<img src='' title='Event Category: Lunchtime Concerts' alt='' id='templ_icon_' width='' height='' /> Event Category: Lunchtime Concerts

The strings of the sitar have always known how to fill a sacred space. At St Martin-in-the-Fields, where centuries of collective reverence live in the walls, Darbar brings the ancient soul of Indian classical music home to one of London’s most beloved churches.

Akash Parekar is one of the most exciting voices in a new generation of British-born sitar players. Beginning his journey at just eighteen, he has since studied under a lineage of masters including the renowned Roopa Panesar, Ustad Dharambir Singh MBE, and Ustad Irshad Khan, son and disciple of Ustad Imrat Khan. Rooted in both Western classical and contemporary music, Akash brings a fresh sensibility to the sitar without losing sight of its deep spiritual core. His collaborative work spans Glastonbury to the recording studio, with artists as varied as Zak Starkey and Mayur Navekar, and he is currently completing his debut album.

Joining him is tabla player Janan Sathiendran, whose training spans both Hindustani and Carnatic traditions under Shri Sukhdeep Singh Dhanjal and Pandit Yogesh Samsi. Raised in London in a home rich with musical diversity, Janan has shared stages with Nitin Sawhney, A.R. Rahman, and Abi Sampa.

In a church built on centuries of shared reverence, these two artists bring music that has always understood the distance between the human and the divine is measured not in doctrine, but in sound.

From the gentle rocking of Chopin’s Barcarolle to the sunlit landscapes of Beethoven’s “Pastoral” Sonata, this programme explores music inspired by nature, memory and imagination. Debussy’s Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune, heard in Matan Porat’s evocative piano arrangement, drifts between dream and reality, while the opening movement of Schubert’s A major Sonata unfolds with warmth and effortless lyricism. Ligeti’s sharply contrasted miniatures from Musica Ricercata bring a more modern voice, by turns playful and mysterious. Together, these works trace a journey through changing musical landscapes, united by their vivid colours and sense of discovery.

Pianist Rokas Valuntonis returns to St Martin’s with a programme showcasing his ‘liquidity of sound’ spanning German Romanticism and French Baroque. The recital begins with Beethoven’s “Pathétique” Sonata, a work famous for its shift from intensity to the beauty of its celebrated Adagio. This is paired with Grieg’s Album Leaves, four poetic miniatures that capture the folk-inspired lyricism of Norway, and a selection of Couperin’s keyboard works.

The performance concludes with Chopin’s lyrical and virtuosic Andante Spianato and Grande Polonaise Brillante, serving as a brilliant finale to this lunchtime concert.

Violinist Violetta Suvini and pianist Henry Lewis showcase three contrasting works: Ravel’s youthful Sonate Posthume, Beethoven’s maverick Sonata No. 4 in A minor, and the folkloric idiom of Janáček’s Violin Sonata.

Unpublished until 1975, decades after Ravel’s death, this charming early work comprises only a single movement, and is thought to be a sketch written for Fauré’s composition class as Ravel’s first exploration of sonata form. It conveys a light, youthful feeling through its explorative melodies, and demonstrates Ravel’s early skill in constructing luminous, shifting harmonies.

Beethoven’s early sonatas are noted for involving the violin in a more equal partnership with the then-dominant fortepiano. Though the 4th Sonata is often overshadowed by the ‘Spring’ Sonata (No.5), the former marks “a notable advance in dramatic style over its predecessors” (Heeney). Described by Lockwood as “the wayward stepchild among Beethoven’s violin sonatas”, its quick changes of mood, condensation of form, strides towards unorthodox modulations, and unexpected rhythmic qualities, leave a strong impression.

“Janáček’s music is steeped in the folk music idioms and speech patterns of his Moravian homeland: he claimed “the whole life of man is in folk music”. This composer’s material follows closely the inflections, cadences and rhythms of the Czech language.” (Markow). His unique musical expression can be heard in the rhythmic and melodic fragments which are repeated and juxtaposed between the violin and piano. The second movement ‘Ballade’ was written first as a stand-alone piece, before finding its place as the lyrical heart of this sonata.