St George's Unplugged

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ABOUT

St Georges Unplugged is a regular series of ‘walk-in’ lunch concerts for the summer season, offering a variety of classical music in an informal and friendly way. They are introduced by the musicians, and patrons are invited to sit, unwind, ‘unplug’ and contemplate through music in the iconic surroundings of St Georges Cathedral in the heart of the City.

Experience the best upcoming and established artists at St George’s every Tuesday and Thursday from January 14 to March 27.

Concerts are free of charge as the Cathedral remains an open space for all, but donations online and at the door are welcome to help cover running costs and also fundraise for the Cathedral's much needed building repairs and maintenance. Facility for credit card and cash will be available.

Seating is unreserved, but you can reserve your attendance make a donation in advance via Quicket

(Artists and Programmes are subect to change)

The concerts run from 1.15pm to 2pm in the CathedralMusica Poetica. Historically Inspired Performance of works from the 17th and 18th centuries for violin and harpsichord, with leading baroque musicians from Cape Town, Ralitza Macheva (baroque violin) and Erik Dippenaar (harpsichord)

Tuesday Jan 14 - opening concert with award winning classical guitarist James Grace - Music from Spain to South Africa

Thursday Jan 16 - Explore the Organ of St George's with Grant Brasler, which originally stood in the church of St Margaret, next to Westminster Abbey in London, with it's earliest history going back to 1675

Tuesday Jan 21 - Sandile and Friends - Opera singers Sandile Kamle, Thamsanqa Mtshamba, Sive Ndima & Lindile Kula accompanied by pianist Albert Combrink present a mixed programme of South African music inspired by real events & European music

Thursday Jan 23 - Zakwantu African Ensemble- beautiful indigenous music from all over Africa inspired by nature and cultural heritage

Tuesday Jan 28 - Ubuntu Brass Quintet comprising some of Cape Town's finest new generation artists presents a programme of popular arrangements from Pachelbel's Canon to Handel's Largo to Amazing Grace

Thursday Jan 30 - Zakwantu African Ensemble- beautiful indigenous music from all over Africa inspired by nature and cultural heritage

Tuesday Feb 4 - Musica Poetica. Historically Inspired Performance of works from the 17th and 18th centuries for violin and harpsichord, with leading baroque musicians from Cape Town, Ralitza Macheva (baroque violin) and Erik Dippenaar (harpsichord)

Thursday Feb 6 - Quattrombones Trombone Quartet featuring orchestral musicians Andre Balocco, James George, David Langford and Peter Worthington-Smith

Programme:

Ave maria Otello, Christus factus est, Bruckner, Marche de Tannhauser, Wagner, Nimrod, Elgar Arr.Balocco, Sonata D.Speer, Adagio from Symphony 3 Saint Saens

Moment for Morricone, arr. Balocco

Tuesday Feb 11 - Ubuntu Brass Quintet comprising some of Cape Town's rising new generation artists presents a programme of popular arrangements from Pachelbel's Canon to Handel's Largo to Amazing Grace

Thursday Feb 13 - Love under Paris Skies with the Cadillac Trio - Songs from Faure to Les Mis to Phantom of the Opera to Piaf

with soprano Louise Howlett, Elina Koycheva on violin and pianist Albert Combrink

Tuesday Feb 18 - Flute & Marimba with Louisa Theart & Dylan Tabisher. The programme features the world premiere of a duo piece written by Owen Dalton alongside solo works for each instrument. Programme includes:

Peter Klatzow - Figures in a Landscape

Memories of the Seashore for solo marimba - Keiko Abe

Marimbics - M Halt - Solo Marimba

Gounod Ave Maria - Flute and Marimba

Thursday Feb 20 - Monologue: Solo Cello with Rosamund Roth

Bach Suite for Solo Cello Nr 4 in E flat Major

Øistein Sommerfeldt, Monologi for Solo cello

Gaspar Cassadó Suite for Solo Cello 

I Prelude-Fantasia

III Intermezzo e danza finale

Song of the birds (Traditional Catalan song, arrangement for solo cello Roth)

