The 40th Spitalfields Music Winter Festival opens on Sunday in London’s East End with a mix of Early music, classical Bach, jazz, Swing—and even opera for babies.
The week-long extravaganza running till December 11 includes Troupe Collective opening the festival on Sunday with The Empty Chair, at Whitechapel’s Brady Arts centre—a family adventure suitable for ages seven upwards, exploring loss, change and friendship through music, poetry and on-stage sound effects.
Music includes pieces by Couperin, Beethoven, Berio, Moondog, Meredith Monk as well as Troupe Collective itself.
Young musicians from Tower Hamlets’ council’s Thames Big Band perform with Hackney Creative jazz ensemble a free evening of jazz and Swing classics at Shoreditch Church on December 8.
The Musical Rumpus opera series for babies and toddlers is back this year with Catch a Sea Star at Brady Arts next Friday and Saturday (December 9 and 10)—an interactive adventure for ages 0 to 2½, featuring “magical music” by JS Bach.
LISTINGS
Sun Dec 4
2pm Troupe: The Empty Chair, Brady Arts centre
4.30pm Troupe: The Empty Chair, Brady Arts & Community Centre
7.30pm Gothic Voices: Tower of London, Chapel Royal of St Peter ad Vincula
Mon Dec 5
7pm The Sixteen, Shoreditch Town Hall
7pm The Dead Poets Social Club, venue confirmed on booking
Tues Dec 6
6.15pm May Contain Food: Protein, Shoreditch Town Hall
7pm Melvyn Tan, Shoreditch Church
8.30pm May Contain Food: Protein, Shoreditch Town Hall, Assembly Hall
Wed Dec 7
7pm The English Concert: Shakespeare in Love, Shoreditch Church
Thurs Dec 8
7pm Platform: Jazz Generation, Shoreditch Church
7.30pm Sound House, The Octagon
Fri Dec 9
10.30am Musical Rumpus: Catch a Sea Star, Brady Arts
12.30pm Musical Rumpus: Catch a Sea Star, Brady Arts
8pm Carnatic Connections, Rich Mix
Sat Dec 10
10.30am Musical Rumpus: Catch a Sea Star, Brady Arts
12.30pm Musical Rumpus: Catch a Sea Star, Brady Arts
6.30pm Disappearing Dining Club: Masonic Temple, Andaz Hotel
7pm Siglo de Oro, Shoreditch Church
Sun Dec 11
12noon Disappearing Dining Club, Masonic Temple, Andaz Hotel
2.30pm Disappearing Dining Club, Masonic Temple, Andaz Hotel
2.30pm B Minor Mass (Solomon’s Knot), Shoreditch Town Hall
6pm Disappearing Dining Club, Masonic Temple, Andaz Hotel
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VENUES
Brady Arts: 192-96 Hanbury Street, Whitechapel, E1 5HU
Chapel Royal of St Peter ad Vincula: Tower of London, EC3N 4AB (main gate)
The Octagon, Queen Mary University: 327-29 Mile End Road, Mile End, E1 4NS
Masonic Temple, Andaz Hotel: 40 Liverpool Street, City, EC2M 7QN
Rich Mix Arts: 35-47 Bethnal Green Road, Bethnal Green, E1 6LA
Shoreditch Church (St Leonard’s): Shoreditch High Street, E1 6JN
Shoreditch Town Hall: 380 Old Street, EC1V 9LT
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