6 MAY – 20 JUNE Simonsbath Festival 2019

PHYLLIDA LLOYD CBE patron Celebrating Music, Art, Talks & Walks on from May Day to Midsummer Welcome to Exford Village Green Simonsbath Festival celebrates The Simonsbath Festival 2019 begins with the annual, colourful May Day celebration on the village green in Exford.The main venue for MAY DAY our variety of concerts and talks is the intimate St. Luke’s Church in Simonsbath with its excellent acoustics. Bank Holiday Monday 6 May | 2.00pm This year we have worked closely with The Exmoor Society to link some events Simonsbath Festival starts in the customary way with May Day to walks or have grouped walks and events around a particular theme. celebrations for all the family on Bank Holiday Monday 6th May The Simonsbath Festival Art Exhibition will open from 1–16 June, 11am to on Exford Village Green. 4pm, and will be held at The Old Pottery, Simonsbath (sign posted). • Maypole and country dancing by the children of Exford School As well as supporting St Luke’s Church, and other good causes, the Simonsbath • Live music from ‘Spinach for Norman’ Festival profits underwrite the Simonsbath Festival ‘Music in Schools’ Programme • Competitions including Tug o’ War and Welly Throwing which includes the ‘Songs from the Exmoor Forest’ Project, reviving interest in • Exford Hand Bells • Raffle and knowledge of Exmoor’s traditional music and songs. The ‘Music in Schools’ Programme is led by Paul Wilson of Wren Music, a Folk and Community Arts …and a host of other activities to celebrate the arrival of Spring. Organisation, and is all-important for the three Exmoor schools at a time Teas, Coffees, Alcoholic and Soft Drinks, lce Cream, Lunches etc. when many of the Arts have been axed from the school curriculum. The available from the pubs and cafes surrounding the Village Green. Simonsbath Festival culminates in a Midsummer performance by the children at the Morland Hall, Wheddon Cross. For information and details Please become a Simonsbath Festival Friend; as well as helping to support please telephone Marian Lloyd the festival you will be able to book tickets before the Box Office opens to on 01643 831451 or email the general public. [email protected] Both tickets and light suppers can be booked through the Simonsbath Festival website (www.simonsbathfestival.org.uk). We look forward to welcoming you to the Simonsbath Festival in May and June 2019. The Simonsbath Festival Committee Patron Phyllida Lloyd CBE

2 Simonsbath Festival 6 May – 20 June St. Luke’s Church St. Luke’s Church Saturday 11 May | 7.30pm Friday 17 May | 7.30pm Neath Male Choir Richard The Neath Male Voice Choir, originally formed as Melyncryddan Male Voice Choir on the 13th October 1978, changed its name in 1999, and McLaughlin celebrated its 40th anniversary last year. Since its inception the choir has performed in venues large and small from chapels and churches The WWII Exmoor Rocket: Its birth on Brendon to the Royal Albert Hall and in all parts of the UK as well as in Europe, Common and destiny on D-Day Canada and the USA. They have shared platforms with such celebrities as Bryn Terfel, Tom Jones, Shirley Bassey and their Honorary Vice An Illustrated talk on the story design and installation of offshore Presidents Katherine Jenkins and Gail Pearson, both daughters of Neath. behind the memorial to Colonel oil platforms and hydro-electric R.H. (Bobby) MacLaren OBE MC works. He is still active as a Wine, Tea, Coffee and Ice Cream. A pre-booked light supper is near Brendon Two Gates, given volunteer officer in the Engineer available during the interval. by Richard McLaughlin. & Logistic Staff Corps, a specialist group in 77th Brigade, the Army’s Tickets: £15 reserved seating; £10 standard tickets He will tell of experiment and tragedy on Exmoor, show a information warfare unit. Those Food: £5 booked in advance 1942 film of a secret large-scale attending this event may be test firing, and will include interested in going on the Exmoor eye-witness accounts of front- Society walk on Friday 24 May line rocket operations. One of when they will be able to view the the rockets will be on display. memorial to Colonel Maclaren. Richard McLaughlin lives in the Wine, Teas, Coffees and Ice East Lyn Valley, not far from the Cream. A pre-booked light memorial. He is a retired civil supper is available during the engineer, having worked on the interval.

