Inspired by The Field of Cloth of Gold

18 JUNE - 5 JULY 2020 FOUNDER & LEAD SPONSOR From the Festival Director

As I am writing this a cloud of uncertainty hangs over all of us. We are ploughing ahead – and everything is in place for a festival that was set to be our richest, most engaging yet. The arts, and culture in general, have this glorious way of interceding in times like these. I am writing this from home, excitement perhaps waning… but positivity remaining strong. I am writing this to you all just underneath a tapestry that hangs over my piano, which I love so much – The Lady and the Unicorn (‘Hearing’). Isn’t it beautiful that alongside the five ‘Sense’ tapestries, the sixth tapestry in this exquisite series of medieval tapestries is dedicated to desire? What would we all desire for now? Woven over 500 years ago, these works of art are yet another example of how Art remains strong when everything else around us fails. Art somehow manages to speak differently and collectively to each and every one of us, has done so throughout history – and still does. One need only mention the Christmas Truce which brought ceasefire and peace, if only for Christmas Eve, in the First World War; the incredible BalticChain for Freedom when two million people in the Baltic created a 675 kilometre chain of people holding hands and singing across the borders of Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania; or, the West­Eastern Divan orchestra which, to date, still brings Palestine and Israel together, defying fierce political divides in the Middle East, creating a space where all differences are forgotten and something new and beautiful is created by making music together. We cannot hold hands today, but we shall tomorrow; and we will most certainly share the richness and beauty of the arts evermore.

500 years ago was also when the magnificent feast of the Field of Cloth of Gold took place. This Foreword was the inspiration behind this year’s festival: lavish manifestations of grandeur, feasting and splendour, everything Tudor, historical richness, significant anniversaries, international relations, The Field of Cloth of Gold! What a resonant and evocative theme for a Festival in this city. We peace, and gold! For this momentous anniversary, it had seemed appropriate to fully embrace our hope to be able to bring this cultural pageant to you in its full glory this summer… Every year the wonderful city of Oxford and all its historical connections with the city’s festival of the arts Festival becomes richer: in its distinguished performers, in the connections it forges among our becoming a colourful canvas for its greatest celebration to date. communities, and in the range of audiences we attract. The arts will remain alive. There are a thousand golden The Oxford Festival of the Arts has been delighting threads woven through this year’s programme and we will audiences for over a decade now, and is established both find a way of sharing this. I shall sign off by saying once as a major source of entertainment and community more that the Arts are essential to humanity. Magdalen engagement in Oxford. College School recognises this in every aspect, which is With a fortnight’s events including internationally why the festival is an integral part of its fabric. It is a renowned authors and musicians, film, dance, and song, delight and an absolute privilege to be part of the MCS the Festival will provide something to divert and delight everyone. family; and I promise the festival will do its utmost to still reach you in different ways, no matter what. #OFAVirtual. I look forward to welcoming you to the Oxford Festival of the Arts this summer. Stay well and safe until then… Michelle Helen Dr Michelle Castelletti Director, OXFORD FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS Helen Pike Master, MAGDALEN COLLEGE SCHOOL

2 3 PROGRAMME OF EVENTS PROGRAMME OF EVENTS Please note that ‘MCS’ is an abbreviation for Magdalen College School. DATE TIME EVENT VENUE PAGE DATE TIME EVENT VENUE PAGE

