St Gabriel's Church
Warwick Square
Pimlico
London
SW1V 2AD
Anna Clyne Stride
Max Richter On the Nature of Daylight
Dave Heath The Celtic Interval
James MacMillan Saxophone Concerto
Barber Adagio for Strings
Tchaikovsky Serenade for Strings
Saxophonist Jess Gillam returns to Fantasia Orchestra for a vibrant and virtuosic evening of music. Jess brings two pieces linked by Scotland: Dave Heath's dance-filled The Celtic and Scottish composer James MacMillan's Saxophone Concerto. The haunting and meditative On the Nature of Daylight, by Max Richter, here for saxophone and strings, will float through the beautiful gothic arches of St Gabriel's Pimlico - as will Barber's Adagio for Strings in the second half. The programme is bookended by two works that show off the strings of Fantasia Orchestra: Anna Clyne's Stride and Tchaikovsky's Serenade for Strings.
Hailing from Ulverston in Cumbria, Jess is blazing a trail in the music world with her outstanding talent and infectious personality.
Hailing from Ulverston in Cumbria, Jess has been forging her own adventurous path since she shot to fame becoming the first saxophonist to reach the finals of BBC Young Musician and the youngest ever soloist to perform at the Last Night of the Proms.
As well as performing around the world, Jess is a presenter on TV and Radio and was the youngest ever presenter for BBC Radio 3.
Tom is Fantasia's Conductor & Artistic Director.
Tom’s start in music was fortuitous, as he was lucky to be introduced to an inspiring violin teacher by his grandmother at the age of four.
At eight he became a chorister of Westminster Abbey, an experience he describes as ‘transformative’, benefitting from musical training that featured high profile occasions like singing the solo at the Royal Wedding in 2011. Tom then attended Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School, a state comprehensive that champions music and the arts.
He continued with the violin, sang, played the organ, and started to explore conducting, enjoying the process of rehearsals and the ability both to make music with and to bring together large groups of people. It was in his final year at school that he saw the potential for a career in it, founding Fantasia Orchestra in 2016.
Tom now enjoys a busy career with major orchestras, including with the BBC Philharmonic and the National Symphony Orchestra Ireland. In his rare moments of downtime he enjoys running, listening to jazz, and cooking, likening the process to conducting — it being about balance, flavour, pacing and bringing people together.
St Gabriel's Church
Warwick Square
Pimlico
London
SW1V 2AD