Brixton Chamber Orchestra took to the streets yesterday (Sunday 24 May 2026) for their Streetband Parade. The band consisted of brass (including, of course, a Sousaphone) and woodwind, along with electric guitar and drums. We all met on Rush Common at the foot of Brixton Hill then made our way by a circuitous route uphill to Holmewood Gardens where there was an impromptu picnic and concert.
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| Preparing to set off from Rush Common |
The music was described as “From the Caribbean to Brazil with a bit of New Orleans on the way…”. And of course, being Brixton there was rap too (a young man had the unenviable task of pedalling a cargo bike uphill bearing amp, power source and such).
And a steel band. They formed a separate ‘parade’ and spelled the streetband, with the two playing together at the end.
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| Holmewood Gardens |
The weather was kind, the music fun. People watched from their houses, joined the parade and had a great time.
The whole thing was free, but Brixton Chamber Orchestra can only function with our support, so please be generous. And you can keep an eye on what’s coming next via the website.
_1353-2.jpeg?w=670&resize=670,446&ssl=1 "We are the lucky ones: Philip Venables new opera at Dutch National Opera, his first large-scale orchestral opera")
