St. Jude’s Proms – Peter Grimes – Hitchin Band Echoes of Time - David Quinlan

June 1, 2025

Since posting my spring / summer concerts post, a few more have come in.

London International Orchestra – St. Jude’s Last Night of the Proms – Sunday June 29th.

LIO are featuring this year for the popular last night of the Proms at St. Jude’s Church in Hamstead. I’ve previously played as this prom finale with North London Symphony Orchestra. It is a very popular and well supported summer Prom season – check out their website for more information.

Last Night: An Italian Carnival, will feature 2 vocal soloists, and solo Viola.

Alexander Walker conductor, Jaren Ziegler viola, Haegee Lee soprano, Robyn Lyn Evans tenor

Rossini An Italian Girl in Algiers
Berlioz first movement from Harold in Italy
Puccini arias from La Bohème
Tchaikovsky Capriccio Italien
Puccini Gianni Schicchi: O mio babbino caro
Puccini Turandot: Nessun Dorma
Verdi La Traviata: Brindisi
Neapolitan songs and traditional last night favourites

Last Night at Proms at St Jude’s celebrates all things Italian, with arias from beloved operas by Rossini, Puccini and Verdi, treasured instrumental music, and a range of Neapolitan songs and last night favourites. Berlioz described Harold in Italy as a series of scenes for the orchestra that placed the viola in the midst of poetic recollections of his wanderings in the Abruzzi – a sort of melancholy dreamer after the manner of Byron’s Childe Harold. The Capriccio Italien turns the sounds of Rome into an infectious invitation to dance evoking the Carnival, Italian folk music and street songs. Tchaikovsky even made use of a bugle call that he overheard from his hotel played by an Italian cavalry regiment.

St Jude on the Hill

Cambridge Philharmonic – Peter Grimes

Keeping up with their local rivals at Cambridge Symphony Orchestra, the Phil are also performing Britten this summer. This will be my first outing with this orchestra, in the hot seat on Trumpet 3 in Peter Grimes, which I believe of the 3 parts is the “roast” – I could be wrong. In addition to the challenge of performing this work, I will get to perform in to concert halls new to me.