East London Music Group

08/07/2026

We are really excited about our opera project "Nellie Cressall" written by Lucy Armstrong and Olivia Bell and set to be premiered in 2028.

We had a fantastic launch event in Bethnal Green back in March, and now we're delighted that our promo film about the project is live on YouTube.

Have a look and let us know what you think!

In 2028 will premiere a brand new opera: Nell...

29/03/2026

We were thrilled to launch our new opera project, Nellie Cressall, last week to such a brilliant packed audience at Oxford House.

Thank you to everyone who came and asked questions, chatted to us, and supported our speakers. We are very grateful to Janine, Erika, Andy, Lucy and Olivia for their performances and speeches - we are looking forward to sharing snippets over the coming weeks.

To keep up to date about the project, or get in touch with us, please go to our website, eastlondonmusicgroup.co.uk to sign up for the mailing list, donate, or write us a note.

25/03/2026

It’s our launch event for our new opera project, Nellie Cressall, tonight - we’re very excited to introduce our project to the world. It’s taking place between 6.30 - 8pm at Oxford House Theatre, Bethnal Green, E2 6HG. Tickets are free, but we have had a brilliant response to our event and are very close to capacity!

We have a final handful of FREE tickets available - snap them up here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/nellie-cressall-launch-tickets-1980594918718?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl

08/03/2026

At East London Music Group we are excited to announce our most ambitious, exciting, and inspiring project yet.

We have commissioned a new opera based on the events of the 1921 Poplar Rates Rebellion entitled Nellie Cressall, which will be written by composer/librettist team Lucy Armstrong and Olivia Bell.

In 1921 Poplar’s newly elected Independent Labour Council took a defiant stand against government tax policy which discriminated against their borough, the poorest in London at that time. When the council withheld rates due to the government, they were taken to court, and thirty Poplar councillors were imprisoned for contempt. At the centre of the Rebellion was Councillor Nellie Cressall, who was six months pregnant at the time of her incarceration. The public was outraged, and ultimately the government was forced to back down, release the councillors, and change the law.

The Poplar Rates Rebellion, as it became known, was a landmark event in UK politics which resonated down the generations, showing what can be achieved when politicians are willing to selflessly stand up for their constituents.

On International Women's Day, we are proud be adding the name Nellie Cressall to the multitude of women being celebrated across the world - and we are looking forward to using the opera to keep her story in the spotlight for many more months to come.

We are incredibly grateful for the support of Cockayne Foundation, Arts Council England, Ralph Vaughan Williams Foundation and Golsoncott Foundation for funding the commission and development work. We are now seeking to raise funding to perform the opera in 2028, in a series of performances which will bring together professional and community musicians.

If you would like to celebrate the launch of this project with us, please come along to our free launch event, 6.30 - 8pm on Wednesday 25th March, where will perform a song from the opera, host a discussion with composer and librettist, and dive into the fascinating history of the Rebellion.

FREE tickets to the launch event can be booked here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/nellie-cressall-launch-tickets-1980594918718

12/02/2024

It's our 9th birthday! 🥳

In 2015 ELMG presented our first concert of 'A Soldier's Tale' at St John's Church and at Queen Mary University, pictured below.

We are so thankful to have worked with so many fantastic musicians, commissioned a lot of amazing new music and collaborated with some innovative organisations.

Thanks so much for all your support, we have big plans for our tenth year, keep your eyes peeled for updates!

13/11/2023

It feels like yesterday that we were spending sunny summer days preparing for our massed choir and band concert celebrating the story of the East London Matchgirls' strike of 1888. You can read more about the project and the history behind it here, as well as some brilliant comments from our participants and audiences! https://www.eastlondonmusicgroup.co.uk/blog

05/07/2023

After a couple of days of rest and reflection, we're ready to share the first photo from the Striking Sparks concert on Saturday.

The looks on the participants' faces say it all! The concert was a brilliant success, and we are so grateful for the enthusiasm and effort from Poplar Singers, Victoria Park Singers, Aldersbrook Community Choir, QMUL Choir, and East London Children's Choir. They were accompanied by the ever-fantastic East London Community Band, playing to an audience of over 500!

We love getting to premiere new works, and A Fair Field, by Jonathan Pease, was the perfect way to tell the story of the Matchgirls - which was what the project was all about.

Thank you for collaborating with us on this The Matchgirls Memorial team - it has been a pleasure to bring such an important piece of local history to life.

We're looking forward to sharing more pictures soon!

28/06/2023

Fab to get Aldersbrook Community Choir, Victoria Park Singers, Poplar Singers and singers from QMUL Choir together on Sunday to rehearse together for our concert on Saturday night. It's sounding incredibly exciting!

Tickets available on the door on the night, or in advance here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/striking-sparks-the-story-of-the-matchgirls-tickets-600840218267

19/06/2023

Just a couple of weeks to go until East London Music Group’s concert Striking Sparks: The Story of the Matchgirls, taking place at The People’s Palace, Queen Mary University of London on the 1st July.

ELMG have commissioned a brand new piece of music that tells the story of a fascinating and important piece of local East London history: the Matchgirls’ Strike of 1888. The strike was was hugely influential in the trade union movement, and an inspiring example of women and girls leading an industrial action. Brave and vibrant, the Matchgirls are rousing heroines and the composer of the new work, Jonathan Pease, has brought their story to life with brilliant music.

The piece will be premiered by five local community choirs and East London Community Band, whose members live and work on the streets trodden by the Matchgirls. The evening will be a celebration of community, of music making, and of the importance of standing up for rights and dignities.

Tickets are £7 or £5 for concessions, and can be purchased on the door on in advance online here:

The premier of A Fair Field by Jonathan Pease, in an evening of music telling the story of the Bow Matchgirls’ Strike of 1888.