Newbury Spring Festival

Newbury Spring Festival 

7th-21st May 

Newbury Spring Festival is one of the most popular and successful music festivals in the South of England. Over the last 38 years the Festival has grown hugely in size and quality building up a reputation of international status. With dynamic programming, Festival Director, Mark Eynon attracts the very best from the classical, jazz and world music fields to perform in and around Newbury.

Presenting young artists and developing youthful audiences has always been a key part of the Festival and this year is no exception. Activities include Benjamin Grosvenor and others going into local schools to hold workshops for around 1,300 children, and giving the best emerging young musicians concert experience through the Young Artists lunchtime recital series, to which students are offered free tickets. The Festival’s own Sheepdrove Piano competition also showcases the breadth and wealth of international young musical talent drawn from all the major UK conservatoires.

The Festival prides itself on its reputation for presenting concerts in some glorious venues both in Newbury and the surrounding countryside. Great care is taken to tailor the right performance to the venue, whether it be an intimate recital at magnificent Highclere Castle or in the Long Gallery at Englefield House, top level choral concerts in Douai Abbey and East Woodhay church or a song recital in Ramsbury church. This year a new addition to the festival will be a gala performance of Rigoletto at Combe Manor, set in the rolling Berkshire hills, and staged performances of Bach’s Coffee Cantata in St Nicolas Church Hall. In the centre of Newbury, St Nicolas’s church with its excellent acoustics is the festival’s concert hall welcoming world class orchestras and international soloists. Newbury’s resident theatre, the Corn Exchange continues to present a nightly programme of ballet, cabaret, jazz and world music as well as regular lunchtime concerts.

The Festival is also proud of its involvement with the local community: by encouraging people to come and sing in the Spring Festival Chorus, which will not only perform with the CBSO on the opening night, but also contribute to a special church service the following morning. Local choirs, individuals and families can also join them for a special ‘singalong’ event the following weekend, culminating in a concert for all the family in Newbury Corn Exchange.

FURTHER DETAILS

Programme details
www.newburyspringfestival.org.uk

Tickets
Available from 1st March 2016

Booking
www.newburyspringfestival.org.uk
T: 0845 5218 218

For more information contact
Arabella Christian
Press & PR
Newbury Spring Festival
press@newburyspringfestival.org.uk

Battle Proms at Highclere Castle

A summer’s evening in the grounds of Highclere Castle (‘Downton Abbey’ to many fans); what could be a more perfect setting to wave the patriotic flag and sing a rousing rendition of ‘Rule Britannia’? 

This year’s Battle Proms takes place on Saturday 1 August, and is a chance to picnic in the splendid grounds of Highclere Castle – historic home of the Earl and Countess of Carnarvon, and where the ever-popular television series ‘Downton Abbey’ is filmed – whilst enjoying eclectic entertainment, magical music and fantastic fireworks.

You are welcome to take your own picnic and relate equipment, or you can pre-order and let someone else do all the preparation so that you just turn up, relax … and have fun. 

The Battle Proms themselves have been staged since 1997, the first event taking place at Battle Abbey in East Sussex and the purpose being to create a stage for the live firing of dozens of replica Napoleonic cannon to the strains of ‘Beethoven’s Battle Symphony’. This year, of course, the event will be extra special, marking 200 years since the Battle of Waterloo.

The programme of events starts when the gates open at 4pm. Time to lift the lid on those hampers, pop the champagne corks and soak up the atmosphere.

Early evening sees a Napoleonic display of mounted cavalry taking to the battlefield.

Fast forward more than a century and see the vintage-style group The Rockabellas performing songs to mark milestones in the Second World War, reflecting the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain and the end of the Second World War 70 years ago.

At 7.25pm comes the Battle of Britain Gun Salute, leading in to the main event: the magnificent musical programme.

All eyes will be drawn to the skies as the Grace Spitfire performs in perfectly choreographed style to the opening pieces of this evening of classical favourites, performed by the New English Concert Orchestra, conducted by Douglas Coombes and hosted by the BBC’s Pam Rhodes.

