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Alison Balsom in Gabriel

An Entertainment with Trumpet

,Barbican Hall
Alison Balsom with trumpet

All human life is here: Samuel Adamson’s theatrical celebration of Baroque music brings to life the sights, sounds and stories of 17th-century London through the eyes of a court trumpeter.

Alison Balsom’s performances of Purcell and his contemporaries give heart and soul to a bustling, exuberant entertainment; a breathtaking evocation of Restoration London in all its colour, clamour, and glorious chaos. Characters from monarchs to watermen – played by actors Jamie Parker (Harry Potter), Jack Farthing (Poldark), Anjana Vasan (Doll’s House) and Amanda Wilkin (Emilia) – cross paths in a narrative tied together by Balsom’s resplendent natural trumpet-playing.

‘Speech, song and score flow together in one teeming whole that sweeps you along with it’ wrote Dominic Cavendish of the Daily Telegraph after Gabriel was first performed at Shakespeare’s Globe. Reimagined here for the Barbican stage, prepare for a fresh encounter with a theatrical experience that (in Cavendish’s words) ‘leaves you giddy with pleasure and fully smitten’.

Tagged with: Classical music Guildhall School Barbican Presents 2019-20 More...

This performance will end at approximately 9.50pm, including a 20 minute interval.

Co-produced by the Barbican and Saffron Hall

Performers

  • Samuel Adamson   Text
  • Alison Balsom   trumpet
  • The English Concert  
  • Harry Bicket   music director
  • Elizabeth Watts   soprano
  • Tim Morgan   countertenor
  • Gwilym Bowen   tenor
  • Chorus from Guildhall School  
  • Dominic Dromgoole   director
  • Jamie Parker   actor
  • Jack Farthing   actor
  • Anjana Vasan   actor
  • Amanda Wilkin   actor
‘What binds the piece together is the trumpet's ability to mix strength and sweetness, and the comparable blend, in 1690s London, of dirt and delicacy.‘
The Guardian, 21 July 2013

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an orchestra playing classical music in the barbican hall in central london

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Barbican Hall

Location
The Barbican Hall is located within the main Barbican building. Head to Level G and follow the signs to find your seating level. 

Address
Barbican Centre
Silk Street, London
EC2Y 8DS

Public transport
​​​​​​​The Barbican is widely accessible by bus, tube, train and by foot or bicycle. Plan your journey and find more route information in ‘Your Visit’ or book your car parking space in advance.