Londinium

Choral music by Howells and his contemporaries.

They invite you to explore with us an unlikely cornerstone of London's musical culture: 'The George' pub on Great Portland St in Bloomsbury. In this establishment (nicknamed ‘The Gluepot’ by Sir Henry Wood, such was its adhesive effect on his musicians), an eclectic and fascinating group of composers gathered during the first half of the twentieth century. This concert marks the launch of fundraising for Londinium's debut recording, featuring a selection of their music, which will be made in July 2017.

The 'Gluepot Connection' is represented in this concert in well-loved works by William Walton, John Ireland and EJ Moeran, alongside lesser-known gems by Alan Rawsthorne, Elisabeth Lutyens and Humphrey Searle, some of which have not previously been recorded. The complete disc will also include music by Arnold Bax, Frederick Delius and Peter Warlock.

To complement this selection they look to the Royal College of Music in Kensington, where Herbert Howells taught and several Gluepot composers were students; the concert includes Howells’ masterpiece, contemporary with many of the works we will perform: the Requiem of 1932.