bringing the enjoyment of music to all
Saturday 4th July 2026 – 7.45pm at St Peter’s Church, Yateley
Rhythms from Africa
Alexander L’Estrange: Songs of a Rainbow Nation
Karl Jenkins: Adiemus
Bob Chilcott: A Little Jazz Mass
African-American spirituals
The programme explores how rhythm, song and shared human experience travel and transform — from African roots to African-American spirituals, from South African song to the vibrant energy of jazz. These traditions grew from community, resilience and hope, and their influence can still be heard today in music that brings people together through pulse, harmony and voice.
The concert opens with a sequence of spirituals whose melodies and rhythms speak of endurance and faith, before moving to Alexander L’Estrange’s joyful Songs of a Rainbow Nation, inspired by the optimism and vitality of South Africa. After the interval, the hypnotic sound-world of Karl Jenkins’s Adiemus offers a moment of calm reflection, leading into Bob Chilcott’s exuberant A Little Jazz Mass. Jazz may feel a world away from Africa, but its rhythms, swing and expressive freedom are deeply rooted in African musical traditions.
From reflective stillness to infectious energy, Rhythms from Africa is a warm, uplifting celebration of music shaped by movement, voice and community — and of the powerful connections that unite us across time and place.
Admission £17 in advance from Yateley Town Council, St Swithun’s Parish Office and Discoveries or online at www.ticketebo.co.uk/ycs
Tickets also available on the door: Adults £20, Students £5, Under 16s free.
