Sunshine, gems of the woodwind repertoire, and a street worth of culinary choices — if you want them, and a place to sit if you don’t. Life in the city doesn’t get much better than this.
The Hamilton Philharmonic has returned to the downtown core for a second summer with their Downtown Summer Concert Series. It’s the second year for the series, presented by the City of Hamilton, and an enlargement on the HPO’s offerings. In 2024, concerts were held only every other Wednesday afternoon.
Music In The City
The Brass and Woodwind Quintets of the HPO, more specifically, play an hour-long free concert outdoors on King William Street in downtown Hamilton. They’ve been running every Wednesday from noon until 1 p.m. on King William Street just east of James Street South since July 16.
It’s part of a series of special events taking place on King William Street, which the City of Hamilton has turned into a pedestrian-only hub for culture and food from July 16 until September 14.
The first block of King William Street, which runs east from James Street, is paved with modern cobblestone-ish tiles, and is known as restaurant row. There is a wide selection of food and drink available, from casual cafés to French bistro cuisine.
There are also available places to sit and enjoy the music independent of any of the street’s businesses, including benches, tables and chairs, and a row of Muskoka chairs directly around the tented area where the ensemble plays.
The HPO’s Summer Woodwind Quintet is made up of flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, and French horn, all of whom played admirably in tune in the humid, hot weather. You can expect imaginative and adventurous repertoire, as well as pieces that tie into the HPO’s upcoming 2025/26 season — like John William’s score for Jurassic Park, which the orchestra will be playing live in October 18.
On August 13, the program also included Malcolm Arnold’s Three Sea Shanties, Carl Nielsen’s Wind Quintet, Op. 43, pieces from Tchaikovsky’s familiar Nutcracker Suite, and Valerie Coleman’s Umojo, written for Kwanzaa — delightful gems that got an appreciative response from the crowd that grew little by little over the hour.
It was a diverse and multi-generational group who stopped to enjoy the music, which ably drowned out the canned tunes drifting onto the street from various businesses along the street, and competed nicely with the noise of traffic from nearby James Street South. It’s also an environment where conversations can be sparked easily, and restless kids can fidget at will.
The Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra: Wednesdays At Lunch On King William Street
There are several more dates when you can still catch up with the HPO Downtown Summer Concert Series:
- August 20
- August 27
- September 3
- September 10
On August 14, you can also catch the Waterfront Series Brass Quintet from 6:30 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. at Pier 8.
- Find more details about the Wednesday lunchtime concert series [HERE].
- Find information, tickets and subscriptions for the HPO’s upcoming 2025/26 season [HERE].
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