NSF Programme Book 23/04/2019 12:31 Page 1
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two weeks of world-class music newbury spring festival 11–25 may 2019 £5 2019-NSF book.qxp_NSF programme book 23/04/2019 12:31 Page 1 A Royal Welcome HRH The Duke of Kent KG Last year was very special for the Newbury Spring Festival as we marked the fortieth anniversary of the Festival. But following this anniversary there is some sad news, with the recent passing of our President, Jeanie, Countess of Carnarvon. Her energy, commitment and enthusiasm from the outset and throughout the evolution of the Festival have been fundamental to its success. The Duchess of Kent and I have seen the Festival grow from humble beginnings to an internationally renowned arts festival, having faced and overcome many obstacles along the way. Jeanie, Countess of Carnarvon, can be justly proud of the Festival’s achievements. Her legacy must surely be a Festival that continues to flourish as we embark on the next forty years. www.newburyspringfestival.org.uk 1 2019-NSF book.qxp_NSF programme book 23/04/2019 12:31 Page 2 Jeanie, Countess of Carnarvon MBE Founder and President 1935 - 2019 2 box office 0845 5218 218 2019-NSF book.qxp_NSF programme book 23/04/2019 12:31 Page 3 The Festival’s founder and president, Jeanie Countess of Carnarvon was a great and much loved lady who we will always remember for her inspirational support of Newbury Spring Festival and her gentle and gracious presence at so many events over the years. Her son Lord Carnarvon pays tribute to her with the following words. My darling mother’s lifelong interest in the arts and music started in her childhood in the USA. As a rancher’s daughter she grew up near Sheridan, Wyoming where she had a love of nature and the extraordinary views and landscape around her. She enjoyed water colour painting and had a great eye for colour and beauty of the natural world. Her love of music stemmed from the time she spent with her Grandmother Jean Moore when she attended high school near Baltimore, Maryland USA. Jean Moore lived in New York and loved to have her grand daughter to stay with her in the short holidays and she took her to most of the new musicals on Broadway. My Ma was reminiscing about her times in New York with me only three days before she died. My mother created the Newbury Spring Festival some 41 years ago having met John Wright the original Director whilst raising money for the new arts centre in Northcroft Lane. It was an extraordinarily brave initiative which took a lot of energy and persistence but as we know today the Festival has grown into an annual landmark of culture for Newbury and its region. The finest orchestras and musicians of the world bring enormous pleasure to the local community each year. My mother loved the great composers and orchestras large and small but was also a charming host to the many professional musicians who have visited Newbury over the years. I still have vivid memories of when Paul Tortelier the virtuoso cellist had dinner with us at Milford Lake House in the late 1970s. She was always excited about the festival plans for the following year and I know was a great contributor to the NSF committee meetings and had strong opinions as to what would be an interesting new piece of music or musician to be invited to the next festival. I know Jeanie would have loved to be at the Festival this year and was asking me about the first concert just a short time ago. She would have wished us all a very enjoyable time and would have loved to hear the Beethoven and Brahms at the first concert with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. The Spring Festival is one of her greatest legacies and I am sure you will all join me in saying a prayer for her and remembering her special contribution to Newbury and West Berkshire. Lord Carnarvon www.newburyspringfestival.org.uk 3 2019-NSF book.qxp_NSF programme book 23/04/2019 12:31 Page 4 The Festival Director’s Introduction Mark Eynon It was twenty years ago, in It is also a great pleasure to welcome for the first time May 1999, when I Orpheus Sinfonia with their popular family concert of welcomed you to the first Peter and the Wolf & Carnival of the Animals, Newbury Spring Festival distinguished actors Juliet Stephenson and Henry under my direction, and I Goodman accompanying Lucy Parham in Beloved Clara, find it astonishing not only sarod maestros Ayaan and Amaan Ali Bangash and how quickly the years have French period instrument group Ensemble Masques, on passed, but how much I their Grand Tour. am still enjoying being the Festival’s Director! Each year the programme changes, and we welcome © Fiona Cue more new artists to display their talents and share their music with us, but