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Classical Concerts in Bristol

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Bristol's Classical Scene

Bristol has a long history of classical music, with new talent emerging year upon year thanks to students at Bristol University’s prestigious department of music. The largest classical music performances see complete orchestras performing at St George’s Hall where natural acoustics continue to wow audiences of over five hundred guests. Contemporary solo performances have found home in Colston Hall’s second room, The Lantern. St Stephen’s church and the Victoria Rooms in Clifton are also essential venues for classical music and orchestras in Bristol.

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Our recent classical recommendations

Having a bad week? Hit the Ill Repute basement for Sergio Martino’s giallo wellness package! All the Colours of the Dark is a phantasmagorical acid-laced nightmare featuring a blue-eyed stalker, a satanic coven and a pet puppy having a particularly bad time (consider yourselves warned). You’ve got absolutely no chance of keeping your grip on reality, let alone your pint… All the Colours of the Dark at The Ill Repute.

Sell out warning! Make no mistake, THIS is the Gay Sex Tuesday agenda! These perverts want to destroy the traditional weekend! They’ll force their slutty temporal deviance on you and your loved ones! Meet us at the Cube auditorium to protest this calendar-defying filth, where we’ll also be taking a long, hard look at the jaw-dropping output of 80s Tom-of-Finland-hunk-come-to-life Al Parker… for research purposes… GAY SEX TUESDAYS does Friday night 7.30pm at The Cube.

Lifelines of knowledge, community and safety in hostile times, queer bookshops have always been quiet powerhouses in the fight for liberation, long overdue their day in the sun. AJ West celebrates centuries of shelf-based salvation the globe over in this inspiring new work, launched in conversation with LGBTQ+ historian Jack Shoulder. How Queer Bookshops Changed the World with AJ West at Bookhaus.

A mute Scottish pianist and her daughter (11-year-old Oscar-winning Anna Paquin) arrive in 19th century New Zealand for an arranged marriage in this colonial Gothic mash-up of Bluebeard and the Brontes. Classical and expressionistic, restrained and fiercely erotic, The Piano shattered Cannes' glass ceiling and crowned Jane Campion the first woman to win the Palme d’Or. Essential cinema! The Piano 6pm at The Cube.

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What our editors say

“In their traditional contexts, the folk song traditions of Britain and Ireland have been, almost without exception, unaccompanied. Approaches to the accompaniment of folk songs from the early 20th century onwards have borrowed heavily from the conventions of classical and popular musics, often to the detriment of some of the subtleties and nuances of the traditional material.”
From: Rethinking Accompaniment for Traditional Songs - Workshop with Nick Hart

“In the second part of every class, we will apply this movement to traditional Cuban social dances such as Son Cubano, Chachachá and others, blending Afro-Cuban roots with social dance, and also exploring contemporary technique and basic classical dance concepts.”
From: AFROCUBAN & BODYMOVEMENT

“Deems Experiment (https://www.instagram.com/deems.experiment/) is a group of Bristol-based composers and instrumentalists whose style blends elements of jazz, classical music, hip hop, and math rock. For this night, the crowd will be graced with a duo composed of lead keyboardist Aondoyima ‘Deems’ Ioratim-Uba and bassist and drummer Munashe 'Kaps' Kapswarah (https://www.instagram.com/kaps.drumz/ from Grace Mack & The Pack, to take us through a journey of soulful melodies and smooth, mesmerising sounds.”
From: The Big Fish Bash Gig: Fundraiser for asylum seekers

“Scarlett Smith is an electroacoustic harpist and comedian. Tired of the harps demure, classical reputation, Scarlett’s debut solo show Any Objections? is a surreal quest to prove this instrument belongs far beyond the orchestra pit. Blending live looping covers of popular songs, self-produced indie-pop jingles and fast paced punch lines, the show is a playful celebration of creativity and harp innovation.”
From: Any Objections?

“In this immersive oil painting course, we will focus on painting the two angels from The Baptism of Christ, exploring the moment where High Renaissance naturalism truly comes alive. You’ll learn how to build luminous flesh and atmosphere using the Sfumato technique—Leonardo’s famously subtle, almost magical method of soft transitions. We’ll also dive deep into convincing drapery folds, understanding how fabric flows, settles, and supports form, and you’ll learn how to integrate gold leaf into your paintings, uniting brilliance with classical tradition.”
From: Masters & Apprentices