular Thursday 1.15pm lunchtime organ concert at All Hallows By the Tower; and regular Wednesday and Thursday 1:05pm lunchtime concerts at St. Olave Hart Street. Though it can be best to check up as dates may change for special reasons.) At http://www.stmartin-in-the-fields.org/ St Martin-in-the-Fields Mission Statement (St Martin-in-the-Fields exists to honour God, and to enable questioning, open-minded people to discover for themselves the significance of Jesus Christ.): http://207.228.254.57/jserv/belief/index.jsp Free Lunchtime concerts Monday, Tuesday and Friday Free Lunchtime concerts: http://207.228.254.57/jserv/concerts/index.jsp "St Martin-in-the-Fields strives to be the 'Church of the Ever-Open Door'. Dick Sheppard, who was Vicar from 1914-27, was the first to express this hope. It is still our vision today. St Martin's is an Anglican church. An open church in the centre of a world city is a strong magnet and we hope to embrace everyone who is drawn here. People come because they enjoy architecture, or need a friend, because they have nowhere to eat or sleep, or have heard about our candlelit concerts, because they love God, they want to talk to a priest, or buy a greetings card, or have a coffee break during a shopping spree. So we welcome worshippers and music-lovers, people who have no other home and those who want to eat in the Café. You can attend our faith education programme, shop here, enjoy a free lunchtime concert, take your children to the brass-rubbing centre, buy gifts and books, simply enjoy the heritage of a spectacular Baroque building, or shop here." Getting to St Martin-in-the-Fields Church, Trafalgar Square, London: http://207.228.254.57/jserv/findus/index.jsp Café in the Crypt at St Martin-in-the-Fields Church, Trafalgar Square, London: http://207.228.254.57/jserv/cafe/index.jsp "Whilst steeped in history, St Martin-in-the-Fields has always been much more than a place of tradition, unashamedly breaking traditions as fast as establishing them. From the lending library of 1680 to the Social Care Unit of recent years, St Martin's continually reaches out to its community in diverse ways. During the First World War troops on their way to and from the Front slept overnight in the church, paving the way for the establishment of the Social Care Unit, which provides support to homeless people in London. " "Whilst people are no longer buried at the church, the internment here of the controversial concubine, Nell Gwynn, and notorious highwayman, Jack Sheppard, reinforces the mission statement that St Martin's is a church for "open-minded" and "questioning" Christians." Examples attended/to attend: http://207.228.254.57/jserv/concerts/index.jsp Tuesday 20th November 2001 - 1:05pm : Royal College of Music Series (free). Zaira Castro (soprano) and Silvia Fraser (Piano). Songs including: Rodrigo - Cuatro Madrigales Amatorios - De los Alamos vengo, madre; Donizetti - Norina's Cavatina (from Don Pascuale) Monday 26th November 2001 - 1:05pm : North London Piano Series (free). Dharshini Tambiah performs Bach, Chopin and Beethoven Tuesday 27th November 2001 - 1:05pm : Trinity College of Music Series (Free) Trinity Chamber Choir - Madrigals by John Bennett, Thomas Hunt and John Milton : Michael Tippett, Richard Rodney Bennett and John Joubert. Friday 30th November 2001 - 1:05pm : Trinity College of Music Series (Free) : Bedford School Chapel Choir (Free) - Programme includes: Gibbons - Almighty and Everlasting God; Carter - I wonder as I wander Tuesday 4 December 2001 1:05pm Sweelinck Ensemble (Free) : Debbie Diamond (violin) and Martin Knizia (organ/harpsichord) Norwegian Christmas Concert: Friday 7 December 2001 1:05pm Norwegian Girls' Choir - Conductor Barbro Grenerson : BIT 20 Ensemble : Ellen Sejersted Bodtker (Harp) (Free) : Including: Choir entering while singing Britten's From a "Ceremony of Carols" - "Procession" BIT 20 Ensemble playing Gorecki - Harpsichord Concerto op 40. (Jarle Rotevatn on Piano) Górecki (Concerto for harpsichord (piano) and string orchestra Op. 40 (1980)) - http://www.usc.edu/dept/polish_music/composer/gorecki.html Norwegian Girls' Choir