Whether
you love a bit of Bollywood or if Hollywood is more your scene, or if your
musical preferences lie somewhere else entirely, Newbury Spring Festival 2017
is sure to have a show for you!
Newbury
Spring Festival brings to Newbury and West Berkshire a fabulous fortnight of
world-class music in Newbury and its neighbouring villages, with over 40 events
in venues ranging from Newbury Corn Exchange to Highclere Castle and from
village churches to Lord Lloyd Webber’s private chapel.
Now
in its 39th year, the aim of the Festival is to bring excellent, new and
innovative work from around the world to the local area, creating opportunities
for young people, existing and new audiences to enjoy the arts.
The
Festival is renowned for bringing together an exciting mix of musicians and
musical entertainment. Every year international symphony orchestras, ensembles
and soloists rub shoulders with jazz legends, choirs and children’s
entertainers, and this year brings together a particularly exciting programme,
with something to suit every musical taste.
So – Bollywood, Hollywood or something else entirely?
On 19 May Bollywood Brass Band
delights with six hot horns and four funky drummers,
blending hot Hindi film hits with riotous Indian wedding music and Punjabi
beats for a uniquely ‘London’ take on this popular music genre. On 20 May Hollywood
comes to town in the shape of Matt Ford and his show, ‘Close to You’, an evening of songs inspired by Sinatra’s legendary
collaboration with the Hollywood String Quartet. Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra perform on the opening and closing
nights respectively, whilst versatile singing group VOCES8 and award-winning Brodsky
Quartet come to two local churches – VOCES8 to East Woodhay on 10 May and
The Brodskys to Shaw the following evening.
The name Dankworth
is legendary, and the jazz bassist son of John Dankworth and Cleo Laine brings
his band Alec Dankworth’s World Spirit
to Arlington Arts Centre on 18 May, while Northumbrian folk music and
traditions are heralded on 16 May at the Corn Exchange when Kathryn Tickell and The Side perform a
show featuring evocative slow airs that could break your heart followed by
dizzying jigs and reels.
The delightful
musical comedy ‘Betty Blue Eyes’ is
staged on 12 May; based on Alan Bennet’s award-winning film ‘A Private Function’,
the story is based in 1947 and is about a pig named Betty who is being reared illegally
for a very special event, with hilarious consequences!
With 2017 being
the 200th anniversary of the death of Jane Austen, there are three
Austen-inspired events, including an adaptation of ‘Pride & Prejudice’ narrated by none other than film-star Hayley Mills, with music by Carl Davis, on 7 May.
Particular events
to appeal to children include Dr Dee’s
Daughter and the Philosopher’s Stone, with live music, puppetry and
storytelling on 13 May. In addition, Travelling
By Tuba brings a world of musical instruments and fun (watch out for the
exploding tuba!) on 20 May. Adults who love fun with their music are sure to
enjoy Worbey & Farrell on 9 May
– internationally acclaimed pianists with a wicked sense of humour!
With young
emerging artists an important part of the Festival, the Young Artists Lunchtime Recital Series is a series of six concerts,
three of which star young men with local links: trombonist Michael Buchanan (8 May), Benjamin
Cunningham (12 May) and Leo
Popplewell (17 May).
Tickets for the shows are at varying prices
to suit most pockets and some performances are even free for children.
A special opportunity for those aged 15–30 is the Young Festival Critics scheme
–register to attend a show completely free of charge and write a review; on top
of this, all reviews are entered into a competition to win £100.
This is truly just
a taster of all that Newbury Spring Festival has to offer: check out their
brochure for details of all the other delights at www.newburyspringfestival.org.uk.
