Summer Music in City Churches is a fledgling festival, founded in 2018, presenting beautiful music to engage, divert and inspire, in ancient and architecturally stunning churches in London's Square Mile. Standing cheek by jowl with City offices, these churches are glorious settings in which to listen and reflect: oases of history, beauty and peace amidst the 24-7 hurly-burly of City life. ​ The theme for the second festival in June 2019 is WORDS & MUSIC. During a week and a half of events, you will find sumptuous settings of poetry, lyrical music inspired by poetry, plays and literature, words that illuminate music with biographical insight and context, music of significance to literary heroes and heroines, and more.

A collection of treasured poems by authors spanning the centuries from William Shakespeare – who lived near St Giles - to Mary Coleridge, all set to music by equally beloved nineteenth and twentieth century composers. The programme closes with Hubert Parry’s marvellous Blest pair of sirens with words by John Milton, whose 'harmonious sisters, Voice and Vers' from At a solemn musick give this concert its title. As the final chords fade away, spare a thought for the poet himself who lies buried in the crypt below. Finzi My spirit sang all day (Robert Bridges) Stanford The blue bird (Mary Coleridge) Sterndale Bennett Come live with me (Christopher Marlowe) Vaughan Williams Three Shakespeare songs Pearsall Lay a garland (Beaumont & Fletcher) Elgar As torrents in summer (Henry Longfellow) Vaughan Williams Five mystical songs (excerpts) (George Herbert) Britten Rejoice in the Lamb (Christopher Smart) Harris Faire is the heaven (Edmund Spenser) Elgar The shower & The fountain (Henry Vaughan) Parry Blest pair of sirens (John Milton) ​ City of London Choir Richard Gowers, organ Thomas Humphreys, baritone Hilary Davan Wetton, conductor ​

Libretto J. Barbier based on short stories by E.T.A. Hoffman Musical Director and Conductor – People’s Artist of the Russian Federation Pavel Bubelnikov Director – People’s Artist of Russia Alexander Petrov Scenography and costumes – Honored Artist of the Russian Federation Natalia Klyomina Ballet Master – Maria Bolshakova Arias and ensembles are performed from French in Russian

Libretto J. Barbier based on short stories by E.T.A. Hoffman Musical Director and Conductor - People's Artist of the Russian Federation Pavel Bubelnikov Director - People's Artist of Russia Alexander Petrov Scenography and costumes - Honored Artist of the Russian Federation Natalia Klyomina Ballet Master - Maria Bolshakova Arias and ensembles are performed from French in Russian

Olivier Award-winning OperaUpClose presents the fully-staged, national tour of their new English version of Donizetti’s Mary, Queen of Scots (Maria Stuarda).

As part of Wimpole history Festival , Michael Morpurgo’s The Mozart Question tells the story of Paolo Levi, a world-famous performer who developed his passion for music as a young child with the help of his teacher, Benjamin.