Lunchtime Live!

All Saints' is host to Northampton's only regular lunchtime recital series. In recent years, the series has been expanded to include a diverse range of musicians beyond that of organ music, such as singers, chamber musicians and pianists.

The series has become renowned in Northamptonshire and beyond for attracting musicians of the highest calibre to perform vocally, on various wind and string instruments, and on either the piano, the Walker Gallery Organ, the Hill & Son and Norman & Beard Chancel Organ, and our Walker Chapel Organ.

No booking is required to attend a recital, and there is no ticket charge. At the end of a recital, a collection is taken for our music programme. Lunchtime Live! recitals are usually held on the first Thursday of each month at 1:10pm, excepting only January and August.

Our bistro is open for lunches and light refreshments before, during, of after all our lunchtime recitals!

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2024

Our next season of Lunchtime Live! returns on Thursday 1st August 2024 at 13:10. Entrance is free with a retiring collection for the Friends of All Saints' Music. The Lunchtime Live! series lineup has now been confirmed for the second half of 2024. With performances by James Woodrow, Sounds Historical, Oona Lowther, Polina Chaika, Slate Quartet, and our very own Director of Music, Jem Lowther.

Our next Lunchtime Live! will feature a classical guitar recital by James Woodrow.

Suite no. 2 Praeludium Fuge Sarabande Gigue Double	J. S. Bach (1685–1750)
Pavane pour une Infante Defunte	Maurice Ravel (1875–1937)
The Blue Guitar	Michael Tippett (1905–1998)

James Woodrow trained at the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester, and very quickly became established as one of the country's leading contemporary classical and electric guitarists, beginning with performances of works such as Steve Reich's Electric Counterpoint with the Rambert Dance Company, and in Boulez "Le Marteau sans Maitre".

He is in continuing demand and much sought after by various contemporary music ensembles, such as Lontano and the London Sinfonietta, and is a long-standing member of both the Gavin Bryars Ensemble and Icebreaker. He performs regularly as soloist and ensemble player with the London Chamber Symphony, Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, BBC Symphony Orchestra, the LSO, The New London Chamber Choir, Music Projects London, Almeida Opera and the BBC Singers.

James Woodrow's name is already familiar to listeners of Radio 3, being frequently mentioned during broadcast performances of the BBC Symphony Orchestra, in works featuring classical, electric guitar, or bass guitar. In this way he has been featured in works such as Tippett's "Knot Garden", Stockhausen's "Gruppen", John Buller's "Proenca", and Dubugnon's Double Piano Concerto for the Labeque sisters. He is a regular performer of contemporary works with the BBC.

As a solo classical guitarist James has given numerous concerts. Repertoire over two decades has included Tippett, Britten, Kondo, Schlee, Elliot Carter, Takemitsu, Sauguet, Milhaud and Bach. A special dedication to new works but also to the music of Bach and particular Baroque composers of lute and harpsichord music, such as Denis Gaultier and Froberger has brought him to the attention of many composers. Recently Howard Skempton invited James to perform for Radio 3 the Interludes for guitar composed especially for him.

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