Musical festivities in Stroud Green

Niamh Cusack

Stroud Green, in London's N4, is launching its own music festival. Based around Holy Trinity Church, Granville Road, Stroud Green, London N4 the festival runs from 2 to 6 July 2014 and features a wide variety of performers from the classical music world and beyond, many of whom live locally. Concerts will include medieval chant, 15th century harp music, songs and dances from Spain and Mexico, a celebration of the work of Henry Purcell and an evocation of the world of Hildegard of Bingen featuring Niamh Cusack.

Spiratato

Artists include Spiritato, young musicians who perform music from the 17th and 18th centuries (most of whose members live in Crouch End), and K’antu Ensemble, who combine elements of folk and world music with early music from Mexico and Spain. Niamh Cusack will read the role of visionary medieval abbess, Hildegard von Bingen (in the script by Clare Norburn, from Stroud Green), which will be combined with the abbess’s extraordinary chants, performed by The Telling. Two local recorder players, Roselyn Maynard and Danielle Jalowiecka encourage you to dust off your recorder, whatever your age.

The festival opens on 2 July with harpist Leah Stuttard's The Wool Merchant and the Harp, telling the story of 15th century wool merchant George Cely (whose surviving records mean we know a lot about his harp and the songs he played on it). The festival ends on Sunday 6 July with music from flute (Nancy Ruffer) and guitar (James Woodrow) by Debussy, Ravel, Villa-Lobos and others.

For further information from the festival website, with online booking at Event Brite.