Booking Open For Ealing Music and Film Festival

Artistic Director Julian Gallant previews what's in store

We've got another superb Festival on this year. I'm delighted to be taking part in a concert with the Tippett Quartet and violinist Tamsin-Waley-Cohen - on Thursday 8 February, at UWL's new Weston Hall, we're playing Janacek's taut Violin Sonata and the huge Chausson Concert Op.21, with the Tippett Quartet performing Debussy's early masterpiece in the centenary year of his death.

I’m really delighted that Suburban Steps to Rockland is out, and that it’s receiving its west London première at UWL on 9 February within the Festival. All about the Ealing Club in its early years, the documentary features clips with major artists including Pete Townshend’s interview with Tony Palmer in 2013. There’s live music with Robert Hokum, Northsyde and MACK on at the present-day Ealing Club on Thursday 8 February.

We’re re-running, with our friends from the Island Triangle, walking tours of that fabulously evocative streetscape in north Acton that everyone’s seen but never knew was right on their doorstep. And our film programme continues to support the highly original and inventive work of future directors studying at UWL, with a presentation taking on Wednesday 7 February.
 
Music is key, and it’s fitting that Emilie Capulet’s recital on 7 February, and the kaleidoscope of music offered by LCM Junior College on 11 February, also feature the music of Claude Debussy. Akito Goto is a brilliant young cellist who will scale the heights of the Dvorak Concerto before the Ealing Youth Orchestra makes its own magnificent musical ascent of the Alps on 9 February. EYO is joined for the first time by members of the London Mozart Players, who will bolster and mentor the young musicians in this challenging repertoire.

On 10 February The Ealing Symphony Orchestra looks to American heritage with Delius’ Appalachia and a concert arrangement of Gershwin’s extraordinary opera Porgy and Bess.

Our Festival reflects Ealing, and nobody does better work for music as a force in the community than Elizabeth Lusty and her Ealing-based Love2sing ensemble, which can be heard at UWL on Sunday 11 February. 
 
Thanks as ever to all our supporters that you’ll find in these pages, and particularly to the University of West London – London College of Music team who are, quite simply, a joy to work with.

I hugely enjoy putting the Festival together with my fellow Trustees Ann and Patrick Chapman with the expert assistance of Pauline Gilbertson as Festival Manager.

The aim of the Festival is to generate a surplus and invest it to help young people in the Borough improve their artistic skills through scholarships, outreach support or grants. We are a charity not a commercial enterprise - so please visit our website for more information and to book your tickets!

Many thanks in anticipation of your continuing support - do let us know if we need to update your details!

Julian
Julian Gallant
Pianist, Conductor, Composer
Artistic Director and Trustee, Ealing Music and Film Festival

17th January 2018