West Wight Arts Association

The London Bridge Ensemble has, since making its Wigmore Hall debut in 2005 which included the premiere of a work written for the group by David Matthews, now firmly established itself as one of Britain’s most exciting and brilliant chamber groups. Festival appearances have included City of London Festival, the Kerry Chamber Music Festival, Leicester International Music Festival’s lunchtime series and Ponte de Lima Festival in North Portugal. Other engagements include a return visit to the Wigmore Hall and concerts at Sheffield Music in the Round, St. David’s Hall Cardiff, St. George’s Bristol and Bridgewater Hall Manchester.

In April 2008, the Ensemble presented a brand new festival in Winchester, the home town of its cellist Kate Gould, and their recent return, for the 2009 Winchester Chamber Music Festival, drew a full house at every concert. Violinist Lucy Gould and Clarinettist Robert Plane join the ensemble for their festival in 2010. A CD of works by Frank Bridge, from whom the Ensemble takes its name, was released in spring 2008 to critical acclaim, including glowing reviews and recommendations by both Gramophone and International Record Review. The disc is part of the Epoch series for the Dutton label; part two in their survey of Bridge's early works for Dutton was recorded in December. The London Bridge Ensemble’s recent Schumann recording for Sonimage Classics is also scheduled for release in 2010, to be followed by a recording of works by Fauré on the same label.

The Ensemble presents innovative and stimulating programmes of chamber music and song, or instrumental music alone, on occasion inviting guest artists to form larger combinations in order to explore an even richer and more versatile repertoire. The name represents the group's special ability to bring together different musical genres and styles from the fields of both chamber music and song. It is also an affectionate homage to the bridge and station of that name in the City of London and, importantly, reflects, through Frank Bridge, an admiration for the English music of the early twentieth century, which has from the outset formed an important part of the group’s varied repertoire.