The Villages Music Festival

The next Villages Music Festival will be 1st - 8th July 2023

PRESENTS

DEATH IN VENICE

FRIDAY 21ST OCTOBER 7.30PM

HAYTON BAKER HALL, RIPE, BN8 6AU
DOORS OPEN 7.00PM, DRINKS AVAILABLE

A message from the festival’s director Dr Joan Royle:
 

The 2021 Festival was a great success, both musically and financially, despite the necessary  limitation of numbers in our audiences. The committee is so grateful to all our sponsors, whose generosity makes the Festival possible. Although the end of June was not ‘flaming’ last year it only rained during one event, and that did not dampen the spirits of the cast of Iolanthe, who were just brilliant. Such energy, excellent choreography and a hugely enjoyable performance. We also enjoyed an organ recital that turned the small organ in Ripe church into an instrument of grandeur. This was followed by an incredible performance of a ‘Snappy Opera’ by the pupils of Laughton CP School, trained and guided by Mahogany Opera. We are grateful to the Arts Council for awarding a grant to enable this to happen. The Festival also included a highly enjoyable baroque concert, an evocative solo guitar recital, a superb jazz evening that we wished would never end, delightful cream teas in a sunny garden with Brazilian song, a barbershop quartet, and the Finale that included Britten’s extraordinary Serenade for tenor, horn and piano, followed by Vivaldi’s Gloria sung by local singers, accompanied by a string quartet. Melvyn Tan’s recital was postponed until September as we could not comply with Covid regulations in June, but then provided the audience with another complete treat. Each performance was unforgettable in its own way, made even more so by the long wait before it was all possible.

We  have been delighted to be able to award financial grants to 7 local beneficiaries to help provide further music and performance for the young and not so young in our villages.

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If you would like to give feedback on the Festival, or suggest ideas for a future Festival please do contact us by email via this website. Your opinion is important to us.