Shine with Jess Gillam

Jess Gillam brings her show Shine to St George's Bristol on Friday 16 October, with the performance taking place in the main hall. Gillam is an award-winning saxophonist, broadcaster and presenter, and she's built this 90-minute programme around 900 years of music, weaving together pieces from across that span.

On the bill, the dynamism of CPE Bach sits alongside the groove of Michael Nyman, the tenderness of Barbara Strozzi and the intimacy of folk traditions. It's a wide reach for one evening, and she doesn't just play through them — she introduces each piece with stories told from the stage, so you get the context behind the music as it happens. The whole thing runs for about an hour and a half.

She's not on her own for it. She performs with a seven-piece band — a string quartet meeting a jazz trio, with her saxophone at the centre. It's a fairly unusual combination, and the mix of strings and jazz rhythm section should give the different styles in the programme their own space to breathe. The critics have been on board with the result: The Arts Desk described her 'breathtaking high-wire virtuosity' and The Times noted her 'unstuffy, inspiring personality'.

Practical details: it starts at 7.30pm in the main hall at St George's, and tickets are from £10, though they're currently sold out. The evening is suitable for ages 12 and over.