Restore and Revive: City of London Sinfonia, Southwark Cathedral

The healing balm of live music soothes live audiences who can take a seat or choose their own space at Southwark Cathedral in a series of concerts entitled Restore and Revive, given by the City of London Sinfonia.

Music-lovers can relax in the wide open spaces of the nave as the orchestra plays music inspired by their city, in a concert on Wed 4 Nov given twice, at 2PM and7PM. Josef Haydn's Symphony No 104 is a joyous celebration of the capital, where he was feted during the course of several visits from his native Austria.

Says the orchestra's creative director and leader, Alexandra Wood: 'Haydn's London Symphony is not just a chance for everybody to perform together again, but a nod to our name, and a chance to remember how culturally important and resilient London has been and will continue to be...'

As a curtain-raiser, there are two chamber works played by CLS members:the Allegro from Haydn's string quartet nicknamed the Fifths, after the musical intervals of a fifth with which it opens, and Hungarian-Austrian composer György Ligeti’s astringent Lamentoso for wind quintet.

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Cecilia McDowall based her wind piece Subject to the Weather on a folk song, and a well-loved hymn

On Thurs 26 Nov, again at both 2pm and 7pm in Southwark Cathedral, the City of London Sinfonia plays music for woodwind and brass. The programme features Richard Strauss's Suite for Winds, Mozart's Sonata in F arranged for nine players by Quentin Poole, American composer Amy Beach's Pastorale for Wind Quintet.

Also played is contemporary British composer Cecilia McDowall's piece Subject to the Weather, based on the Welsh folk song The Blackbird. The sharp-eared will also hear musical references to the tune of a hymn, The Church's One Foundation.

Audience members will be encouraged to 'follow the music', as players perform from different parts of the atmospheric and historic building.

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