Come and join us for another year of music! 11th – 20th October 2024
The festival is a not-for-profit organisation. We aim to provide a variety of musical events for the whole community and promote local artists and venues. Events take place in pubs, churches, clubs, parks, and greenhouses; some are free.
Do you love jazz? Come and hear Sarah L King open the festival with an evening of soulful jazz standards mixed with originals from her new album, ‘Fire Horse’. The South London Jazz Orchestra follows on Saturday 12 October. A community big band playing arrangements from the jazz greats – Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Glenn Miller et al. Conducted by Hugo Jennings. And if you’d like to have a go at jazzing yourself, come to the Monday Jazz Jam at Off the Cuff. Listen to the House band Head’s Up play a short set, then join in! Or go and listen for free. If you’d like to bring the whole family, why not try Junior Open Mic at Off the Cuff on 20th October? Or Dance at the Ceilidh to toe-tapping tunes with the South East London Folk Orchestra on 18 October.
Don’t want to be pigeonholed? We have VARIETY!! Creature & Machine – will curate an evening of electro-pop, acoustic and spoken word performances on the theme of ‘Quiet Power’ on 12th October. Peter Black – international tour of solo guitar music, from flamenco to blues, classical to calypso! 13 October.Whiskey Moon Face – ‘alternative’ folk, combining elements of Klezmer, New Orleans jazz and Middle Eastern folk in their original songs on 15th October. Kalmaar – a young duo playing every imaginable style except classical! On 16 October Grinch Mountain Bluegrass Band – a trad bluegrass band, with banjo, fiddle, mandolin, guitar and double bass, paying tribute to the American Southern string bands of the 1940s – 1950s. 17th October. Hank Dogs – folk, folk rock, alternative country, Americana, blues, and Celtic influences- created a haunting sound on 20th October.
Some events are free or aimed at fundraising for local charities. The Big Swing Band from Camberwell will play at the Ruskin Park bandstand on Sunday 13 October. Expect classic swing and modern big-band charts, hopefully accompanied by sunshine! In the evening of that day, there will be a “Come and Sing” evensong service at St Faith’s
church. This is always a calm but uplifting event, a perfect way to end the first weekend of the festival. There’s a great coffee morning at the Herne Hill United Church on Saturday 12 October. If you wish you can donate towards the running of the Norwood and Brixton Food Bank. Relax with coffee and cake while you enjoy varied music from two contrasting groups: Indig-O, a folk/early music group, and The Dogoda Wind Quintet. This is a good event to bring the whole family to; informal and an opportunity for them to experience a variety of musical instruments.
Other exciting events for children include a morning of songs, drumming, and interactive storytelling with Whippersnappers at Brockwell Lido on 19th October. Later on that day, children will also enjoy a performance of ‘Peter and the Wolves’, specially adapted from Prokofiev’s ‘Peter and the Wolf’ to include a whole pack of wolves from the Judith Kerr Primary School and accompanied by members of the local Dulwich Symphony Orchestra.
We are community-focused and involve local groups in the festival. Four community choirs will sing at St Faith’s on 12th October. Note-Orious from East Dulwich and Community Choirs from Clapham, Nunhead, and West Norwood. Check them out – you might want to join them next time? The Southwark Sinfonietta will close the festival on the 20th October with a programme of classical music.
To find out more & book tickets, please visit our website: