Sometimes the best concerts are free

Spitalfields is the London neighbourhood where rich City meets meets poor Hackney and Tower Hamlets, and its annual festival reflects that mix and the histories of Jewish, Bangladeshi and Cockney communities that have lived there.
Over the next couple of weeks there's a terrific programme of concerts and other events, studded with some top names. But often it is the more modest event that makes the greatest impression.
Last night I went to a magical, free, concert given by children from local schools, at Shoreditch Church. The church, build in 1740, while still used for worship, is showing a little wear and tear. That didn't matter. The young performers were terrific, running through more than a dozen pieces for massed stings, choir and soloists in an hour under director Simon Foxley. They ranged through Bach and Purcell to Gershwin and Cowan (Waltzing Matilda).
The organisation was excellent, with music projected on screen to avoid much shuffling of stands, and different groups nipping on and off stage with precision that would shame many professional groups.
The mix of those performing reflected that of the many different cultures in the area. As my wife Ann reflected as we left (gladly dropping some coins into the collection bucket), preparation and performance at events like that probably do more for community cohesion than many officially-supported projects.
Tomorrow's free show - Broadway Dames in the garden of the Royal London Hospital, Whitechapel.
Previously: The seriously useful side of fetes and festivals