ARTS AND ARTEFACTS MAGDALEN COLLEGE SCHOOL MUSIC PERFORMANCES 25 June 16:00 ­ 19:00 MCS Summer Art Exhibition MCS Art Department 25 25 June 17:00 ­ 18:00 Bob Chilcott’s community opera Birdland MCS Field 25 28 June 12:00 ­ 13:30 Emma Ridgway presents Ruth Asawa at MAO Modern Art Oxford 34 19:00 ­ 20:00 Bob Chilcott’s community opera Birdland MCS Field 25 26 June 17:00 ­ 18:00 Bob Chilcott’s community opera Birdland MCS Field 28 ENTERTAINMENT 19:00 ­ 20:00 Bob Chilcott’s community opera Birdland MCS Field 28 18 June 19:30 ­ 21:30 A Tudor Entertainment MCS Dining Room 7 29 June 19:30 ­ 21:45 MCS Proms Sheldonian Theatre 36 19 June 21:30 ­ 22:45 Field of Cloth of Gold in Lights MCS Field 8 03 July 20:00 ­ 21:30 Madrigals on the River MCS Field 49 20 June 11:00 ­ 22:00 Comedy Festival T.O.A.D. 12 21 June 11:00 ­ 22:00 Comedy Festival T.O.A.D. 16 SPEAKER SERIES 01 July 19:30 ­ 21:30 A Funny Evening with Gyles Brandreth Festival Marquee 44 19 June 18:45 ­ 19:15 Sir James MacMillan with Suzi Digby OBE University Church 10 02 July 19:30 ­ 22:30 An Evening with Brian Blessed Festival Marquee 48 22 June 17:30 ­ 19:30 Dr David Rundle and Dr Glenn Richardson Magdalen College Chapel 18 23 June 18:00 ­ 19:00 Professor Nicholas Delbanco with Helen Pike MCS Studio 20 SILENT FILM (with music) 23 June 20:00 ­ 21:00 James Cracknell OBE MCS Big School 21 28 June 15:00 ­ 16:15 Oliver Twist Ultimate Picture Palace 34 24 June 18:00 ­ 19:00 Professor Diarmaid MacCulloch Weston Library Lecture Theatre 22 29 June 21:00 ­ 23:00 The Passion of Joan of Arc Magdalen Collge Chapel 36 25 June 18:00 ­ 19:00 Amber Butchart St Luke’s Chapel 26 30 June 21:00 ­ 22:30 Charlie Chaplin Shorts Ultimate Picture Palace 41 26 June 18:00 ­ 19:00 Karen Hearn MCS Studio 28 28 June 18:00 ­ 19:00 Professor Suzannah Lipscomb Festival Marquee 35 JOIN IN 30 June 18:00 ­ 19:00 Dr Janet Dickinson and Dr Lynn Robson Magdalen College Chapel 38 20 June 12:00 ­ 16:00 Walk with Giant Henry Bonn Square 12 30 June 19:30 ­ 20:30 Damian Lewis with Tom Ward Festival Marquee 39 21 June 10:00 ­ 16:00 Real Tennis (1 hour time slots) Merton College Tennis Courts 16 01 July 18:00 ­ 19:40 Patricia Lovett MBE Weston Library Lecture Theatre 42

1 27 June 11:00 ­ 16:30 Tudor History Walking Tours (1 ⁄2 hour time slots) Central Oxford 32

1 27 June 12:00 ­ 15:00 Rowing Tasters (1 ⁄2 hour time slots) Meet on JS Terrace, MCS 32 SYMPOSIUM

1 28 June 12:00 ­ 15:00 Rowing Tasters (1 ⁄2 hour time slots) Meet on JS Terrace, MCS 34 19 June 10:30 ­ 17:30 TALLIS 2020 Grove Auditorium, Magdalen 10 04 July 10:00 ­ 17:00 Illuminated Manuscript workshop MCS Studio 51 20 June 09:30 ­ 17:00 TALLIS 2020 Grove Auditorium, Magdalen 10 05 July 11:00 ­ 16:00 Tudor Village MCS Field 55 THEATRE MUSIC 24 June 19:00 ­ 19:45 Henry Vlll or All is True Dean’s Garden, Christ Church 23 19 June 18:45 ­ 19:15 Pre­performance talk by Sir James MacMillan University Church 10 25 June 19:00 ­ 19:45 Henry Vlll or All is True Dean’s House, Christ Church 26 19 June 19:45 ­ 21:00 40 VOICES University Church 11 27 June 14:00 ­ 16:10 Henry Vlll or All is True (45 minute time slots) The Painted Room 33 20 June 18:00 ­ 19:00 Tudor Evensong Magdalen College Chapel 13 28 June 14:00 ­ 16:10 Henry Vlll or All is True (45 minute time slots) The Painted Room 35 20 June 19:30­ 21:00 Gold Medal Winners Holywell Music Room 14 30 June 19:30 ­ 20:30 PSS PSS Oxford Playhouse 40 21 June 19:00 ­ 20:00 In celebration of Jacqueline du Pré St Mary Magdalen 17 01 July 19:30 ­ 20:30 Jo Blake: Blodeuwedd Untold Old Fire Station 43 21 June 20:00 ­ 22:00 The Alex Garnett Quartet Freud 17 01 July 19:30 ­ 20:30 PSS PSS Oxford Playhouse 46 22 June 20:00 ­ 21:00 Elin Manahan Thomas and Elizabeth Kenny Merton College Chapel 19 23 June 19:30 ­ 21:50 Beethoven Complete Piano Trios Holywell Music Room 20 MAGDALEN COLLEGE SCHOOL THEATRE PERFORMANCES 24 June 18:30 ­ 20:30 Music for a Midsummer’s Evening Magdalen College Chapel 23 30 June 19:30 ­ 21:15 Twelfth Night MCS Field 37 24 June 19:30 ­ 21:45 Beethoven Complete Piano Trios Holywell Music Room 24 01 July 19:30 ­ 21:15 Twelfth Night MCS Field 46 24 June 20:00 ­ 22:00 The Easy Rollers Freud 24 01 July 21:30 ­ 22:50 The Duchess of Malfi MCS Big School 46 25 June 21:00 ­ 22:00 Music from the Royal Choirbook Magdalen College Chapel 27 02 July 19:30 ­ 21:15 Twelfth Night MCS Field 49 26 June 20:00 ­ 21:45 Alison Balsom OBE ­ Music for the Royal Fireworks Christ Church Cathedral 30 02 July 21:30 ­ 22:50 The Duchess of Malfi MCS Big School 49 27 June 19:30 ­ 22:00 The Golden Age of Jazz with the BBC Big Band Festival Marquee 33 04 July 19:30 ­ 20:30 OXUS String Quartet Friends Meeting House 52 04 July 21:00 ­ 22:15 Zoe Gilby and Andy Champion St Mary Magdalen 53 05 July 19:00 ­ 21:00 Music for Mustardseed Sheldonian Theatre 56