singing carols including Die Engel und die Hurten Norwegian Girls' Choir leaving while singing "Deilig er jorden" (traditional Silesian folk tune) Norwegian Christmas Concert: Friday 6th December 2002 1:05pm: BIT 20 Ensemble and Bergen Vocal Ensemble "BIT 20 Ensemble has established itself as one of the leading ensembles of its kind in Scandinavia, specialising in contemporary music." Trad: Kulokk/Foletoner Benjamin Britten: Hymn to the Virgin Antonio Bibalo: On the Green Hills of Congo (from Autunnale) Peter Maxwell Davis: Veni Sancte - Veni creator spiritus Knut Nystedt: O come all ye faithful (for kor, orgel og trumpet) Morning Service: Sunday 23rd March 2003: 10:00am Mass Setting: Parish Mass (Allcoat)

St James' Church Picadilly - London, UK Browse the C of E "City Events" webpage for this Month's free concert and free London events: new "City Events" website. (If the "City Events" webpage is not up to date, hard copies can normally be obtained by most churches offering concerts, e.g, (St Anne & St Agnes, St Margaret Lothbury, etc.) Visiting the Churches can also give concert information that may not be reliably updated in the City Events pamphlet. e.g.,: a regular Wednesday 1:15pm to 1:45 organ recital at Temple Church; regular Wednesday 1:00pm concert at St. Sepulchre-without-Newgate; regular 1:05pm Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday lunchtime concerts at St. Bride's Church (except during Lent, August and Advent); regular Thursday 1:05pm lunchtime concert at St. Mary Le Bow; regular Friday 12:30pm lunchtime organ concert at St. Stephen Walbrook; regular Thursday 1.15pm lunchtime organ concert at All Hallows By the Tower; and regular Wednesday and Thursday 1:05pm lunchtime concerts at St. Olave Hart Street. Though it can be best to check up as dates may change for special reasons.) At http://www.st-james-piccadilly.org/ St James' Church is positioned between Picadilly and Jermyn Street about 200 yards from Picadilly Circus. If getting off at Picadilly Circus, get out of the "Picadilly South" exit to be on the correct street and the correct site of the street. Events : http://www.st-james-piccadilly.org/page2.html ACTIVITIES AND GROUPS : http://www.st-james-piccadilly.org/page6.html Includes: BLAKE SOCIETY - William Blake was baptised at St James' and is celebrated by the Society through lectures, discussion and visits to Blake sites. Enquiries Membership Secretary 020 7733 3060 Includes: GOD'S GARDEN A sanctuary in the middle of London, with biblical plants, herbs and wild flowers. Getting Started : http://www.st-james-piccadilly.org/page9.html Lunchtime recitals - Free Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 1.10pm (suggested donation £2) and have a duration of approximately 50 minutes. CONCERT PROGRAMME Details : http://stjamesconcerts.musicwise.net/ To obtain a list of lunchtime events, these are now available on the above site (from 21st Feb 2002). Examples attended/to attend: Friday 14th December 2001 at 1:10pm. Asuka Nakamura; Piano. Including Beetovan: Sonata No. 17 in D minor, "Tempest"; Schubert: Impromtus Op. 90; and Debussy: Suite Bergamasque Friday 4th January 2002 at 1:10pm. Warren Mailley-Smith; Piano. Including Bach, Scarlatti, Liszt and Chopin Monday 1st April 2002 at 1:10pm. Jean-Pierre Goncalves (Accordian) and Manual Bagorro (Piano) Debussy: Suite Bergmanaseque (piano) Prelude, Minuet, Clair de Lune, Passepied Satie: Je te Veux (piano and accordian) Handel: Sarabande con Variazioni (accordion) Transcription for accordion - E. Basile Marguerite Monnot : Hymne a L'Amour (accordion) Astor Piazzolla : Libertango (accordion) Kurt Weill: Speak Low (accordion) ; J'attendrai (accordion)

