20th February: Lunchtime Concert – Steve Bean (Classical Guitar)

For our second Tuesdays Till Two concert of 2024, we’re delighted to welcome back guitarist Steve Bean, who last played for us in November, when he accompanied singer Gabriella Pineda-Rodrigues. Steve was our first solo performer of the year in both 2022 and 2023, and his concerts always attract a large and appreciative audience.

Steve’s playing style as a solo guitarist is predominantly Classical with a Flamenco influence. His work over the years has allowed him to absorb many genres into his unique performances, giving way to varied repertoire encompassing compositions by artists such as John Williams, Einaudi & Albeniz to more popular pieces by The Beatles & Queen (Check out this Youtube video, which has now been viewed more than fifteen million times: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfZmMJKIBec)

As ever, our pop-up café offering lots of home made sweet and savoury treats as well as hot and cold drinks will be open for the hour before the concert. After the concert the St John’s Community Support Hub will be open until 4.30pm, and will be serving a light meal from 2.30pm.

Admission is free, but we do ask those who can afford it to make a donation to help cover our costs. The suggested donation is now £6, our first increase since 2018.

13th February: Lunchtime Concert – Pennyless (Violin & Guitar) – Folk/Roots

Our Tuesdays Till Two lunchtime concerts return on Shrove Tuesday (Pancake Day) with a first appearance by local folk/roots duo Pennyless.

As ever, our pop-up café offering lots of home made sweet and savoury treats as well as hot and cold drinks will be open for the hour before the concert. After the concert the St John’s Community Support Hub will be open until 4.30pm, and will be serving a light meal from 2.30pm.

Admission is free, but we do ask those who can afford it to make a donation to help cover our costs. The suggested donation is now £6, our first increase since 2018.

About Pennyless:

Penny Stevens on violin and Les Woods on guitar form a distinctive and powerful sound as they range through the world of original and roots folk/world music. Pennyless have 6 albums to date after working together for 13 years. Expect a varied mix of up-tempo instrumentals and fanciful songs, high energy and fun!

“gorgeously quirky stuff, essential and eccentric folk rock at its best..” FATEA

“a highly enjoyable mix of English rebel folk and gentle musings” Musicians Union magazine.

21st November: Lunchtime Jazz Café – Moises Sanchez and Friends (Latin)

A jazz café season at St John’s just wouldn’t be complete without the Latin music magic of Moises Sanchez and Friends. Last time they played for us, in our final summer outdoor concert in August, they managed to get not just the vicar, but two PCC members and a churchwarden dancing in the square, so be warned, this week you may need to bring a friend to guard your cake or coffee while you dance the lunchtime away!

As ever St John’s will be open for an hour before the concert begins, with volunteers from the pop-up café team offering lots of home made sweet and savoury treats as well as hot and cold drinks. All profits from the café will go towards funding our future programme of events.

The concert will start promptly at 1pm. Admission is free, but we do ask those who can afford it to make a donation to help cover our costs. The suggested donation is £5.

About Moises Sanchez:

Moises Sanchez is a musician, artist, and music producer based in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire. He has been performing since he was ten years old for different bands and now with his band Latino Sounds UK. Into Latin music, electronic, acoustic, experimental and rock music Moises will be performing acoustic versions of popular Latin and Spanish music and also his own material. He will be using experimental soundscapes with lovely melodies.

14th November: Lunchtime Jazz Café – Eleanor Turner and Alan Thomas (Harp & Guitar)

Our jazz café season continues with a concert that brings together one of our most regular performers of the past few years, harpist Eleanor Turner, and superb classical guitarist Alan Thomas, who is playing his first lunchtime concert here. They’ll be playing music by Einaudi, Astor Piazzolla, Charlie Parker and Kenny Dorham.

As ever St John’s will be open for an hour before the concert begins, with volunteers from the pop-up café team offering lots of home made sweet and savoury treats as well as hot and cold drinks. All profits from the café will go towards funding our future programme of events.

The concert will start promptly at 1pm. Admission is free, but we do ask those who can afford it to make a donation to help cover our costs. The suggested donation is £5.

About Eleanor Turner and Alan Thomas

Alan Thomas is a guitarist of many styles, notably jazz, electronic and contemporary music. He has given world premières of over fifty works, including pieces by Laurence Crane, Gabriel Erkoreka, Michael Finnissy, Christopher Fox, and Bryn Harrison, and in 1997 became the only guitarist ever to win first prize in the International Gaudeamus Interpreters Competition in Holland. Alan’s partnership with Eleanor began in 2011 when she had lessons with him, in preparation for that exact same competition – Eleanor went on to win the Second Prize (the first harpist to get to the final) – an amazing achievement but not one to match Alan’s triumph! In 2012, Eleanor and Alan released an album together and toured a show, both called Elusive Symmetry. They co-wrote and produced this work, all inspired by the graphic designs of Dutch artist M.C. Escher. Since then, Eleanor and Alan have worked together often, playing classical, tango, jazz and their own original music. Alan has recently released his first vocal album of entirely original music, played by Alan on synths as well as guitar. It’s called The Wind Among The Reeds and is available to download in all the usual places.
Find them on YouTube @AlanThomasGuitar and @EleanorStrings
or there websites:
https://www.alanthomas-guitar.com and https://www.eleanorturner.biz