4 5 THE CREATION OF OUR COVER DESIGN

In November 2019 we launched an exciting competition with our partners OX Magazine to invite entries for the cover design of our festival brochure for 2020. Anyone aged 16 or over could take part, amateur or professional. We offered suggestions to aid creativity; this year’s festival inspiration The Field of Cloth of Gold including the painting of that event housed at the Royal Collection; a colour palette based on illuminated manuscripts including gold and the themes of royalty, splendour, fraternity and friendship. We were delighted to receive paintings, prints and illustrations with widely differing styles and subjects. Our judging panel led by Festival Director Dr Michelle Castelletti, cogitated and considered and came to the decision that one entry was outstanding. Our winner Julia Engelhardt produced not one but two, beautiful woven artworks for the competition. Julia is self­taught and describes her textiles as a blend of painting and weaving. Photo: AllanettePhoto: Photography Julia wrote this about creating the pieces: ENTERTAINMENT AND MERRY MAKING “One of my pieces is directly guided by the colours of the original painting if with slightly less patina, A TUDOR ENTERTAINMENT This event is the other tends more towards the idea of a kindly sponsored by Thursday 18 June ceremonial golden cloth but also has echoes of the Photography. Barnes Keith Photos: ‘Cloth of Renaissance Kings’ ‘Cloth of Splendour’ 19:30 – 21:30 reds and greens in the painting. The fine light yellow by Julia Engelhardt by Julia Engelhardt Ye Olde Grand Dining Hall, Magdalen College School weft in both pieces almost seems to suggest contour lines on a map, an effect I was most pleased £15 | £12.75 | £5 (under 18s) ticket price includes food with. I have used a variety of materials ­ mostly natural, some man­made; some grand and precious 18 (silk) and some simpler like wool (English wealth was built on that at the time)”. You are invited by his Royal Majesty King Henry VIII to an exceptional and extravagant JUNE We chose the piece entitled Cloth of Splendour. It is used both on our wraparound cover and as our Tudor Entertainment. take on marginalia throughout the brochure, to echo an illuminated manuscript. You will join the festivities alongside Henry and his Queen of 23 years, Catalina D’Aragon! Outwardly Thank you to everyone who took part and congratulations to Julia for creating our own OFA 2020 all appears well but the King is distracted, bewitched by the attractive and quick­witted Lady­in­ ‘cloth of gold’! waiting Anne Boleyn. Henry’s right­hand man Thomas Cromwell has the task of finding a way to get Alexis him a divorce, he must succeed where Wolsey failed. Meantime he is more than happy to facilitate Henry’s pursuit of the Lady Anne. In an age where men hold the power, how will these women Alexis Thompson achieve their goals? One thing is certain only one will emerge the winner, but the landscape of Marketing and Sponsorship Manager, OXFORD FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS England will be changed forever! Travel back in time as Past­Times Living History bring this drama to life and allow you to witness first­hand the intrigue and glamour of Tudor life, engage with its key figures and ask those burning questions that history lessons did not answer! The court of Henry VIII would not be complete without a jester – enter Patch, A Right Royal Fool who will amuse and entertain you with his tricks and larks. Also part of Henry’s retinue is his Medieval Musician who will perform dance, music and songs for your entertainment on the wheel fiddle (hurdy gurdy), medieval flute, bagpipes and medieval lute. Henry VIII commanded that you should eat well and so you shall, courtesy of a feast fit for a King provided by Oxford Fine Dining. Our feast reflects Tudor flavours and ingredients (no peacocks we promise!) and includes vegetarian and vegan dishes. There will be a bar for the purchasing of ales, wine and other fine libations. The King requests that you dress in your Tudor finery to join him, his Queen and members of the court for this unique and immersive evening of music, food, entertainment, drama and intrigue! Dr Michelle Castelletti with Julia Engelhardt 6 7 ENTERTAINMENT FIELD OF CLOTH OF GOLD IN LIGHTS with Manouche Etcetera Friday 19 June 21:30 – 22:45 Magdalen College School Field £15 | £12 | £2 Supported by Magdalen College School Parents’ Association

