Andrew Parmley, the first music teacher and classical organist to be elected as Lord Mayor of the City of London in its 800-year history, will play the Saint-Saëns Organ Symphony at St Paul’s Cathedral this evening.

Parmley, who trained at the Royal Academy of Music, will play the Grand Organ and will appear as solo player with the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO), as part of a Gala Concert in aid of The Lord Mayor’s Appeal.

The piece, otherwise known as Symphony No. 3 in C minor, was composed by Saint-Saëns in 1886 and takes around 35 minutes to perform. The Gala Concert will also feature Parry’s I Was Glad, Allegri’s Miserere and Walton’s Coronation Te Deum, sung by the St Paul’s Cathedral Choir.

Speaking during rehearsals for the Gala Concert, Lord Mayor Andrew Parmley said:

“The City of London is a world leading financial centre and home to a vibrant cultural hub and, not only do we believe that arts and culture are essential to enriching people’s lives, they are crucial to the City’s success and woven into our history. Culture, open and available to all, is part of what attracts people to work in, live in, and visit the City.

"I have nominated three musical good causes for this year’s Lord Mayor’s Appeal. LSO Discovery, the orchestra’s pioneering music education programme, St Paul’s Music Outreach, and Music in Hospitals to benefit from funds raised by this Gala Concert.

“As very probably the first ever organist Lord Mayor in 827 years, I am delighted to be playing the solo part in the Saint-Saëns Organ Symphony with the LSO in the magnificent surroundings of St. Paul’s Cathedral. This will be a truly unique experience, certainly, in the City’s mayoral history, and unlikely to be repeated.”

The City of London Corporation, which is headed by Lord Mayor Andrew Parmley, invests £80m every year in heritage and cultural activities of all kinds. It is the UK’s largest funder of culture after the government, the BBC, and the Heritage Lottery Fund.

ENDS

Notes for Editors:

For further information, please contact:

Andrew Buckingham, Media Officer, City of London Corporation

Tel: 020 7332 1452 / Mobile: 07795 333060 / Email andrew.buckingham@cityoflondon.gov.uk

About the City of London Corporation:

The City of London Corporation is a uniquely diverse organisation. It supports and promotes the City as a world leader in international finance and business services and provides local services and policing for those working in, living in, and visiting the Square Mile. It also provides valued services to London and the nation. These include the Barbican Centre, Barbican Music Library, Guildhall School of Music & Drama, Guildhall Library, Guildhall Art Gallery and Roman Amphitheatre, London Metropolitan Archives, a range of education provision (including three City Academies); five Thames bridges (including Tower Bridge and Millennium Bridge), Central Criminal Court at Old Bailey, over 10,000 acres of open spaces (including Hampstead Heath and Epping Forest), and three wholesale food markets. The City of London Corporation is London’s Port Health Authority and also runs the Animal Reception Centre at Heathrow. For more details, visit www.cityoflondon.gov.uk