Tuesday Feb 25 - Songs of Love and Belief - Liszt Liebestraume and French Flute Music with Isaac (piano) and Lily van der Merwe (flute)

Thursday Feb 27 - Cinema Serenade - Songs & arias from the movies with soprano Louise Howlett and pianist Albert Combrink

Tuesday Mar 4 - Sacred Songs: Cello & Organ with Rosamund Roth and Shannon Thebus

Hans Zimmer’s Interstellar Suite arranged for organ

J.S. Bach - Erbarme dich from the St Matthew Passion (arrangement Albert van der Hoeven) 

Camille Saint Saens - Prière for Cello and Organ

Astor Piazzola - Ave Maria

J.S. Bach - Ich ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ (arrangement Albert van der Hoeven)

Sergei Rachmaninov - Vocalise

Max Bruch - Kol Nidrei (arrangement for cello and organ by H. Reimann)

Thursday Mar 6 - Solo Flute with Liesl Stoltz with music from Bach to Bozza

Tuesday Mar 11 - Reflections: A Bridge across time with music from the 17th to 21st century for Baroque Violin - Ralitza Macheva and Baroque cello - Matthias Remley-Ender. The program Includes works from 21st century composers Vasks and Max Richter back to Platti and Stradella from the 17th century

Thursday Mar 13 - Colours of the clarinet with Annelize de Villiers and David Lubbe with works for clarinet and piano in a variety of styles. Inspired by different colours (musical/tone colours etc), the music showcases how these colours are uniquely used and portrayed by each composer within their own style and genre. C.P.E Bach - Sonata in G minor BWV1020

C. Debussy - Première Rhapsodie for Clarinet and Piano

C. Debussy - Petite Pièce for Clarinet and Piano

P. Reade - Victorian Kitchen Garden Suite

A. Templeton - Pocket Size Sonata no. 1

Tuesday Mar 18 - Flute & Friends with Louisa Theart & Lungiswa Plaatjies

Thursday Mar 20 - 'A Feast for the Senses – 100% Organ-ic!' with John Woodland. A tasting menu of light and delectable musical fare, perfect for a lunch-hour leading into the long weekend, showcasing the colours and moods of the magnificent Hill Organ in St George's Cathedral which this year celebrates its 350th 'birthday'. These miniature masterpieces will span the Dutch, French and German Baroque (Sweelinck, Couperin and Bach), the Romantic era (Mendelssohn and Lefébure-Wély) and the British Isles (Elgar and Rutter), taking us up to the turn of the millennium (Einar Trærup Sark and James MacMillan).

Tuesday Mar 25 - Classical Guitar Collective featuring students of James Grace

Thursday Mar 27 - Marcelle Steinmetz & the Humming Birds

Marcelle Steinmetz (mezzo-soprano) & The Hummingbirds Vocal Trio present an entertaining program filled with solos, duets, trios and vocal quartets. Set in the acoustics of St George’s Cathedral Marcelle Steinmetz, Sonika Kumm, Munall Ali and Kytlin Papier, joined at the piano with the nimble fingers of Carike Byker-Nel, will present a programme of all genres ranging from Baroque to Musical Theatre. 

The organisers are grateful for the support in making these concerts possible:

Artists fees from the Howlett family in memory of the late Don Howlett; 

from the Stanley, Biggs and Molteno Family; 

and for the gift from an anonymous donor.

We thank the Dean, Church Wardens and staff at the Cathedral for sharing this special space

We thank Fine Music Radio 101.3 for supporting live music in Cape Town (fmr.co.za)

and to Bazil Christians Tourguide – our ‘go-to’ for all cultural adventures. 078 255 8942

and we thank you for being our audience and supporting this initiative to spread the love of music across Cape Town.

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