This City is Made for Music

A film of a musical journey within the Square Mile, linking architecture and music.

Circling around the heart of the Roman City [The Barbican fort] and the Saxon town [the Foundation Chapel of St Paul's Cathedral] up to the present day, the film traces a story of architectural places within the Square Mile and the vocal music that Londoners will have heard at the time of each architectural event.

The first written record 'of London' is a fragment forming part of an address – Londinio Mogontio, ‘To Mogontius [a Celtic personal name], of [in] London’, and appears on a writing tablet dating from c.65AD pre-dating, by half a century, Tacitus’ famous mention of London in his Annals, which was previously held to be the earliest record.

By 1700, Purcell is dead. The rebuilding of Londinium within the Square Mile is all but complete. Sir Christopher Wren is seen to be perpetuating an old century style. Robert Hooke, by swiftly measuring and certifying the merchants’ building plots, had long since thwarted Sir Christopher’s Baroque City plans. The City thrives, rapidly spreading beyond Roman bounds and the story ends at Paternoster Temple bar with the specially commissioned piece “A Linden Antiphon”.

Written and presented by Jonathan Louth with Marion Wyllie and featuring original drawings by Peter Kent, Topographical Artist

Original music recorded by ArchiCantiores and the ArchiCantuor Quartet.

The event will be in two halves, the first part covering AD65 to 1700, part 2 covers 1700-2023.

London: This City is Made for Music |On behalf of Temple Bar Trust

6:30pm - Welcome and introduction to the TBT video series.

6:40pm - Part One - AD65 to 1700

7:20pm - Intermission - a Q&A with Jonathan Louth and Barry Munday

7:40pm - Part Two - 1700 - 2023

8:30pm Closing thanks.