The event draws to a close at around 10pm, with, as you would expect from all the best Proms, a flag-waving sing-along, culminating in a spectacular firework display as a finale.

Pre-booked tickets from now until 31 July are £36 for adults (£40 cash on the gate and subject to availability so pre-booking is strongly advised); children age 5–15 £17 (free to those age 4 and under). Discounts for advance group bookings. 

To book tickets, reserve picnic hampers and furniture, and for all further details visit: www.battleproms.com. Tickets are also available locally from the Visitor Information Centre and Corn Exchange in Newbury.

Parkway Summer Series

There’s lots of summertime fun to be had in Parkway Newbury this July!

Saturday 18th July: Proms at Parkway

This musical extravaganza takes place from 11am to 4pm with three amazing acts performing live on stage in the Debenhams piazza. 

• If you haven’t already heard local singer/songwriter Emma Lawrence, you’re in for a treat. With an emphasis on folk and R&B fusion, she performs both acoustic originals and fabulous covers in her own unique style. 

• Marvel at the wonderful Classical Reflection who competed in the BBC television programme The Voice this year as part of ‘team Ricky’. Identical twins Naomi and Hannah Moxon bring a whole new angle to their speciality area of classical music and light opera, which is a true delight.

• Then there is the magnificent Harmony Choir. With choirs being so popular and of the moment, this is one Newbury’s finest. This mixed-voice choir has a wide repertoire, with many songs performed in the fabulous a capella style. Come along and enjoy!

Remember there is plenty of parking at Parkway and it costs just £1 for the first hour.

Visit www.shopatparkway.com for further details.

Biddy at the Newbury Spring Festival

There’s still a week to go of this year’s Newbury Spring Festival – it runs until 23 May – so if you haven’t already attended an event this year do have a look at their website to see what’s available – whatever your musical tastes you won’t be disappointed. After all, it is one of the most magical music extravaganzas in the country – and right here on our doorstep.

It’s not even all about music. I booked my ticket some weeks ago for Poetry of the Great War which was performed at the West Berkshire Museum.

A friend and I ventured forth on what seemed to be the wettest day of May and as we had a couple of hours to while away before the event, we had lunch at the charming Tea Shop on the Canal, followed by a half hour enjoying some of the displays at the West Berkshire Museum itself – my friend’s first visit and on her list for a return very soon to see more. We particularly enjoyed the photographic exhibition where we were able to vote for our favourite (and that was a difficult choice as there was lots of entries from some very talented young photographers).

On to the performance – for one day only, but the third of the day – of Poetry of the Great War. Two actors marched on in uniform and stood silently, heads bowed, as Elgar’s Sospiri played, setting the scene.

The two young men, Ewan Somers and Dominic Rye from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, took the parts of two war poets: Wilfred Owen, killed in action at the age of 25, just one week before the signing of the Armistice; and Siegfried Sassoon, who survived the war, was decorated for his bravery on the Western Front and died when he was 80.

Their readings of the works of the soldiers was admirable and moving in the extreme, with my favourite, if that is the right word, being Sassoon’s Does It Matter? (Look it up: it’s beautiful.)

Just a couple of tasters of things during the next week:

• From Page To Screen on Tuesday 19 May – at Englefield House at Theale, best-selling author Robert Harris talks about how some of his books have been transferred to film.

• Till The Clouds Roll By on Thursday 21 May – with performances at both Sydmonton Court, Ecchinswell and Audley Inglewood, Kintbury, the Swell Party Company pay tribute to Jerome Kern, with songs from such great musicals as Showboat.

• Ronnie Scott's All Stars on Friday 22 May – also at the Corn Exchange, this celebrates the music and history of one of the world's most famous jazz venues, with classic jazz from many of the jazz greats.

• Kit & McConnel on Saturday 23 May – performing at the Corn Exchange, many people will already know how hilarious this comedy duo are.

Check out www.newburyspringfestival.org.uk for lots more too!

Biddy x