Festival News

Larry Jon Wilson

We are delighted with this last minute addition to the programme for Friday, 11th July, when Larry Jon Wilson will be playing at the What's Cookin' Special at the Sheepwalk.

Find out more about Larry Jon Wilson >>>

Monroe's Revenge

One of Britain's top bluegrass bands will be playing at the What's Cookin' Special on Wednesday, July 9th, as the supporting act to Holly Golightly & The Brokeoffs.

Find out more about Monroe's Revenge >>>

Live Music @ Henry Reynolds Gardens

Six 'live' bands will be performing during the What's Cookin' Sunday Picnic on the closing day of the Festival.

They include King Salami & The Cumberland Three, The Ugly Guys, Walking Wounded, The Midbeats, Graham Larkbey & The Escape Committee and Southern Tenant Folk Union.

Find out more about the individual bands by following the links provided above.

The London Swingfonia @ Kirkdales

The London Swingfonia featuring Harry Martin will be at Kirkdales on the opening Saturday afternoon.

Every big band has its own sound and The London Swingfonia is no exception.

With its swirling saxes, punchy brass and driving rhythm section laying down just the right feel for Harry Martin's mellifluous vocals, it conjures up the world of Sinatra, Basie, Ellington, and all those who have contributed to the big band canon over the years.

Add to this mix a smattering of varied instrumentals to put the Swingfonia through its paces and you have a band that really swings!

Find out more about The London Swingfonia >>>

Roger Beaujolais @ The Loaded Dog Jazz Jam

Roger Beaujolais, the acclaimed vibraphone player, has agreed to help celebrate the completion of another outstanding year at the Jazz Jam which is held every Wednesday at the Loaded Dog.

The jam is organized  by Joanne Pooley and usually features Phil Mead on the keys.

Find out more about Roger Beaujolais >>>

Trevor Lock to replace Russell Kane

Unfortunately Russell Kane has had to withdraw from the Leytonstone Comedy Club event on Sunday 6th July but we are delighted that Trevor Lock is able to take his place.

One of the most distinctive and talented comedians on the comedy circuit, Trevor Lock has been a favourite on the London stand-up circuit and at the Edinburgh Festival where he has also co-written, performed and directed four critically acclaimed comic plays. He also finds time to co-write scripts for television, radio and theatre, as well as periodically disappearing into the jungles of South America.

Find out more about Trevor Lock >>>

Musica Con Grazia with The Erato Consort

Musica Con Grazia, an a cappella choir from Graz in Austria, and local group, the Erato Consort, will provide a very special late afternoon of song on Sunday 6th July. The concert will be in the Leytonstone Library, commencing at 3.45pm.

The choir regularly sings throughout Austria and the Czech Republic. Apart from their forthcoming tour to the UK, including this visit to Leytonstone Festival, they will also be singing in Italy and Germany in the near future.

Find out more about Musica Con Grazia & The Erato Consort >>>

Fabricio Brachetta

The noted Argentine composer has agreed to provide a musical improvisation to accompany the silent Hitchccok film, "The Lodger", which will be shown at the launch of the Leytonstone Film Club on Tuesday 8th July.

Find out more about Fabricio >>>

The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog (aka  The Lodger) 1927, Alfred Hitchcock

Silent with live piano accompaniment - 75 mins

Alfred Hitchcock comes home to Leytonstone with this screening of his first classic film London is being terrorised by a serial killer known as "The Avenger", who has been killing young blonde women. Meanwhile, a mysterious man arrives at the house of Mr and Mrs Bunting looking for a room to rent. The Buntings' daughter, Daisy, becomes enamoured with the lodger. At the same time, Joe, who is Daisy's boyfriend and a detective assigned to The Avenger case, becomes jealous of the lodger and suspects he may be the murderer.
Starring Ivor Novello, Marie Ault and Malcolm Keen, The Lodger introduced themes that would run through much of Hitchcock's later work: the innocent man on the run, hunted down by a self-righteous society, and a fetishistic sexuality. Perhaps for the first time, a truly cinematic eye was at work in British cinema. Hitchcock had clearly been watching contemporary films by Murnau and Lang, whose influence can be seen in the ominous camera angles and claustrophobic lighting. While Hitchcock had made two previous films, in later years the director would refer to The Lodger as the first true "Hitchcock film".

Find out more about the film >>>

FARA Photo Competition

The Ferndale Area Residents Association is organising a photo competition as part of this year’s Leytonstone Festival. The theme is “My Leytonstone - things I like/dislike”. The competition is open to any Leytonstone resident, adults and juniors (age 12 and under).

Find out more >>>

Festival Programme

Describing themselves as "More Hairdresser's than Barber Shop", we are delighted they will be performing on Friday 11th July @ 7.30pm in The Heathcote Arms.

Read more >>>

Festival Programme

We are pleasd to announce that the Festival programme has now been finalised and is going to print. The full details are now available here on the website.

