Celebrate 50 years of City of London Sinfonia, and many more years to come

Our good friends at the City of London Sinfonia are having their big birthday concert on the 3 March here at Southwark Cathedral, which will celebrate their musicians, legacy, present and future, with the revival of John Tavener’s The Hidden Face and the world premiere of a new piece by British-Bulgarian composer Dobrinka Tabakova, as well as modern chamber works performed around the Cathedral.

Tavener’s hypnotic and contemplative prayer, The Hidden Face, was commissioned by the CLS founder, Richard Hickox, in 1996 – one of over 55 commissions in Hickox and the Orchestra’s legacy. In writing the piece, Tavener was inspired by the playing of oboist Nicholas Daniel and the voice of countertenor Michael Chance.

Their collaboration with Dobrinka Tabakova, known for her deeply moving and meditative compositions, began with our 2019 Cathedrals Tour of Centuries of Meditations. We're delighted to commission a new piece by Tabakova for our birthday celebration, as well as feature her Frozen River Flows for clarinet and percussion.

‘This is CLS’ above all celebrates the outstanding musicianship of CLS musicians, with chamber music for brass, wind and strings completing our programme, including Carter’s dramatic A Fantasy about Purcell’s ‘Fantasia on one note’, Edmund Finnis’ ethereal The Centre is Everywhere, Pēteris Vasks’ hopeful Music for the fleeting birds, and Vaughan Williams’ beloved Tallis Fantasia.

For further information about this concert and the City of London Sinfonia please visit there website here