A Birthday Happening - lunchtime concert

St John’s Smith Square celebrates the birthday of one of the most iconic and distinctive composers working today. Born in New York state, Montague grew up in the US and studied in Florida and, although now resident in the UK for almost 40 years, his music is truly transatlantic in flavour; full of original character and integrity whilst the spirit of his American forefathers, Ives, Cowell and Cage can also be heard. This lunchtime concert and this evening's concert, will show a little of the diversity of Montague’s music; from his homage to John Cage in the highly theatrical dinner party through the ceremonial grandeur of the Intrada 1631 to the virtuosic minimalism of At the White Edge of Phrygia and culminating with the pathos and power of his large scale, ‘Dark Sun’.

Solo musicians, chamber music ensembles, choirs and orchestras will be joined by organist Peter Holder and conductors David Wordsworth, Richard Heason, Greg Rose and Stephen Montague himself.