Ella & Friends by Candlelight
- Next Event
- 31st October 7:30pm
- Event Finishes
- 31st October 9:30pm
About this event
London Concertante is delighted to announce Ella & Friends by Candlelight – a heartfelt tribute to the First Lady of Song, Ella Fitzgerald – coming to the breathtaking St Edmundsbury Cathedral on Friday 31st October 2025, 7:30 pm.
Known primarily for its classical repertoire, the orchestra continues to push creative boundaries with this jazz-inspired programme, following the success of its genre-defying Radiohead Reimagined tour earlier this year.
The evening will feature award-winning jazz vocalist Emma Smith, recently named Jazz Vocalist of the Year at the 2024 Parliamentary Jazz Awards. Smith has performed with international stars including Michael Bublé, The Quincy Jones Orchestra, Jeff Goldblum, Bobby McFerrin, Gregory Porter, and Postmodern Jukebox. She was also the only UK finalist in the 2023 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition. A former BBC Radio 3 presenter and long-standing member of the Ronnie Scott’s All Stars, Smith is widely recognised as one of the most exciting voices in jazz today.
Performing alongside London Concertante’s expanded orchestral ensemble (featuring strings, harp, trumpet, cor anglais, and drum kit), Smith will bring Fitzgerald’s timeless music to life with lush new arrangements by David Gordon, Ali Vennart, Alan Gout, and Ryan Lynam.
Audiences will be transported through Fitzgerald’s extraordinary career – from her spellbinding interpretations of the Great American Songbook to her iconic duets with Louis Armstrong. The programme also pays tribute to her legendary contemporaries including Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, and Nina Simone.
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About the Venue
For over 1,000 years, the site of Suffolk ’s Cathedral has been one of worship and pilgrimage.
The death of Edmund, King of the East Angles, at the hands of the Danes in 869 led to the building of an abbey to house his remains. St James’s Church was built within the precincts of the Abbey, becoming a Cathedral in 1914. The Cathedral building has continued to develop over recent years with the addition of the Millennium Tower, completed in 2005, and its magnificent painted and gilded vault, added in 2010. In 2009 the Cathedral changed its dedication to become the Cathedral Church of St James and St Edmund.
Visitors are welcome to look around the Cathedral on their own. Entry is free but donations gratefully received. A free introductory leaflet is available in English, Dutch, French, German, Italian, and Polish. Visitors are most welcome to attend any of the daily services.
Guided Tours of the Cathedral run Monday to Saturday at 11.30am from the font from April to October. Tickets can be purchased at the Cathedral Shop. Occasionally a tour may have to be cancelled if another event is taking place in the Cathedral. If you are travelling some distance, please do ring the Cathedral office to check. These tours last approx 1 hour and cost £7 per person (under 16s free).
St Edmundsbury Cathedral Tower Tours - Experience a fascinating behind-the-scenes tour of St Edmundsbury Cathedral's Millennium Tower with fun and knowledgeable guides. Explore heady heights with amazing views from the top of the tower, the highest point in Bury St Edmunds! Don’t forget your camera!
St Edmund Statue by Dame Elisabeth Frink - A trip to Bury St Edmunds would not be complete without a photo of the iconic St Edmund statue by Dame Elisabeth Frink. The statue can be found outside in the Great Churchyard of the Cathedral.
Cathedral Lego Project - St Edmundsbury Cathedral has launched an ambitious project to recreate the Cathedral out of 200,000 LEGO bricks! Visitors can see the Lego Cathedral being built before their eyes and donate a brick to be part of this amazing project. The Lego Cathedral is located in the South West corner of St Edmundsbury Cathedral. Opening times may vary based on volunteer availability.
The Ancient Library - The Ancient Library was founded by Dr Miles Mosse in 1595 as a resource for clergy training. There are over 550 books, mainly printed in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The library, in a room over the north-west porch designed by Stephen Dykes Bower in 1960, has bookcases made by Leonard Goff in 2004. If you would like to visit the library, please contact the librarian through the Cathedral Office on visits@stedscathedral.org or 01284 748730.
Pilgrim's Kitchen - after touring the Cathedral why not relax with a cuppa at the Cathedral's cafe?
"A lovely gem in Bury St Edmunds, a must visit."
"Really gorgeous cathedral with a lot of history and a lot of areas to explore."
"The grounds are spectacular enough as they contain the remains of a destroyed abbey but once you enter the Cathedral it's like entering something from Camelot. I have never come across a Cathedral with such a range of textures and colours on the floor, cleaning and stained glass."
