New Arts Festival Launches in W14 in September

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St Matthews Church hosts week of music, exhibitions, talks and walks

A new arts festival called the Kensington Olympia Festival of Music and the Arts launches next month, aiming to promote the wealth of local musical and artistic talent.

The Kensington Olympia Festival of Music and the Arts, or KOFMA for short, is being held in the beautiful parish church of St. Matthew, Kensington Olympia, on the corner of Sinclair, Masbro and Fielding Roads from Saturday September 12 to Sunday, September 20.

The week of concerts, art exhibitions, school events, architectural walks and literary talks, kicks off on the Saturday with the monumental Bach Mass in B minor performed by The Oxford Spezzati soloists, chorus and orchestra under its director Nicholas Mumby.

They are young professionals – mostly lawyers, doctors and accountants – who come together to put on high quality concerts for their own enjoyment and that of their loyal followers.


On Monday and Friday there are historical and architectural walks through the local neighbourhood led by Caroline MacMillan, who has lived in west London most of her life and for several years has been guiding walks in the area.

The Monday evening concert is Songs from the Shows hosted by Duncan Day, who is rapidly establishing himself as a host and producer on the London scene. He will be joined by two top class singers to perform some of the best loved show songs.

On Tuesday morning literary historian Isabel Raphael gives a talk on literary Hammersmith. A former headmistress, she gives regular seminars and talks on a variety of classical subjects, from Aesops Fables to Orwell. Mining this part of London, she says, has revealed a horde of fascinating people!

In the evening, one of the country’s leading choral groups, The Erebus Ensemble, appear on the latest leg of their 2015 tour entitled A Tale of Two Traditions. The programme juxtaposes choral music from two very distinct schools, the early Tudor period and the modern Holy Minimalist tradition.

The midweek highlight of the festival will be a glitzy Great Gatsby gala dinner in the church on Wednesday with entertainment from the Lallemant Trio. Led by Oliver Lallemant, described as the equivalent of a Savile Row suit in musical form, he has received worldwide acclaim for his stylish and virtuosic playing.

The Nell Trio perform works by Brahms and Mendelssohn on Thursday evening. On Friday morning pupils and staff of the local Addison Primary School present a half hour of music and art. In the evening there will be a pop-up cinema when it is planned to show one of the Ealing Studio comedies.

On the final Saturday, the 19th, the Festival is inviting singers of all abilities to spend the afternoon rehearsing and then to take part in an evening concert of The Faure Requiem, Hallelujah Chorus and Jerusalem. The rehearsals will be conducted by well known choral conductor and broadcaster Jeremy Summerly.

You cann find out how to Come and Sing on KOFMA's website.

The concert will also include the Lallemant Trio playing Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring and a miscellany of opera arias.

On both Sundays during the festival, there are high masses, with the Bishop of Fulham the Rt. Rev. Jonathan Baker, the celebrant and preacher on the 20th.

St. Matthew’s will be open from early until late to provide light refreshments throughout the week. A bar will be selling drinks during the evening concerts.

For detailed information about all the events, including ticket prices - which are all bookable online – go to the website where you can also download a full list of events. Or just turn up on the day!

Tickets for the gala dinner are also available through Laura Lamph on kofma2015@gmail.com or 07779 108108.

August 7, 2015