The Multi-Story Orchestra performing at Bold Tendencies (c) Ambra Vernuccio

This summer The Multi-Story Orchestra will present a series of orchestral and chamber concerts on the rooftop spaces at Bold Tendencies Car Park Peckham.

The summer season will open with a new commission by British composer Dani Howard with text by spoken word artist and poet Simon Mole. This new work, exploring young people’s hopes and fears for the future, will be given its world premiere performance with students from Kender, Lyndhurst, John Donne and Hollydale primary schools singing as an amassed choir alongside the Orchestra (11 & 12 July).

The Multi-Story Youth Choir will also return, following their barnstorming performance in the BBC Proms last year. In 2018 they will work with singer-songwriter Abimaro Gunnell to create a new work inspired by the Bold Tendencies’ commissions on site exploring themes of ecology (4 August).

“these young performers summoned a musical maturity all their own – their focus unfaltering… their eyes alight”
**** The Guardian

Throughout the summer, a series of four chamber music programmes will be curated by members of The Multi-Story Orchestra and its collaborators, in the intimate setting of the Practice Architecture Straw Auditorium at Bold Tendencies. Joe Qiu, bassoon, takes a look at some of the links between pop and minimalist music with a programme including works by Julius Eastman, Mary Jane Leach and Björk (16 & 17 June). Fra Rustumji, violin, and poet Leke Oso Alabi will explore musical reactions to poetry, and vice versa, with a programme featuring many of London’s talented spoken word artists and musicians including Young Poet Laureate Caleb Femi (30 June & 1 July). Francesca Barritt, violin, curates a series of pictures in sounds with music by Biber, Debussy and Enescu accompanied by visuals from young artists in Peckham (21 & 22 July). And the series ends with a programme by long-time collaborator soprano Sarah-Jane Lewis and Multi-Story co-founder Kate Whitley, piano, featuring music by Elgar and Wagner (18 & 19 August).

The season ends with Schumann’s Symphony No 2, conducted by Christopher Stark. This captivating work will be presented with the orchestra’s Living Programme Notes in which musicians are spread around the site, with the audience free to explore and get involved; finding out above the music and meeting the orchestra, before everyone then comes together for a full performance of Schumann’s Second Symphony (6 & 7 September).

“joyous and expert music-making” ***** The Times

The Orchestra will also be out and about in the local community, running community workshops, including as part of Peckham Refugee Week, and touring round local schools – visiting six schools in Peckham over two days and performing to over 1,000 young people. In addition, for the first time, they will be visiting AgeUK Lewisham & Southwark’s Stones End Centre to give a special performance as part of the centre’s summer party.

Peckham Summer Season

Wednesday 13 & Thursday 14 June, Community Tour, Peckham
Touring to St Thomas the Apostle College, Hollydale Primary, John Donne Primary, Kender Primary, Lyndhurst Primary + AgeUK Southwark & Lewisham
Ravel (arr. Farrington) Mother Goose Suite
Beethoven (arr. Carlton) Creatures of Prometheus Overture

Christopher Stark conductor The Multi-Story Orchestra

Saturday 16 & Sunday 17 June, 8pm, Chamber Series, Bold Tendencies
Curated by Joe Qiu (bassoon)

Mary Jane Leach Feu de Joie
Björk Pneumonia
Couperin (arr. Qiu) Les Barricades Mysterieuses Björk Unravel
Julius Eastman Stay On It

Joe Qiu bassoon
Fra Rustumji violin
Kate Whitley piano
Jude Cartlon & Louise Goodwin percussion

Saturday 30 June & Sunday 1 July, 8pm, Chamber Series, Bold Tendencies
Curated by Fra Rustumji (violin) & Leke Oso Alabi (poet)

Featuring spoken word performances from Calebi Femi, Suli Breaks, Gabriel Jones and Leke Oso- Alabi with live music from Fra Rustumji (violin), Anna Brigham (violin), Corentin Chassard (cello) and Jude Carlton (percussion).

Wednesday 11 & Thursday 12 July, Orchestral Series, Bold Tendencies
Mozart Marriage of Figaro Overture
Vivaldi (arr. Whitley) La Follia*
Dani Howard New Work (world premiere) with text by Simon Mole^

Christopher Stark conductor
Penny Osmond choir leader
The Multi-Story Orchestra
*with instrumentalists from Harris Academy Peckham (11 July) and St Thomas the Apostle College (12 July)

^with singers from John Donne & Hollydale Primary Schools (11 July) and Lyndhurst & Kender Primary Schools (12 July)

Saturday 21 & 22 July, 8pm, Chamber Series, Bold Tendencies
Curated by Francesca Barritt (violin)

Biber Sonata representativa Debussy Sonata for violin & piano Enescu Impressions d’enfance

Francesca Barritt violin
Yshani Perinpanayagam piano

Saturday 4 August, 3pm, Orchestral Series, Bold Tendencies
Whitley The Animals^
Ravel (arr. Farrington) Mother Goose Suite The Multi-Story Youth Choir New Work*

Christopher Stark conductor Abimaro Gunnell choir leader ^The Multi-Story Youth Ensemble *The Multi-Story Youth Choir

Saturday 18 & Sunday 19 August, 8pm, Chamber Series, Bold Tendencies
Curated by Sarah-Jane Lewis (soprano) Elgar Sea Pictures

Wagner Three Songs from Wesendonck Lieder: Im Treibhaus | Schmerzen |Traume Sarah-Jane Lewis soprano

Kate Whitley piano

Thursday 6 & Friday 7 September, 7pm, Orchestral Series, Bold Tendencies
Schumann Symphony No 2 + Living Programme Notes

Christopher Stark conductor
The Multi-Story Orchestra
Fraser Trainer Living Programme Note Director

Visit www.multi-story.org.uk/events for tickets

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