New London Harmonia Performs World Premiere of Ground Work and London Premiere of Shut Up and Dance, both by composer Charlie Barber
London-based orchestra will explore centuries of musical storytelling in one evening, including Mussorgsky’s Night On Bare Mountain and Rimsky Korsakov’s Scheherazade
25 June 2025, London, United Kingdom — The New London Harmonia, a London-based orchestra, will perform the world premiere of composer Charlie Barber’s Ground Work, at their upcoming concert on 12 July 2025, at Holy Trinity, Sloane Square. Barber will be in attendance at the premiere.
The orchestra will also perform the London premiere of Barber’s work Shut Up and Dance, alongside Mussorgsky’s Night On Bare Mountain and Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade.
The New London Harmonia is a fresh new face on the London classical music scene. Its 60+ members include some of the best non-professional musicians across the city. Led by Artistic Director Oi Ching Chan, the orchestra aims to bring professional-level skills, deep musical knowledge, and an unmatched energy to classical music, all while inspiring audiences to grow in their own musical journey.
“For the fifth and final concert of this season, we were keen to explore new directions and bring fresh elements to the vibrant and passionate group of musicians that make up New London Harmonia,” explains Artistic Director Oi Ching Chan. “Charlie Barber’s works immediately caught our attention, based on his compositional style, and the technical demands of both pieces seem well-suited to our mission of challenging ourselves and our audience with a broader musical experience.”
The program, titled Pulse & Fable: Stories of Sound from the Ancient to the Avant-Garde, seeks to explore several different genres of music, finding commonalities and differences across the unique styles and forms. While Barber’s works explore the idea of time, or even the absence of it, the more classical Mussorgsky and Rimsky-Korsakov pieces are rooted in folklore and narrative tradition. The contrast between experimental and traditional is designed to create a dissonance and encourage further exploration by the musicians and the audience alike.
“It is exciting to see Ground Work being premiered for the first time ever by an orchestra like New London Harmonia,” adds Barber. “To have two of my compositions played alongside some of the classical masters promises to be an engaging evening, and I am thrilled to be able to be a part of this historic event.”
The concert will take place on Saturday, 12 July, at 19.30, at Holy Trinity Sloane Square, SW1X 9BZ. Tickets are £22 and can be purchased online at https://www.newlondonharmonia.com/ or on the door.