St Mary-le-Strand, The Strand, London, UK Browse the C of E "City Events" webpage for this Month's free concert and free London events: new "City Events" website. (If the "City Events" webpage is not up to date, hard copies can normally be obtained by most churches offering concerts, e.g, (St Anne & St Agnes, St Margaret Lothbury, etc.) Visiting the Churches can also give concert information that may not be reliably updated in the City Events pamphlet. e.g.,: a regular Wednesday 1:15pm to 1:45 organ recital at Temple Church; regular Wednesday 1:00pm concert at St. Sepulchre-without-Newgate; regular 1:05pm Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday lunchtime concerts at St. Bride's Church (except during Lent, August and Advent); regular Thursday 1:05pm lunchtime concert at St. Mary Le Bow; regular Friday 12:30pm lunchtime organ concert at St. Stephen Walbrook; regular Thursday 1.15pm lunchtime organ concert at All Hallows By the Tower; and regular Wednesday and Thursday 1:05pm lunchtime concerts at St. Olave Hart Street. Though it can be best to check up as dates may change for special reasons.) St Mary-le-Strand is just opposite Kings College London (Strand Campus) in the middle of the road. "This is the parish church of the united parish of St Mary-le-Strand with St Clement Danes. St Mary-le-Strand is often said to be the loveliest Baroque church in England. This Italianate building with its intricate spire dominate the triumphal route along the Strand from Trafalgar Square to the City of London, and was designed by James Gibbs, built between 1714 and 1723, and consecreated in 1724." Architecture: "Acrhitecturally, there are Ionic and Corinthian orders on the exterior, and Corinthian and Composite inside, with windows only on the upper level because of the noise of traffic (substantial even in the eighteenth century!)" Lunchtime recitals - Free Wednesday at 1.05pm by the looks. Examples attended/to attend: Wednesday October 9th 2002 - 1:05pm: Bejamin Wragg (violin) and Rosie Richardson (piano) Berloiz: Reverie et Caprice, op. 7 Bach: Sonata no.1 for solo violin in G minor: Adagio, Fugue, Sicilienne, Presto Tchaikowsky: Valse - scherzo Wednesday October 23rd 2002 - 1:05pm: (piano and violin) Wednesday 19th March 2002 - 1:05pm: Michelle Hayes (soprano) and Ying Ho (piano) Tre Ariette - Bellini: Il fervido desiderio; Dolente imagine di Fille mia; Vaga luna che inargenti Nachtlied - Mendelssohn Allerseelen - Strauss All mein Gedanken - Strauss Silent Noon - Vaughan Williams Music, when soft voices die - Quilter Song of the Blackbird - Quilter Das verlassene Magdlein - Wolf Er ist's - Wolf

Churches in the Square Mile of the City of London At http://www.london.anglican.org/Churches/ Browse the C of E "City Events" webpage for this Month's free concert and free London events: new "City Events" website. (If the "City Events" webpage is not up to date, hard copies can normally be obtained by most churches offering concerts, e.g, (St Anne & St Agnes, St Margaret Lothbury, etc.) Visiting the Churches can also give concert information that may not be reliably updated in the City Events pamphlet. e.g.,: a regular Wednesday 1:15pm to 1:45 organ recital at Temple Church; regular Wednesday 1:00pm concert at St. Sepulchre-without-Newgate; regular 1:05pm Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday lunchtime concerts at St. Bride's Church (except during Lent, August and Advent); regular Thursday 1:05pm lunchtime concert at St. Mary Le Bow; regular Friday 12:30pm lunchtime organ concert at St. Stephen Walbrook; regular Thursday 1.15pm lunchtime organ concert at All Hallows By the Tower; and regular Wednesday and Thursday 1:05pm lunchtime concerts at St. Olave's Hart Street. Though it can be best to check up as dates may change for special reasons.) The City's parish churches together with 11 Guild churches offer a unique ministry. The City has few inhabitants but thousands visit and work there each day. Workers are encouraged to pause in the day and attend one of the numerous talks, concerts and services during the lunchtime and early evening. City Events (Under development - Feb 2002): http://www.cityevents.co.uk/ The London Organ Concerts Guide: http://www.londonorgan.co.uk/citychurches.htm The Friends of The City Churches - London, UK At http://www.london-city-churches.org.uk/ At http://homepage.ntlworld.com/mothersole/walk.htm Map of London City churches: http://homepage.ntlworld.com/mothersole/mainmap.htm Events Diary - London City churches: http://homepage.ntlworld.com/mothersole/events.htm