We’ve got a theremin at home.
Haven’t touched it in years.
But on the off-chance you haven’t got one lying around, you’ll probably want to grab this opportunity to hear it played live by ‘one of the world’s leading theremin virtuosos’ in a candlelit hospital chapel later this month.
It’s one of the most eerie and unusual instruments on the planet, that makes sounds without the player making any contact at all. Instead, it picks up changes in electromagnetic fields caused by strange, sinuous hand movements. Lydia Kavina actually learnt to play it under the instruction of its inventor (and we should acknowledge at this point that while she was born in Russia, she lives in the UK and has spent years playing in concerts around the world).
You’ll step into a cavernous 18th century church that was built as part of Guy’s Hospital in London Bridge. Taking your seat among the vaulted archways and flickering candlelight, Gothic Punch in hand, you’ll be treated to an ethereal soundtrack of Bach, Ravel, and Kavina’s own compositions, accompanied by world-class pianist Thomas Ang.
It’s all taking place as part of a Gothic London weekend arranged by the city’s preeminent preternatural societies, Antique Beat & A Curious Invitation. Other events on the roster include an afternoon of London ghost stories; a candlelit opera concert combining romance and the macabre; talks on Victorian séances and how medicine influenced the Gothic imagination; and a magic lantern show conjuring ghostly 19th century images with a live piano accompaniment.
After all these events, you’ll also be free to wander down to the vaults below the chapel, usually closed off to the public…
…apart from a few people who have crypt in.
NOTE: Gothic London events run from 18th – 20th March. Tickets cost £12-15, and you can book HERE.
Gothic London | Guy’s Hospital Chapel, St. Thomas Street, SE1 1UL
Like finding unusual things to do? See what else is on in your March Agenda