Tickets: £10 reserved seating; £5 standard tickets Food: £5 booked in advance www.simonsbathfestival.org.uk 3 Alderman’s Barrow St. Luke’s Church Saturday 18 May | 7.30pm Jonathan Edmunds Lorna Doone and novelist R.D. Blackmore: 150 years on Saturday 18 May | 10.00am Although born elsewhere, R.D. Blackmore spent illustrated with pictures of the Exmoor Doone most of his childhood in North and drew Valley and the people, landscape and buildings extensively on his childhood experiences when made famous by the novel. You may also be Exmoor writing Lorna Doone. Jonathan Edmunds talks interested in the walk on 24 May. about the enduring reputation of the novel and Wine, Tea, Coffee and Ice Cream. Pre-booked Society Walk that of its author R.D. Blackmore. The talk is light supper available during the interval. The Knights & WWII on Exmoor Tickets: £10 reserved seating; £5 standard tickets; Food: £5 booked in advance Starting at Alderman’s Barrow, you will see evidence of the Neolithic, Bronze, Medieval and Victorian ages. At Larkbarrow you will Monday 20 May & Monday 17 June | 10.00am–4.00pm hear about the Knights who built a farm and tried to farm the moor. You will see evidence of the impact of World War ll (this was a Simonsbath Sawmill Open Day training area for the American Forces in their preparation for D-Day). Near Three Combes Built for John Knight sometime after 1818 and Foot we hope to see red deer. refurbished for Viscount Ebrington (later Lord Fortescue) in 1898. A waterwheel no longer Dogs on leads welcome. Please wear suitable clothing and footwear. Participants take part powers the mill but the water turbine that replaced at their own risk. Bring packed lunch. Shops, it in 1898 is still working. The mill is now used for pubs and a café available in Exford. demonstration and as a venue for educational visits and activities. Further info on our website. Free to all but donations are always Refreshments available (within licensing hours) welcome. at the Exmoor Forest Inn opposite the sawmill.

