THE 2014 Sherborne Abbey Festival brings an internationally acclaimed jazz singer, one of classical music’s most enduring stars and a leading early music ensemble to Dorset for the early May bank holiday weekend, May 2-6.
Festival director John Baker, who founded the festival in 2000, is excited by this year’s line-up, which also includes a professional dance company for the first time.
He says: “We welcome you all to what we believe is a wonderful and varied selection of music for your delight.
“For the first time, at this year’s 15th annual festival, we will have professional dancers on stage with the Jiving Lindy Hoppers and Harry Strutters Hot Rhythm Orchestra, Swinging at the Cotton Club and from the USA we welcome the amazing jazz singer Stacey Kent.
“We invite you to enjoy the choral beauty of Byrd’s The Great Service and Elgar’s The Apostles, probably the biggest and most beautiful work that he wrote, sung for the first time in Sherborne Abbey.
“In case that is not enough to whet your appetite we are privileged to welcome the man with the golden flute, none other than the incredible Sir James Galway.
“These are just the headline acts in a wonderful five days packed with a further 18 concerts to tempt you, most of which are free.”
Many concerts take place in Sherborne Abbey, with Stacey Kent and the Cotton Club both at Sherborne School, and some smaller daytime concerts at Castleton Church.
The programme also includes renaissance music group The Cardinall’s Musick, an illustrated talk by the Bishop of Salisbury, the Right Rev Nicholas Holtam, an organ recital by Malcolm Archer, director of chapel music at Winchester College, and a madrigal concert and workshop with the brilliant young Fieri Consort.
As always local young musicians and singers have a major role with concerts by jazz, madrigal, choral and chamber ensembles from Sherborne School, Leweston, the Gryphon School and Sherborne School for Girls, as well as guitarist Samantha Muir, left, the chamber group Rossignol and Sherborne Festival Chorus, conducted by Paul Ellis, giving what is believed to be the region’s first performance of Elgar’s massive choral work, The Apostles. The Festival Chorus was founded in 2006; it is a non-audition choir, which gives local singers the opportunity to perform major works with professional soloists and musicians.
Sherborne Abbey Festival is entirely run by volunteers. Artistic director John Baker founded the festival in 2000 to act as outreach for the abbey by presenting exciting programmes with international performers and top music scholars from local schools.
“This year the festival has once again taken responsibility for funding the abbey choir and providing music lessons for choristers,” says John Baker. “We have also paid for the maintenance of the Abbey organ and bought a new piano for the Choir Vestry for practices.
“We also gave The Rendezvous in Sherborne a total of £3,000 to provide music lessons to their students.”
Booking for this year’s festival opens on February 17.
For full details of the festival programme pick up a festival leaflet or visit the website sherborneabbeyfestival.org Follow the festival on Twitter @abbeyfestival
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