Barnes Big Band Returns to St Nicholas Church
16 piece ensemble joined by vocalist Vanessa Rose for Spring concert
Members of the Barnes Big Band
|
March 21, 2026
St Nicholas Church in Chiswick is to host the Barnes Big Band for an evening of high-energy jazz, classic swing and standout vocal performances. The 16-piece ensemble, one of southwest London’s most respected community big bands, will perform on Friday 17 April at 7.30pm, with doors opening at 7pm and refreshments available.
The Barnes Big Band has been a fixture of the local jazz scene for more than twenty years, bringing together some of the finest amateur and semi-professional musicians in the London area. Known for its warm brass sound, tight ensemble playing and accessible repertoire, the band performs everything from Count Basie and Duke Ellington to contemporary big-band arrangements written specially for them by musicians associated with the group.
The band is led by trombonist Andrew Butcher, who has played with the ensemble for nearly two decades and took over leadership in 2018 from the late Stan Reynolds, a celebrated trumpeter with the internationally renowned Ted Heath Orchestra. Under Butcher’s direction, the band has continued to evolve its sound while maintaining the classic big-band tradition that has made it a favourite across Barnes, Chiswick and Richmond.
Joining the band for this concert is acclaimed jazz vocalist Vanessa Rose, whose rich, soulful performances have made her a familiar presence on the West London jazz circuit. She will perform a selection of vocal favourites made famous by Natalie Cole, daughter of the legendary Nat King Cole. Rose has appeared several times with the Barnes Big Band over the past year.
This year’s programme will also pay tribute to two giants of jazz history. The band will perform works by Miles Davis, marking 100 years since his birth, and by Gordon Goodwin, the celebrated bandleader and composer who died earlier this year. Audiences can also expect music by classic big-band arrangers such as Quincy Jones and Sammy Nestico, whose work remains a staple of the genre.
Tickets are £15, or £8 for under-25s, making the event an accessible evening of live music for all ages.
The concert is organised by the Friends of St Nicholas Church, with proceeds supporting the upkeep of the historic riverside building.
St Nicholas Church is at Church Street, Chiswick, W4 2PJ.
Like Reading Articles Like This? Help Us Produce More This site remains committed to providing local community news and public interest journalism. Articles such as the one above are integral to what we do. We aim to feature as much as possible on local societies, charities based in the area, fundraising efforts by residents, community-based initiatives and even helping people find missing pets. We’ve always done that and won’t be changing, in fact we’d like to do more. However, the readership that these stories generates is often below that needed to cover the cost of producing them. Our financial resources are limited and the local media environment is intensely competitive so there is a constraint on what we can do. We are therefore asking our readers to consider offering financial support to these efforts. Any money given will help support community and public interest news and the expansion of our coverage in this area. A suggested monthly payment is £8 but we would be grateful for any amount for instance if you think this site offers the equivalent value of a subscription to a daily printed newspaper you may wish to consider £20 per month. If neither of these amounts is suitable for you then contact info@neighbournet.com and we can set up an alternative. All payments are made through a secure web site. One-off donations are also appreciated. Choose The Amount You Wish To Contribute. If you do support us in this way we’d be interested to hear what kind of articles you would like to see more of on the site – send your suggestions to the editor. For businesses we offer the chance to be a corporate sponsor of community content on the site. For £30 plus VAT per month you will be the designated sponsor of at least one article a month with your logo appearing if supplied. If there is a specific community group or initiative you’d like to support we can make sure your sponsorship is featured on related content for a one off payment of £50 plus VAT. All payments are made through a secure web site. |