4 Simonsbath Festival 6 May – 20 June St. Luke’s Church Ashcombe Car Park Wednesday 22 May | 7.30pm Thursday 23 May | 10.30am Exmoor Society Walk Roger Furniss Murder and Mystery at Wheal Eliza Ted Hughes and Exmoor’s Rivers On this short walk of approximately 4km (2.5 miles) along the Barle River you will hear a history of the Knight family, mining on this part of Exmoor’s rivers have been an and is a Poet, Senior Fellow of Exmoor, and the tragic murder and mystery at Wheal Eliza. One or two inspiration for poets, writers the Royal College of Art, former short climbs but overall an easy walk along the valley. and painters for generations. Curator of Photography and Dogs on leads welcome. Bring a picnic or lunch at the pub in Preserving the river’s beauty Honorary Research Fellow at Simonsbath. requires a pragmatic, knowledge- the V&A. based appreciation of how Free but donations to the Exmoor Society are always welcome rivers work. Roger Furniss (who knew Ted Hughes in the fishing community) Brendon Two Gates Friday 24 May | 10.00am The evening will be opened will reminisce about Ted Hughes, by Mark Haworth-Booth OBE his love of fishing and the work reading ‘The River in March’ by currently being done to preserve Exmoor Society Walk late Poet Laureate, fisherman and the Exmoor rivers which were so To Badgworthy and Doone Country with Rob Wilson-North ‘Honorary Devonian’ Ted Hughes, important to him. There will be Heroes, Heroines, Hunter-Gatherers famous places. See who lived in Mid Devon from an opportunity for questions and and Hermits: an Exploration of Blackmore’s memorial the 1960’s. Hughes was a keen discussions. Doone Country. stone and the remains fisherman and a Founder Trustee Join Archaeologist Rob Wilson- of a medieval village. of the Westcountry Rivers Trust. Wine, Tea, Coffee and Ice Cream. North for a 4-mile walk over rough Dogs welcome on leads. Those attending Mark Haworth-Booth knew Ted A pre-booked light supper is moorland (please come prepared) in the footsteps of Lorna Doone author the walk might also Hughes in the literary community available during the interval. R.D. Blackmore. An exploration of enjoy the talk on 18 May. one of Exmoor’s most remote and Bring packed lunch (no facilities). Tickets: £10 reserved seating; £5 standard tickets Food: £5 booked in advance Free but donations to the Exmoor Society are always welcome www.simonsbathfestival.org.uk 5 St. Luke’s Church St. Luke’s Church Saturday 25 May | 7.30pm Wednesday 29 May | 7.30pm A Night at the Opera Tim Bonner Isobel Hughes is an Undergraduate at Trinity of Durham and the Royal Northern College From Hunting to Post Offices Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance of Music. During his time at the RNCM Tom (‘London’s Creative Conservatoire’) and has performed roles in Carmen, La Belle Helene and Tim Bonner, family links to Exmoor. She is studying under the was The Baker/Flugelhorne player in a music- Chief watchful eye of Anne Mason. ‘Izzy’ will graduate singer performance of Sondheims’s Into the Executive shortly after performing at Simonsbath Festival woods. He was a founding member of the early of the and we look forward to her sharing some music consort, a finalist in the Joyce and Michael Countryside interesting insights on life as an Undergraduate Kennedy Award for the Singing of Strauss and Alliance, at one of the UK’s most prestigious Music English Song Competition, award recipient from talks about Schools. Younger aspiring musicians thinking the Seary Charitable Trust and winner of the how the of studying music may find this event to be of John Cameron Prize for Lieder. Countryside interest. She began singing with the Finchley Tom is looking forward to performing roles in Alliance continues Children’s Music Group at age seven and has Wagner’s Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg and to be the voice of Rural Britain by actively never looked back. Since then, Isobel has Stephen Oliver’s The Waiter’s Revenge along promoting and defending farming, rural performed with many well established choirs. with concert performances of works by Bach, services, small businesses and country Isobel’s excitable yet unflappable nature gives a Mozart, Haydn and Durufle. He is delighted to sports. fun, easy note to her performance and, while she be performing at the Simonsbath Festival for a is a soprano, the warm-mezzo like quality in her third time, having previously toured here with Wine, Tea, Coffee and Ice Cream. voice makes for an enjoyable listen. Pop-up Opera (ll barbiere di Siviglia 2016 and ll A pre-booked light supper is available matrimonio segreto 2017). Tom Asher is a baritone, a recent alumnus of during the interval. ENO’s Opera Works, and studies with bass Wine, Tea, Coffee and Ice Cream. A pre-booked Graeme Dandy. He is a graduate of the University light supper is available in the interval. Tickets: £10 reserved seating; £5 standard tickets Tickets: £15 reserved seating; £10 standard tickets; Food: £5 booked in advance Food: £5 booked in advance

6 Simonsbath Festival 6 May – 20 June The Old Pottery 1 June – 16 June | 11.00am– 4.00pm St. Luke’s Church Simonsbath Saturday 1 June | 7.30pm Festival Art Music from Exhibition home and Simonsbath Festival Art Exhibition across the sea will be held again in the centre of A Folk Music concert Simonsbath at The Old Pottery, which both sparkles courtesy of Mr & Mrs Evans. with local interest and Some of the South West’s makes international most prominent artists will be connections. Peggy participating with a large variety of Seeger (right), Marilyn works in several media, including Tucker and Paul Wilson pottery and sculpture. Most of the invite you to hear how works will be for sale, there will songs have changed as also be cards and postcards for sale they’ve travelled away made by the artists. The exhibition and then returned. will be open every day from 11am Stories, choruses and a multi-instrumental range to 4pm, including the two Bank of unforgettable sounds. Holiday weekends. The venue will be well signposted and is to be found Wine, Tea, Coffee and Ice Cream. A pre-booked approximately 100 yards downhill light supper is available in the interval. from the Simonsbath Forest Hotel on the right. Tickets: £15 reserved seating; £10 standard tickets Artwork Hilary by Paynter Free admission Food: £5 booked in advance