there is also the continuity of revisiting favourite venues and inviting back some of our most popular performers. This year we welcome for the first time some distinguished guests: the great British pianist Imogen Cooper, with her colleagues Henning Kraggerud and Adrian Brendel, will bring an all-Beethoven programme to St Lawrence Church, Hungerford. When I was directing the Covent Garden Festival Paul McCreesh was a regular © Ben Ealovega visitor, so I am delighted to finally welcome him and his world-renowned Gabrieli Consort for their Festival debuts One of the things I most enjoy about my job is that I can to magnificent Holy Cross Church, Ramsbury with their invite so many fine young musicians at the outset of what performance of English choral gems. On the opening I am sure will be important careers. This year I am proud Saturday distinguished conductor Jac van Steen will to welcome the brilliant French guitarist Thibaut Garcia make his Festival debut with BBC National Orchestra of who will give an evening recital drawn from his acclaimed Wales in a programme of Beethoven and Brahms, while recent CDs at Donnington Priory. All this year’s lunchtime the following weekend The Russian Philharmonic recitalists at the Corn Exchange are recent prize-winning Orchestra and conductor Thomas Sanderling will make graduates and worthy of our attention, as will be this their first visit to Newbury from their home city of year’s finalists of our own Sheepdrove Piano Competition. Novosibirsk. Roderick Williams is one of the world’s great And we welcome current members of National Youth Jazz baritones and I am delighted to welcome him on our final Orchestra, Ballet Central and Chichester University’s night to join the Festival Chorus, Bournemouth Symphony Musical Theatre Company with their latest productions. Orchestra, Sophie Bevan and Martyn Brabbins for a Returning by popular demand are young jazz stars Misha performance of Vaughan Williams’ A Sea Symphony. Mullov-Abbado and his group, trombone virtuosos Michael Buchanan and his quartet, former Sheepdrove Piano Competition winner Robertas Lozinskis, period instrument collective Istante and vocal ensemble SANSARA, all emerging stars with bright futures. 4 box office 0845 5218 218 2019-NSF book.qxp_NSF programme book 23/04/2019 12:31 Page 5 It is also a pleasure to welcome back some established BBC Big Band in an evening of cinema classics and musicians of international repute who performed with us Pasadena Roof Orchestra, celebrating their 50th at the outset of their careers: I am thinking of Alexander Anniversary. Sitkovetsky, Adam Walker, Jennifer Pike, Julian Bliss, and the Doric and Sacconi Quartets. Also coming back this year are Festival favourites Tenebrae bringing a programme of 16th century Spanish masterpieces to St Nicolas Church, Newbury, the ever-popular Budapest Café Orchestra returning to the Corn Exchange, and stars of the New York cabaret circuit Simon Green and David Shrubsole with their tribute to Noel Coward, Life is for Living at Combe Manor. Jazz features prominently at the Corn Exchange, and balancing our middle weekend of young jazz stars, we open and close with Festival regulars Marking somewhat longer anniversaries, our talks this year focus on two great historical figures: the 500th anniversary of the death of Leonardo da Vinci and the 200th birthday of Queen Victoria, I am pleased to welcome Matthew Landrus and A N Wilson to speak at Shaw and Englefield Houses. It is always a privilege to visit Andrew Lloyd Webber’s private theatre, and this year Edward Seckerson’s Sydmonton interview is with celebrated lyricist Don Black. So welcome to another Newbury Spring Festival, our 41st, taking place in this lovely part of the country, which we celebrate with two weeks of world-class music. The Chairman’s Introduction Julian Chadwick The sense of anticipation Our Sponsors give so generously, and although each each year does not lessen gets thanked individually I would like to express publicly but grows stronger. As I and in writing my thanks and appreciation. The Festival write this in early March I Friends contribute so much as well - without them and the know that in two months Sponsors we would not be able to lay on such we shall begin to enjoy a magnificent concerts at affordable prices. Please do fortnight of wonderful consider becoming a Friend or a Sponsor. music. The spread of music and the depth of Amid all the uncertainties and controversies of 2019 I am talent are, as always, sure we can all agree that the Newbury Spring Festival is amazing. a beacon of light and serenity. I hope you enjoy as many of the Festival events as possible, and I look forward to © Fiona Cue/Newbury BID As Chairman my meeting old and new friends.