A Night in Soho

RTÉ Concert Orchestra
Guy Barker, conductor

Inspired by the vibrant musical life of Soho, jazz trumpeter, composer and arranger Guy Barker brings his cinematic flair to Soho Symphony - a piece shaped by the places, people, and ghosts of the storied London district. An Associate Artist with the RTÉ CO, Barker is renowned for his dynamic playing and orchestration, having collaborated with legends such as Sting, Elvis Costello, Frank Sinatra, Quincy Jones and Van Morrison.

At the heart of Soho Symphony is a short story by Robert Ryan (Underdogs, Early One Morning, Dead Man’s Land), loosely inspired by Ulysses. It follows a young man who, after missing a date, spends 24 hours wandering Soho’s streets, in an odyssey portrayed through frantic, melancholic, and offbeat musical themes. Our hero, the flâneur, wakes in his Fitzrovia flat before embarking on his journey. Along the way, he encounters Jeffrey Bernard, livid after being barred from the infamous Colony Room, then drifts into a bluesy 12/8 section evoking another Soho - the legendary music clubs of the era, like The Flamingo and Georgie Fame’s all-night R&B sessions. Blending blues, jazz and cyclical storytelling, Soho Symphony is a sonic exploration of romance, disillusionment, and self-reflection in London’s most iconic musical quarter.

Other pieces in the programme influenced by Soho include a Ronnie Scott’s medley, evoking the spirit of the jazz club since its opening in 1959, as well as John Barry’s first ever film score, composed for Beat, a 1960 film about a teenage girl who becomes embroiled in Soho’s beatnik scene, and the theme for Alfie (1966), composed by legendary saxophonist Sonny Rollins at 3am in Ronnie Scott’s one morning.

Presented by the RTÉ Concert Orchestra.