www.simonsbathfestival.org.uk 7 St. Luke’s Church Weir Car Park Wednesday 5 June | 7.30pm Thursday 6 June | 1.00pm Miranda Seymour Exmoor Society Walk In Byron’s wake: The turbulent times of his wife Porlock Weir to and his daughter Ada Lovelace Miranda Seymour, author of the award-winning ‘In My Father’s House’, has written many acclaimed novels and biographies, including lives of Mary Shelley, Robert Graves, Ottoline Morrell, Virginia Cherrill and Helle Nice, the Bugatti Find Miranda. ‘In Byron’s Wake’ considers Ada Lovelace of Ashley Combe, Porlock (now recognised for her work alongside Charles Babdage as a pioneer of computing), as ‘brilliant, ebullient, eccentric, vivacious, egocentric The ruins of Ashley Combe and oddly dressed, who had her mother’s discipline and her father’s volatility’. In conjunction with the talk by Some lane walking before Miranda Seymour (see left), descending through Worthy Those attending this event may be interested in this is an Exmoor Society-led Wood to Porlock Weir for a late taking part in the Exmoor Society conducted walk from Porlock Weir Car Park lunch. Dogs on leads welcome. walk on the day after this event (6 June) which (TA24 8QD) to Culbone. Wear suitable clothing and will visit Culbone Church where there is a The 5-mile walk climbs steeply footwear. Some paths may be memorial to Ada. up through woods following the muddy and/or slippery when wet. SW Coastal Path from Porlock Wine, Tea, Coffee and Ice Cream. Weir, via the ruins of Ashley Participants take part at their A pre-booked light supper is available Combe, Ada Lovelace’s home, own risk. during the interval . to Culbone Church, the smallest See www.exmoorsociety.com parish church in . for all details. Tickets: £10 reserved seating; £5 standard tickets Food: £5 booked in advance Free but donations to the Society are always welcome

8 Simonsbath Festival 6 May – 20 June St. Luke’s Church St. Luke’s Church Wednesday 12 June | 7.30pm

Dr. Helen Fry Exmoor and its WWII Refugees Saturday 8 June | 7.30pm Helen Fry is a British historian and She is deputy chair of the Trent Park Museum biographer. Dr. Fry was born in Ilfracombe Trust, London. and has a BA (Hons) and a PhD from Exeter Quartet Anglais University (1996). She has written over In this talk Helen will tell the little known story Quartet Anglais is a Reinhardt/Grappelli gypsy twenty books, with special expertise on the of Exmoor and its WWII refugees, including swing band, playing one of the most exciting and 10,000 German-speaking refugees who served the Kindertransport children who were sent potent forms of European jazz, emulating the in the British forces during the Second World to Exford. sound of 1930s Paris: with Ali Foyle, violin, Dave War. Her most recent book is “The London Lunniss and Darren Hodge, guitars, and double Cage: The Secret History of Britain’s WWII bassist, Andy Crowdy. Interrogation Centre” (Yale University Press). Dr. Fry is an Honorary Research Fellow in the Wine, Tea, Coffee and Ice Cream. A pre-booked Dept of Hebrew & Jewish Studies at University Wine, Tea, Coffee and Ice Cream. light supper is available in the interval. College London and Honorary Member of The A pre-booked light supper is available Association of Jewish Refugees. in the interval. Tickets: £15 reserved seating; £10 standard tickets Tickets: £10 reserved seating; £5 standard tickets Food: £5 booked in advance Food: £5 booked in advance www.simonsbathfestival.org.uk 9 St. Luke’s Church St. Luke’s Church Friday 14 June | 7.30pm Saturday 15 June 7.30pm Topsy-Tur v y

Topsy-Turvy is a 1999 British musical drama film written and directed by Mike Leigh, starring Opera Anywhere Allan Corduner as Sir Arthur The Pirates of Penzance Sullivan and Jim Broadbent as W.S. Gilbert, along with Timothy Opera Anywhere returns to Simonsbath Festival 2019 with Spall and Lesley Manville. ‘The Pirates of Penzance’. The story concerns the 15-month ‘Pirates’ is one of the most famous of Gilbert & Sullivan’s operettas period in 1884 and 1885 leading and introduced the much-parodied ‘Major-General’s Song’. The up to the premiere of Gilbert to the live performance of Pirates opera was performed for over a century by the D’Oyly Carte Opera and Sullivan’s The Mikado. The of Penzance by ‘Opera Anywhere’ Company in Britain and by many other opera and repertory companies film focuses on the creative which takes place on the following worldwide. ‘Pirates’ remains popular today, taking its place along conflict between playwright and day (Saturday 15 June, see right). with ‘The Mikado’ and ‘H.M.S. Pinafore’ as one of the most well-loved composer, and the decision by Gilbert and Sullivan operas. Those coming to this performance may be the two men to continue their interested in widening their Gilbert & Sullivan experience by attending partnership, which led to them No interval. Wine, Tea, Coffee the preceeding Friday (14) screening of the film ‘Topsy-Turvy’ about the creating several more operettas. and Ice Cream available before working relationship between Gilbert and Sullivan. and after the performance. Those attending this film A pre-booked light supper is Wine, Tea, Coffee and Ice Cream. A pre- booked light supper is performance might care to come available after the fiilm. available during the interval.