Read more >>>

Jacqueline Walker

The Leytonstone Festival, in conjunction with Newham Bookshop, are very pleased to announce that Jacqueline Walker will be joining Sathnam Sanghera at the Festival on Sunday 6th July to talk about her new book, Pilgrim State, (published by Sceptre).

Read more >>>

Leytonstone Comedy Club presents Russell Kane...

The Leytonstone Comedy Club will have a special comedy night on 5th July at the Heathcote Lounge and the headline act will be the brilliant Russell Kane. MC for the event will be the one & only Greek stand-up comedian, Manos, Finalist for the Hackney Empire New Act of The Year 2008. Also featured will be music by Vikki Stone, also a Finalist for the Hackney Empire New Act of The Year 2008, Matthew Crosby and Rachel Anderson

Read more >>>

Sathnam Sanghera

The Leytonstone Festival, in conjunction with Newham Bookshop, are very pleased to announce that Sathnam Sanghera will be appearing at the Festival on Sunday 6th July to talk about his new book, If You Don’t Know Me By Now: A Memoir of Love, Secrets and Lies in Wolverhampton (published by Viking).

Read more >>>

Molly Brown Band

We are delighted to announce that the the band will be playing at the closing party night on 13th July, at the Loaded Dog. Their repetoire is influenced by Louis Jordon, Hank Williams, Louis Prima, Bonnie Raitt, Chuck Berry, Ray Charles, Elvis Presley, Michelle Shocked, Norah Jones, U2 and many more, including some of their own material, in a superbly unique manner.

Read more >>>

Baluji Shrivastav

We are delighted to announce that the London-based Sitarist Baluji Shrivastav will be playing the Festival on 11 July. Baluji, who is undoubtedly one of the greatest musicians to come out of India, released his third international album in 2007, followed by a successful national tour.

Read more >>>

Evening of Punjabi Music, Poetry & Song

We are very pleased to announce that the Punjabi Adabi Cultural Sangat London will host an evening event of Punjabi Music, Poetry & Song on Saturday 12th July, between 4pm and 9pm. The event will be organised by the noted Punjabi poet and writer, Malik Amin who  lives in Leytonstone.

Maud Hodson

We are delighted that the noted Leytonstone cellist, Maud Hodson, has agreed to perform at a Rush Hour Concert in Leytonstone Library on Wednesday July 9th. She will play the 3rd Bach suite, in C major, on a modern cello and Louise Jameson will play the 1st suite, in G major, on a baroque cello.

Read more >>>

Fallen Heroes Band

The Fallen Heroes Band will appear from 3.30pm until 5pm on Monday 7th July in the restuarant at Whipps Cross Hospital.

This is to acknowledge and thank the wonderful staff at Whipps Cross for their unfailing contribution to the local community and, of course, some of our community will be in hospital in July so, if they cannot come to the festival, then the festival will come to them.

Read more >>>

Leytonstone Arts Trail for 2008

As an artist living in Leytonstone, I believe it is time to raise the profile of visual arts in our local area, and provide an opportunity for the community to engage with artists and vice versa.

What I want to do is create an Arts Trail. This will give greater prominence to the visual arts, as well as providing a vehicle for artists to exhibit their work either in their own house/garden/studio or by making contact with local businesses which might like to display the art - this could be in cafes, shops, pubs, library etc.

The Leytonstone Arts Trail will:

• run concurrently with Leytonstone Festival
• include an educational component for young people
• have dedicated web pages (currently being developed) on the Leytonstone Festival website which will include information about participating artists
• exhibit fine art across the mediums, and feature the arts in a more general sense, including textiles and glass making

At the moment I need to identify artists in Leytonstone who would like to participate in the trail, and cultural organisations in Leytonstone which may have networks to tap into.

Please contact me on leytonstonearttrail@annaspain.madasafish.com

I would also like to hear from you if you can help in any other way, or would like to be involved in planning and delivery.

To all Leytonstone Festival Association members or friends...

We are currently planning this year's Festival and as part of this process we are holding planning meetings on the following dates:

• 19 February
• 18 March
• 15 April
• 20 May
• 24 June (which will be the Association's AGM)

All the meetings will be in the Epicentre, 41 West St, E11 4LJ (Tel: 020 8539 2432; Web site), starting at 19.30.

Please attend if it is at all possible: we need everyone's ideas and energy.

Please note, too, that the final date for inclusion in this year's programme will be 1 May; regretfully, we will not be able to accept anything else after this date.

If you have any queries please contact Nick Tiratsoo, Festival Co-Ordinator, at NTiratsoo@aol.com or on 020 8555 6623.

We look forward to seeing you on 19 February.

Best wishes

The Leytonstone Festival Committee

The John Ongom Big Band & Singers, John Ongom Big Band have agreed to appear gain this year.

They will be performing at the Heathcote Arms on Saturday 12th July from 7.30pm.