What’s On This Week: 6th July - 12th July 2009

The City of London Festival draws to a close in real style this week, with over 20 events dotted around the Square Mile.  Fans of classical music will be especially spoilt for choice, as St Margaret Lothbury hosts hotshot young violist Maxim Rysanov on Monday night for some Bach, Prokofiev and Shostakovich.  The latter composer also pops up in St Andrew Holborn on Tuesday evening during what should be a fantastic spectacle - choral works incorporating lights and visual effects and featuring the world premiere of Seven Words, Seven Icons, Seven Cities by composer Nigel Osborne.

Renowned singer Inger Dam-Jensen also appears on Tuesday, performing songs from her Native Scandinavia at the Fishmonger’s Hall in London Bridge.  City workers might also like to check out some of the free lunchtime concerts such as young Scottish troop Bodega rocking out (well, folking out) on Finsbury Circus Gardens on Thursday.

Non-musical offerings from the festival include Poet in the City on Wednesday, promising world-class readings on the subject of realism vs mysticism and Alasdair Nicholson discussing Robert Burns’s environmental conscience at the Barbican on Thursday.  The Barbican is also showcasing the work of Ingmar Bergman throughout the weekend, which should see off any post-heat wave blues, or at the very least provide shelter.  This is Britain after all!

The Museum of London is also taking to the City streets for their ‘Hidden Treasures’ Walk on Friday, promising an educational trip into the secret cultural past of London.  Starting at 2pm it’s a healthy alternative to the long pub lunch and if you’ve spent the week braving out all these church pews and piano stools in the name of cultural enrichment your legs will certainly thank you.

800 Saxophonists Do Their Thing in the City

As part of the City of London Festival, 800 Saxophonists took to the streets on Sunday to create the Leviathan - a work of living, monumental art. Snake line processions started at the City’s four historic gates - Bishopsgate, Ludgate, Aldgate and Moorgate - before arriving together at London Bridge where they performed a new piece of music composed by music  composed by John Harle.

The Leviathan was caught on camera by the excellent London SE1 website.

City of London Festival Starts June 19th

The City of London Festival - an annual celebration of the arts and culture in the Square Mile - will begin this Friday (June 19th) and will feature a packed programme of the activities and events lasting through to early August.

The Festival will kick off at noon on Friday with an opening procession from the steps of St Paul’s, led by the “funky percussion duo” Bang On!

Also on Friday, the exciting-sounding  Street Pianos Project begins. Fifteen pianos will be placed around the City available to anyone to come along and partake in an ad hoc singalong.  Let’s hope the sound of fat fingered amateurs attempting “Roll out the barrel” does not become too irritating too soon.

The pianos will be around until the middle of July before being donated to local community groups and schools.

Here at TheCity.co.uk, on our What’s On pages and on our Twitter account, we will be highlighting selected events from the Festival calendar. To see the programme in its entirety, visit the COLF website.