Tickets: £10 reserved seating; £5 standard tickets Tickets: £10 reserved seating; £5 standard tickets Food: £5 booked in advance Food: £5 booked in advance

10 Simonsbath Festival 6 May – 20 June Moorland Hall Why not become a Thursday 20 June | 1.45pm Friend of Simonsbath Festival? Midsummer Simonsbath Festival is a non-profit making community venture. We welcome your support by inviting you to become a Friend. Family and For just £15 per person, per year, Friends of Simonsbath Festival receive: Community • Advance copy of Festival Programme Please complete the form overleaf and either: • Invitation to Art Exhibition preview, • hand it to a Festival volunteer at an event or May Day celebrations and Midsummer • post it to our membership secretary: Concert Family and Community concert Polly Soltau, Westerclose House, • Priority booking for Festival events TA24 7QR • Regular Festival news and updates Telephone: 01643 831302 Email: [email protected]

We would much prefer payment by Standing Order (please see overleaf for details). Thank you

The concert is a part of the Festival’s ‘Songs from the Exmoor Forest’ project, which involves organising a series of workshops, run by Paul Wilson from the folk and community arts organisation ‘Wren Music’ throughout the festival in local schools, to teach children the traditional music and songs of Exmoor. The workshops culminate in the children of Exford, and schools giving a performance at the afternoon’s concert.

Free but donations are always welcome Simonsbath Festival logo illustration by Lucy Pearn by logo illustration Simonsbath Festival www.simonsbathfestival.org.uk 11 Simonsbath Festival Friends’ application and payment form 6 May – 20 June 2019 • Book tickets online through Name www.simonsbathfestival.org.uk • or Marian Lloyd 01643 831451 Address Event Date/time page May Day 6 May, 2.00pm 2 Neath Welsh Choir 11 May, 7.30pm 3 Postcode Richard McLaughlin 17 May, 7.30pm 3 Exmoor Society Walk: ‘The Knights and Telephone number Date WWII on Exmoor’ 18 May, 10am 4 Jonathan Edmunds 18 May, 7.30pm 4 Simonsbath Sawmill Open Day 20 May, 10am–4pm 4 Email address Roger Furniss 22 May, 7.30pm 5 (It’s really helpful for us to have your email address, please) Exmoor Society Walk: ‘Murder and Mystery at Wheal Eliza 23 May, 10.30am 5 Exmoor Society Walk: ‘Heroes, Heroines 1. Standing Order Hunter-Gatherers and Hermits’ 24 May, 10am 5 (preferred method pf payment) A Night at the Opera 25 May, 7.30pm 6 I will set up a Standing Order for Tim Bonner 29 May, 7.30pm 6 £15 per person per annum in favour of Simonsbath Festival Simonsbath Festival Art Exhibition 1–16 June, 11am–4pm 7 Sort Code 52-30-42, A/C 38041278 Signature Music from home and across the sea 1 June, 7.30pm 7 Miranda Seymour 5 June, 7.30pm 8 Or 2. Cheque payment (please tick box) Exmoor Society Walk: ‘Porlock to Culbone’ 6 June, 1pm 8 I attach a cheque for £15 per person Please hand this completed form to a Quartet Anglais 8 June, 7.30pm 9 made payable to Simonsbath Festival Festival volunteer at an event or post to: Dr Helen Fry 12 June, 7.30pm 9 Or Polly Soltau, Westerclose House, Topsy-Turvy 14 June, 7.30pm 10 3. Cash payment (please tick box) Withypool. TA24 7QR Opera Anywhere 15 June, 7.30pm 10 for £15 per person Tel: 01643 831302 Simonsbath Sawmill Open Day 17 June, 10am–4pm 4 Midsummer Family & Community Concert 20 June, 1.45pm 11