The Villages Music Festival

Saturday 22nd May

GILBERT & SULLIVAN'S
IOLANTHE

Open air performance of Iolanthe by Gilbert and Sullivan presented by Charles Court Opera. 

Gardens open 4pm. Performance starts at 6pm. 20 minute interval. Approximate finish at 8.30pm.

TICKETS £25 (free for full-time students)
PAY BAR
SMART CASUAL

Saturday 19th June

EARLY MUSIC FROM THE NEW WORLD

St John The Baptist Church

Ripe

BN8 6AU

EL PARNASO HYSPANO

Hispanic Early Music Ensemble: Bringing Ancient Music to the New World

Kate Smith (soprano)

Verónica Chacón (alto)

Rafael Montero (tenor, and founder)

John Sloboda (bass)

Toby Carr (theorbo / guitar)

PERFORMANCE FROM 6PM

TICKETS £15

Ticket can be purchased online, or via email to boxoffice@villagesmusicfestival.org, by phoning 01323 811835, or in person from Ripe Village Stores.

The concert will also be available online via ZOOM. Tickets for the online event are available for £5 by clicking the BUY ZOOM TICKET button.

Click to download programme

Sunday 20th June

PATRONAL FESTIVAL

St John The Baptist Church
Ripe
BN8 6AU

10.30 AM Festival service, a service of Holy Communion to celebrate the patronal day of St John the Baptist. A setting of the mass and anthem provided by the Festival Singers, organist Robert Green.

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After refreshments in the church there will be a short organ recital at 12 noon by
Robert Green, previously assistant organist at Lichfield and Hereford Cathedrals

Monday 21st June

MELVYN TAN

Wick Street Farm
Arlington
Polegate
BN26 6TN

World renowned pianist Melvyn Tan plays Ravel, Debussy and Mozart. 6pm in the music room at Wick Street Farm.

TICKETS £25

DOORS OPEN AT 6PM

PERFORMANCE AT 6.30PM

Tuesday 22nd June

SNAPPY OPERA

Laughton CP School
Church Lane

Laughton
BN8 6AH

The Magical Music Tree, a Snappy Opera presented by years 5 and 6 under the direction of the Mahogany Opera Group, Artistic Director Frederic Wake-Walker. Commissioned by the Villages Music Festival. Open to all. Don’t miss it!

"One of the best educational experiences I have ever had the pleasure to be involved in.
The results and impact it had on the children’s confidence and self-esteem were moving to see.”

Feedback from a previous production.

CREAM TEAS FROM 3PM
PERFORMANCE FROM 4PM

FREE ADMISSION

Wednesday 23rd June

UNDER THE GREENWOOD TREE

A baroque concert given by the Windsor Box and Fir Company, with Emily Atkinson (soprano) and Rogers Covey-Crump (tenor).

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Music from 18th century England in a programme combining Shakespeare songs and other popular songs from the theatre and pleasure gardens with trio sonatas and other instrumental music, including country dances. Composers to include Arne, Handel, Boyce, Dibdin, Henry Carey, Shield and Ignatio Sancho.

St John The Baptist Church
Ripe
BN8 6AU

PERFORMANCE AT 7 PM

INTERVAL DRINKS

TICKETS £12.50 (free for full-time students)

Thursday 24th June

RIPE NURSERY SCHOOL 

St John The Baptist Church
Ripe
BN8 6AU

Ripe Nursery School is delighted to be taking part in The Villages Music Festival again this year.  The children will perform songs and stories, with old favourites and new ones to their repertoire.

PERFORMANCE 11 - 11.30AM

FREE ADMISSION

Friday 25th June

SOLO GUITAR RECITAL

St Bartholomew
Church Lane
Chalvington
BN27 3TD

Music of the Trees, a solo guitar recital by Geoff Robb.

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​Geoff Robb was the winner of the 2018 Brighton Fringe Live Music Award and since then he has been writing music inspired by trees. His beautiful compositions blend his classical training with his love of Spanish and Celtic music and are woven together with tree folklore. If you enjoy beautiful acoustic guitar music then don't miss this event! 

PERFORMANCE AT 6PM. TICKETS £10

SUMMER JAZZ

Summer jazz lounge music with Didier Messidoro, Glen Richardson and Stephen Wrigley.

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Their blend of Anglo-French influences include jazz, latin, pop, world music and cinema and produces an eclectic repertoire where Burt Bacharach,Van Morrison and Serge Gainsbourg rub musical shoulders with John Barry and Nina Simonne.

7PM - 10.30 PM. TICKETS £10. PAY BAR.
DROP IN FOR AS LONG AS YOU LIKE. BRING A BLANKET IF CHILLY!

Saturday 26th June

THE ELA SOUTHGATE DUO

April Cottage
Church lane
Ripe

BN8 6AS

Cream teas with guitar and voice playing beautiful music from Brazil and beyond.

PERFORMANCE 2.30 - 5PM

TICKETS £10 INCLUDING TEA
CHILDREN FIVE & UNDER FREE

FOUR IN A BAR

All Saints Church
Laughton
BN8 6AH

A miscellany of close harmony, from Barbershop to Sea Shanties via Spirituals, Irish Ballads and much more, delivered with panache and great humour.

PERFORMANCE 7PM

TICKETS £10. FREE ENTRY FOR FULL-TIME STUDENTS

DRINKS AVAILABLE BEFORE DURING & AFTER!

Sunday 27th June

FINALE CONCERT

Carl Nielsen Ved en ung Kunstners Baare (At the bier of a young artist)
Benjamin Britten Serenade for tenor, horn and piano
Mozart Rondo from Horn Concerto No 4 in E flat
Vivaldi Gloria

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Paul Martyn-West - tenor, Jonathan Farey - French horn, Will Hancox - piano, Olivia Hemmings - soprano, Francesca Calvert - mezzo soprano, Clockhouse Singers, Conductor Linda Glenn, and the Caspian String Quartet; Elizabeth McConkey - violin, Anna Szabo -  violin, Maritza Bulcock - viola, Simon Wagland - cello.

St John The Baptist Church
Ripe
BN8 6AU

PERFORMANCE AT 6.00 PM

TICKETS £15.

FULL-TIME STUDENTS FREE

DRINKS AFTER PERFORMANCE