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

The 2025 Villages Music Festival was a triumph, held in lovely summer weather in the gardens, medieval churches and a village hall of Ripe, Chalvington and Laughton. a delightful corner of East Sussex.

Regent’s Opera performance of La Bohème stole our hearts as the sun disappeared just as Mimi died in the arms of Rudolfo, beautifully sung by Christine Buros and Davide Basso.

An audience member commented how compelling it was to be up close to the singers, who managed with minimal props and scenery to re-create 19th century Paris in wintertime in an English summer garden.
 
The recital by the Mistral woodwind quartet in Chalvington church was unusual and equally compelling, followed by a delightful cream tea in a cottage garden in Ripe. Los Twangueros serenaded us beautifully with their guitars in bright sunshine.
 
The panel discussion on the future of music was  most interesting, all the speakers, including Richard Morrison from the Times, spoke eloquently and passionately about the need for more music education in schools, and Rosie Ann Page gave us some unusual ideas of how to encourage teenagers to attend a performance of classical music. There were some searching questions from young members of the audience. The discussion was followed by a glass of wine and a splendid short recital of many favourite operatic arias and duets sung by a fine local quartet. Most enjoyable.
 
Another delightful evening followed listening to the Andy Williams jazz trio, including local boy, Angus Bishop, who transfixed us with his skill on the drums.
More delight followed the next day when Joanna Macgregor gave a powerful exciting and altogether brilliant recital that started gently with Couperin and finished with an amazing rendition of Mussorgsky’s ‘Pictures from an Exhibition’.
 
The finale was held in Holy Cross church, Uckfield, the Modulus Quartet performed a modern work by Eliot Short, mesmeric and compelling, followed by some fine solos from the young and promising singers Lawrence Gillians and Ben Hancox-Lachman. The main work of the concert was Handel’s Dixit Dominus, composed when he was 22 years old, fast, furious and, in places,  also breathtakingly beautiful, especially the duet ‘De Torrente’. The Laughton Village Choir, conducted by Linda Glenn, were quite amazing, singing rhythmically and at speed and creating the urgency and power that Handel would have applauded.
 
It all ended too soon.
 
A big thank you to all the volunteers who helped at all the events, to the committee, and to the sponsors, who make the Festival possible.
 
There will be one or two events in 2026. Another week-long Festival in 2027? Watch this space…

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Joan RoyleDirector
Villages Music Festival
July 2025