Wigmore Hall re-opens for audiences of 150; choirs make a return

This article originally appeared on Gramophone.co.uk

Following the UK’s initial lockdown, London’s Wigmore Hall led the way in reviving live music-making, initially to streamed audiences before audience members were allowed into the famed auditorium.

So it’s appropriate that, as the second lockdown ends, the chamber venue is again at the forefront of public performance, opening on Monday (December 7) for a month of music-making. Appropriately, in the run-up to Christmas, choirs feature prominently in the nine scheduled events – the first time choirs will sing in Wigmore Hall since the pandemic – with Tenebrae, Stile Antico and The Cardinall’s Music all appearing throughout the month, each ensemble limited to up to eight singers. Other concerts include pianists Mitsuko Uchida and Paul Lewis, soprano Fatma Said, and counter-tenor Iestyn Davies.

To allow appropriate spacing of visitors, attendance at each concert will be limited to 150 (about 25 per cent of usual capacity), awarded by ballot to members of the venue's Friends scheme. However, as usual, all concerts will also be lived streamed in high-definition video on Wigmore Hall’s website. Each concert will last approximately 60–90 minutes, with no interval.

‘At the end of this tumultuous year, we are pleased to be able to bring choirs back to Wigmore Hall for three raptly beautiful Christmas programmes,' said Wigmore Hall director John Gilhooly. 'News of the vaccine has brought renewed hope for 2021, and it is with this cautious optimism that Wigmore Hall will continue to support musicians in the challenging winter months ahead.’

For full details, visit the Wigmore Hall website.