Watch a sensational concert from London Symphony Orchestra for Live Music Month

16 October 2020, 15:50

Live stream: Strauss, Hannah Kendall & Bartók // London Symphony Orchestra & Kerem Hasan

By Rosie Pentreath

We’re streaming a full concert of works by Strauss, Bartók and Hannah Kendall from the LSO on our Facebook Page, to celebrate the glory of a full orchestra performing live.

London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) has been keeping amazing music going online since the beginning of coronavirus lockdown – including through its ‘Always Playing’ online season and LSO musicians’ lockdown ‘Coffee Sessions’.

Now LSO, Classic FM’s Orchestra in the City of London, is back making live music to smaller audiences again, but still streaming phenomenal performances online. And on Saturday night, we’re partnering with the orchestra to bring you a sensational concert of music by Strauss, Bartók and Hannah Kendall, filmed at LSO St Luke’s.

Streamed for free in full on our Facebook Page and LSO’s YouTube Channel (see above), the concert will feature Bartók’s Dance Suite, Le bourgeois gentilhomme by Richard Strauss, and Hannah Kendall’s The Spark Catchers, which was also performed by our Orchestra in the Midlands, the CBSO, last month as part of its 100th birthday concert.

Click here to read the LSO’s digital concert notes for this concert >

The concert is conducted by Kerem Hasan, and features an introduction by LSO second violinist Alix Lagasse and an interval interview with composer Hannah Kendall.

Watch a sensational concert from London Symphony Orchestra for Live Music Month. Picture: London Symphony Orchestra / Classic FM

“The programme really suits conductor Kerem Hasan’s personality,” LSO violinist Alix Lagasse says. “He’s so energetic and vibrant, and he’s chosen a programme all about dance.”

Hannah Kendall, on-hand to introduce her own sensational piece, The Spark Catchers, says: “Things that I'm trying to do in my music, at the moment and in the past few years, is trying to blend together different inspirations that come from my heritage, which I would consider not only British and European, but also African Caribbean.

“So I’ve been really focusing on how I can blend those together. In my formative years I listened to garage and grime a lot... those rhythms and those bass lines creep into my work a lot, and that’s happening in The Spark Catchers.”

Watch LSO’s performance of Bartók, Strauss and Kendall on Classic FM’s Facebook Page, on LSO’s YouTube Channel, or above at 7pm BST on Sunday 18 October.

Click here to find out more about Classic FM’s Live Music Month.