Autumn Season Opening Night: Guildhall Symphony Orchestra & Chorus
24th September 2026Milton Theatre, Barbican
On 24 September I was delighted to be invited to the opening night of the Guildhall School of Music & Drama’s Autumn Season, at Milton Hall in the Barbican. I have enjoyed many performances in the main Barbican theatre, but this was my first visit to this rather more intimate performance space – although “intimate” is perhaps stretching the point when it can still accommodate more than 200 Guildhall musicians and a full choir!
Our Company has been supporting the Guildhall School for more than 60 years, making us its “oldest” and longest-standing sponsor. The four scholarships we provide each year are hugely appreciated by the students who receive them. We have just learned who our scholars will be this year, so more about them in another post.
I arrived at the Barbican somewhat out of breath, having left Churchill’s Bar at the City of London Club at 6.15pm, where the Unsquared Masters of 2025–26 were holding a very jolly drinks party, and where the Lady Mayor, Mayoral Consort, Sheriffs and Shrieval Consorts, all resplendent in full evening dress and uniforms, had only just arrived. It was a bit further to walk than I'd realised ...
Having found my way into Milton Court, I was ushered downstairs to the drinks reception for sponsors and friends, where I said hello to a few familiar faces, including Guildhall Principal Professor Jonathan Vaughan, Adrian Mumford, Senior Warden of the Musicians’ Company, and his partner, and the Master Draper, Philip Lawford, himself a former chorister.
Then it was back upstairs for the concert.
The programme opened with a new work for brass and percussion by Diego Jiménez, The Kew Continuum, conducted by Antoine Veillerette. It was certainly a challenging aural experience, with its many discordant falling notes, but quite beautiful in its way.
Eivind Aadland then took to the podium to conduct Aaron Copland’s much-loved Fanfare for the Common Man, followed by one of the twentieth century’s most glorious choral works, Leonard Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms. This featured a very young chorister whose virtuoso contribution rather stole the show.
The evening concluded with Mahler’s Symphony No. 4, with soprano soloist Zoë Jackson – a wonderful finale to an impressive opening concert.
I had to slip away without saying my goodbyes, and dashed off to Bank Station to catch the DLR to Westferry, where I was staying overnight.
There was a good reason for the quick exit: my alarm was set for 04.45am, ready for the Magical Taxi Tour breakfast at Canary Wharf the following morning.
The glamorous life of the Master of a Livery Company – sometimes in evening dress, sometimes in concert halls, but occasionally a 4.45am alarm call!