Get together with friends and family, spread your picnic blankets on School Field, and be swept up by live music from the irrepressible Manouche Etcetera; the versatile trio of Alex Thomas (violin and vocals), Tom Vallance (piano, guitar melodica and vocals) and Robin Colyer (double bass and vocals). Their repertoire includes everything from gypsy tunes and Argentine tango to retro swing and more. They may also surprise us with their own toe­tapping take on famous period works. As the sun sets, School Field will transform into a luminous world of multiple laser lights. An extra­ ordinary light installation designed by the Eventeffects artists in Germany is set to the ethereal voices and music of the Field of Cloth of Gold era, resonating under the stars. This is an unforgettable way for children, families and friends alike to ignite the festival spirit together.

19 JUNE

8 9 SYMPOSIUM MUSIC TALLIS 2020 SYMPOSIUM 40 VOICES Thursday 19 and Friday 20 June ORA Singers | Schola Cantorum | Suzi Digby, conductor Thursday 10:30 – 17:30 Friday 19 June Friday 09:30 – 17:00 19:45 – 21:00 Grove Auditorium, Magdalen College University Church Free (ticket required) £25 | £20 | £5 (under 18s)

To celebrate the 450th anniversary of one of choral music’s most iconic works – Thomas Tallis’ 40­ The award­winning ORA Singers, one of the UK’s pre­eminent vocal ensembles, are joined by Oxford part motet Spem in alium – Oxford Festival of the Arts and ORA Singers are hosting a two­day University’s Schola Cantorum for this breath­taking concert, featuring music from ORA’s brand new interdisciplinary symposium which will culminate in the performance of Spem, together with ORA album release, including a performance of Sir James MacMillan’s 40­part motet and a rare Singers’ newly­commissioned Sir James MacMillan 40­part reflection on the work,Vidi aquam. performance of Tallis’ Spem in alium. Described as a ‘shattering experience’ by Stephen Fry,Vidi aquam will receive its world premiere Programme performance at the Tate Modern en route to Oxford. Working with our Honorary academic advisor, Professor John Milsom, the symposium will feature eminent British and international scholars. It will T. Tallis Spem in alium delve deeply into the compositional history of the 450­year­old work, and the vicissitudes of the A. Ferrabosco I In monte Oliveti Reformations in an artistic perspective with the composer that lived, worked and survived four Tudor D. Gerarde Tua est potentia monarchs, from Henry VIII to Elizabeth I. It will also include insights from contemporary composers, T. Tallis If Ye Love Me musicologists, and performers, as well as a pre­performance Q&A with Sir James MacMillan. P. Van Wilder Pater Noster R. Williams Ave Verum Corpus Re­imagined J. MacMillan Vidi aquam (new commission) 19­20 19­20 JUNE JUNE JUNE JUNE

MUSIC & SPEAKER SERIES SIR JAMES MACMILLAN in conversation with Suzi Digby Friday 19 June 18:45 – 19:15 University Church Free with ticket to 40 VOICES

Acclaimed composer Sir James MacMillan will be in conversation with Artistic Director and Founder of ORA Singers, Suzi Digby OBE. James MacMillan is the pre­eminent Scottish composer of his generation. Suzi Digby is an internationally renowned Choral Conductor and Music Educator and she has trail­blazed the revival of singing in UK schools and the community. They will discuss James’ composition ofVidi aquam and he will explore the process of writing a reflection on Tallis’ seminal work and what it is like to consider forty voices singing individual parts. They will delve into how forty singers perform collectively and the experience the audience can expect from this unique and spell­binding concert.

