Music from Bach to The Beatles was performed by eleven children from an eclectic programme at Kids Prom. They performed on October 6, to a packed audience at St James’s Church, who were holding the event for the first time.
Jenny Bogle, an amateur viola player, helped to organise the concert. She said that holding rehearsals was “great fun with everybody piled into my house on a Friday evening.”
Ellie Hinton-Hallows and Amelia Rose Francis Johnson (both 13) first met at a toddler music group. They performed a version of ‘She’s Leaving Home’ which they had arranged for violin and cello. Ellie, who has been playing the violin for six years, confessed that “We’re really big fans of The Beatles”
The event is the latest in a series of concerts held at the church as part of the Islington Proms which Fr John Burniston, parish priest at the church, hopes will “establish St James’ as a regular contributor to the arts and music scene in North London”.
The church has played host to a variety of groups from an Irish Ceilidh band to the award-winning organist of St James, Andrew Brownwell. Early music group Poeticall Musicke have really taken to the church and plan to perform there on a regular basis.
Fr Burniston, who moved to St James’ three years ago, has a musical history, having run a choir in Bradford for 16 years. He believes the concerts form a part of the church’s “programme of mission in this community”. He said that the concert had been a “wonderful occasion” which allowed for the “sharing of this building.”
