A singer, songwriter and musician, who has performed at Glastonbury five times is giving a concert to raise money for a monument honouring people who were killed in the wartime Bethnal Green tube disaster.

Jessica Goyder who lives in Bethnal Green describes her music as “ poetic and romantic” and promises that the show which starts at 7.30pm on Saturday February 5 will be “a really joyous concert”.

She said she decided to put on the show after getting to know some of the gospel singers who perform at the venue St John at Bethnal Green which is just opposite the tube station.

“It was really clear that I wanted gospel in my music.

“I have often thought about the tube disaster because it’s my local station and they have a plaque there and the church is very linked to the cause as well.”

St John hosts the annual memorial service to the 173 people, including 62 children, who died in the 1943 disaster when people suffocated after someone slipped on the way to take shelter in the tube station as they thought a bombing raid was getting under way.

In fact the noise was caused by the firing of a new kind of anti-aircraft rockets from Victoria Park.

Survivors and friends are raising money for a memorial to the disaster in Bethnal Green Gardens.

Jessica is a classically trained pianist and self-taught guitarist and has played her way solo around London and Sydney.

She has also performed in Spain, Central America, Cuba, Brazil and Argentina and at Edinburgh, Brighton and Henley Festivals. There will also be performances by Emma Butterworth on cello, Mark Fisher who performs with Martha Tilston, on percussion and the extraordinary voices of Debbie and Lizzie Charles from the a cappella group the Mint Juleps.

The show also features steam punk band Pocketwatch.

Admission is by donation of at least �5 on the door and there will be a pay bar.

Later in the month Bethnal Green is the venue for a play about the tube disaster.

A Long Night in London by Bernie C. Byrnes will play at the Oxford House Theatre in Derbyshire Street on Thursday February 17, Friday February 18 and Saturday February 19 at 8pm, with a Saturday matinee at 2pm.

The show was originally staged in a read-through at Bethnal Green Library by Kipper Tie Theatre Company and the cast are now staging a full scale theatrical production.

Tickets cost �8 each with �5 for concessions in advance, or �10 on the door and are available from ticketsource.co.uk or www.kippertietheatre.com.

Further details about the events are available from Derek Spicer on 07722 162 168.