7th November: Lunchtime Jazz Café – Gabriella Pineda-Rodrigues and Steve Bean Duo

The second in our season of jazz café concerts brings together two musicians who are both regular and very popular performers at St John’s – singer Gabriella Pineda-Rodrigues and guitarist Steve Bean.
As ever St John’s will be open for an hour before the concert begins, with volunteers from the pop-up café team offering lots of home made sweet and savoury treats as well as hot and cold drinks. All profits from the café will go towards funding our future programme of events.
The concert will start promptly at 1pm. Admission is free, but we do ask those who can afford it to make a donation to help cover our costs. The suggested donation is £5.

About Gabriella Pineda-Rodrigues

Graduate of The Guildhall School of Music & Drama, London & Chetham’s School of Music, Manchester. Gabriella is a highly in demand, versatile professional singer & singer-pianist, who is just as at home singing vintage, pop, opera, classical, musical theatre, and Disney songs authentically. Gabriella has performed at The Royal Albert Hall, The Royal Festival Hall & the Bridgewater Hall but to name a few venues; she has also performed for Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. This month, Gabriella is delighted to be playing Princess Jasmine in Aladdin in the South of Spain.

31st October: Lunchtime Jazz Café – Andy Wild Hughes (Guitar)

After a one week break on 24th October our lunchtime concerts return with the first of our now traditional “jazz café” season of concerts at the café end of the church. During 2023 we’ve had an unusually high number of concerts featuring performers making their St John’s début, and we start this season with the first appearance here of Andy Wild Hughes, a local guitarist who’s been a staple of the Peterborough music scene since his early teens. Andy will be playing a mix of his own original compositions and covers with a jazz twist.

As ever St John’s will be open for an hour before the concert begins, with volunteers from the pop-up café team offering lots of home made sweet and savoury treats as well as hot and cold drinks. All profits from the café will go towards funding our future programme of events.

The concert will start promptly at 1pm. Admission is free, but we do ask those who can afford it to make a donation to help cover our costs. The suggested donation is £5.

22nd November: Lunchtime Jazz : Lexie Green (Americana)

Continuing our “jazz café” season of non-classical concerts we are delighted to welcome singer and songwriter Lexie Green, whose award winning songwriting and crowd pleasing live sets with her band Indigo Blue have gained her an enviable reputation as a performer who gets audiences dancing and a loyal following amongst fans of blues, country rock and Americana.

As usual the pop-up café will be open from noon, serving a range of hot drinks and home-made quiche, cakes, scones etc.

For this concert we’d like the audience to stay (or at least start!) seated in the café area rather than moving to the pews at the front of the church.

The concert will begin promptly at 1pm. Admission is free, but those who are able to afford it are asked to make a donation. The suggested amount is £5.

About Lexie Green:

Lexie Green is a songwriter, farmer and self confessed proud mum from the Fenlands in Cambridgeshire. Her influences are described as Vintage Blues, Americana & Country Rock ‘n’ Roll. Gaining a few tasty International song writing awards and multiple album releases over the last few years she performs around England with her band of friends ‘The Indigo Blue’. (Sam, Kat, John and Steve).

Personally chosen by Bob Harris, BBC Radio 2 and the BBC Introducing team to perform on the BBC Introducing Stage, hosted by Bob Harris at The Long Road Festival 2018. Lexie and the band have built up a strong reputation for their live performances. Recognised and respected by venues, radio presenters and audiences as a crowd loving and excellent ‘live’ band, their fun filled and happy stage presence shines through, winning over venues and audiences alike. Loving nothing more than to perform great music together, bring a smile, raise an audience to their dancing feet and make you feel like you are a huge part of that moment.
“If you want country-pop, then you are not going to find it here. Lexie Green’s music holds a more authentic and traditional UK sound that true lovers of music will appreciate and love.” – Building Our Own Nashville

15th November: Lunchtime Jazz – Moises Sanchez & Friends (Latin)

Moises Sanchez has performed twice before at one of our Lunchtime Jazz sessions, previously appearing together with Florin Marcos as “Latino Sound” (since renamed Latino Sound UK). This time he’ll be appearing under his own name, but once again performing an eclectic mix of Latin and Spanish pop interspersed with some of his own material, using experimental soundscapes with lovely melodies.
As ever St John’s will be open for an hour before the concert begins, with volunteers from the pop-up café team offering lots of home made sweet and savoury treats as well as hot and cold drinks. All profits from the café will go towards funding our future programme of events.
The concert will start promptly at 1pm. Admission is free, but we do ask those who can afford it to make a donation to help cover our costs. The suggested donation is £5.

About Moises Sanchez:

Moises Sanchez is a musician, artist, and music producer based in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire. He has been performing since he was ten years old for different bands and now with his band Latino Sounds UK. Into Latin music, electronic, acoustic, experimental and rock music Moises will be performing acoustic versions of popular Latin and Spanish music and also his own material. He will be using experimental soundscapes with lovely melodies.