Tickets for this summer's Proms at St Jude's festival go on sale next Monday with a line up of concerts, lit talks, comedy and family fun.
The annual volunteer-run arts festival brings internationally famous performers to Hampstead Garden Suburb for nine days in June with the likes of Gareth Malone, Royal Wedding cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason, and author David Baddiel appearing this year.
Based around Central Square, the church of the church of St Jude-on-the-Hill and Henrietta Barnett School, this year's festival also includes Proms favourite the Fantasia Orchestra, Fascinating Aida’s Liza Pulman, who grew up in Belsize Park, and historian David Kynaston.
The festival runs from June 22-30 with booking open to the general public on April 15.
"Proms is a truly magical nine days of events and we want as many people as possible to enjoy and share in it,” said Proms Chair, Kate Webster.
“We may be local, but we punch well above our weight with the musicians and authors we attract to our festival. Our prices are very competitive and all our lunchtime concerts are free of charge, as are many of our Family Festival events.”
Sheku, who lives in West Hampstead appears with siblings Isata and Braimah Kanneh-Mason, and friends Edgar Francis and Toby Hughes, on June 25 performing a repertoire featuring Schubert’s popular Trout Quintet.
Fantasia Orchestra, will open the festival on Saturday 22 June with a celebration of American composers including Bernstein's West Side Story Overture and Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue and An American in Paris.
On June 26 The Echo Ensemble helmed by Hampstead Garden Suburb local Noah Max will feature his cellist father Robert Max, and international star horn player Felix Klieser performing a programme of 'Mostly Mozart.'
Also on the bill is The National Youth Choir, featuring Finchley-born Drew Sellis, performing the Fauré Requiem; and The Yehudi Menuhin School Orchestra playing a free concert of film favourites on June 28.
Pulman teams up with vocalist and musician Joe Stilgoe for an evening of wit, virtuoso piano playing and exquisite vocals in A Couple of Swells on June 23 - an entertaining pairing which has been hailed "a musical match made in heaven."
Passion will be in the air when The London Tango Quintet take to the stage to play traditional tango music with elements of jazz and classical music, and the last Saturday of the festival will be jam-packed - from a free session of foot-tapping blue grass and folk music from The Thumping Tommys, to Wayne Hernandez’s Tribute to the sounds of Motown.
Rounding off the evening, there is stand-up comedy from Jo Romero, Gerry K and James Dowdeswell in the Proms’ marquee.
The Last Night of Proms is always special and this year conductor Rainer Hersch will lead an irreverent programme with special guest – inspirational Crouch End choirmaster and broadcaster Gareth Malone.
Elsewhere on the programme there are free lunchtime concerts and heritage walks including Marilyn Greene's The Alleys and Lanes of Hampstead; Rachel Kolsky on the famous residents of Hampstead's southside; and Mark King on the remarkable women who lived at Kenwood House.
Children's events include the popular Teeny Prom and Schools Prom, an African Drumming workshop and junk orchestra session, with the highlight a family concert with the Toscana Strings and dancer Laura Tye bringing the stories of Prokofiev's Peter and The Wolf and Bizet's Carmen to life.
LitFest runs across the weekend of June 22 and 23 with top-selling authors taking part including Hampstead comedian, screenwriter and author David Baddiel (The God Desire, Jews Don’t Count), journalist and author Sathnam Sanghera (Empireworld, Empireland) historian and author David Kynaston, (Austerity Britain, A Northern Wind) and Royal biographer Robert Hardman.
All profits from the Proms - three in every four pounds - go to two charities, Toynbee Hall, set up by Suburb founder Henrietta Barnett and husband Samuel which now helps disadvantaged young people, and The North London Hospice in Barnet.
Details of all Proms’ events at www.promsatstjudes.org.uk
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