10 11 Photo: Nick Rutter ENTERTAINMENT MUSIC COMEDY FESTIVAL TUDOR EVENSONG Saturday 20 June (also on Sunday 21 June) Saturday 20 June 11:00 – 22:00 18:00 – 19:00 The Oxford Artisan Distillery (T.O.A.D) Magdalen College Chapel £6 in advance or £10 on the door (per session) Free (no ticket required)

★★★★★ "A roaring success at creating vibrant comedy Choral Evensong sung by the Choir and in Oxfordshire." The Oxford Times Consort of Voices of Magdalen College Oxford’s own Jericho Comedy (winner of the 2019 Chapel. Chortle Awards ‘Top 6 comedy clubs in the UK’) present a As part of the #TALLIS2020 celebration, the weekend comedy festival. Held over two days, the event combined forces of Magdalen College’s will be showcasing some of the UK’s best up­and­coming Choristers, Clerks and Consort sing the final comedians performing their newest shows ahead of the Evensong of the academic year in the Edinburgh Festival. College’s beautiful chapel. The music for the This first ever Oxford Weekend Comedy Festival is hosted evening will include James MacMillan’s on the edge of South Parks at The Oxford Artisan Benedicimus Deum caeli and William Byrd’s Distillery, otherwise known as TOAD! Booking in advance Laudibus in Sanctis, as introit and anthem, is highly recommended as Jericho Comedy have a long together with Tallis’ Octavi Toni Magnificat history of sell­out events. and Nunc Dimittis.

20 20 JUNE JUNE

JOIN IN WALK WITH GIANT HENRY Saturday 20 June 12:00 – 16:00 Bonn Square Free (no ticket required)

Join us in Bonn Square as we launch the 2020 Oxford Festival of the Arts with someone who is genuinely larger­ than­life! Our giant mechanical walking, talking Henry VIII is over 20 feet tall and will certainly cut a spectacular figure as he makes his way around Oxford city centre. He will be joined by children from local schools wearing heraldic tabards made as part of OFA’s community engagement work. Giant Henry will progress from Bonn Square around the centre of Oxford and will be talking to the crowd en route! We encourage all children to come along in Tudor costume and walk with Henry for this unique and delightful procession through Oxford.

12 13 SCHOOLS

Viviane Plekhotkine GUIDE Mengmeng Wu Chai Nien Chin 2020

TOP 10 INDEPENDENT SECONDARY MUSIC SCHOOL GOLD MEDAL WINNERS – 3rd China­UK International Music Festival Saturday 20 June 19:30 – 21:00 Holywell Music Room £12 | £10.20 | £5 (under 18s)

Chai Nien Chin, piano; Viviane Plekhotkine, violin; Mengmeng Wu, guzheng

OFA is proud of its partnership loaned to her by the Yehudi Menuhin School. with the China­UK International Mengmeng Wu is an award­winning guzheng 20 Music Festival and we are virtuoso. She graduated from the Central JUNE delighted to welcome to the Conservatory of Music, China under Professor Ji festival the Gold medal winners Wei and renowned guzheng Master Professor Li of the 2020 edition. Meng. She won the Gold Prize for guzheng solo Malaysian pianist Chai Nien Chin, also formerly in the 4th Zhong Sin International Music the concert master and pipa player of PMCO, is Competition in 2010, and a Gold Award for currently studying with Andrew Zolinsky at the guzheng solo in the 1st Huain Cup International Royal College of Music. She has been working Chinese Music Competition in 2012. on left hand piano repertoire since she suffered Programme a right hand injury in 2019. Playing with her left hand alone, she won the regional gold prize for S. Bortkiewicz Le poete Étude Op.29 No.5 the 2019 Euro­Asia Piano Competition in A. Scriabin Prelude and Nocturne Op.9 No.1&2 Sarawak and in January she won gold in the L. Godowsky Elegy in B minor Professional Youth Category in the China­UK F. Blumenfeld Étude Op. 36 in A flat major International Music Festival (CUIMF). Yin Lu (New work) Violinist Viviane Plekhotkine was also awarded gold in this prestigious competition (CUIMF). Lin An Yi Hen The Eternal Sorrow of Lin’an (for Viviane started playing the violin in St. piano and guzheng) Petersburg, Russia aged 5 with Nina Nikitina. At M. Ravel Tzigane PROUD FOUNDER AND LEAD SPONSOR OF the age of 12, she auditioned for the prestigious E. Chausson Poeme Yehudi Menuhin School and has been studying Chao Xi Suo Ding Tidal Locking (for violin and there ever since with Lutsia Ibragimova. She is guzheng) OXFORD FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS currently playing a 1694 Ruggieri violin kindly

14 mcsoxford.org JOIN IN In 1519 when Cardinal Wolsey was busy planning the MUSIC Field of Cloth of Gold for the following June ­ the REAL TENNIS AT Venetian ambassador, Sebastian Giustiniani, RONNIE SCOTT’S JAZZ CLUB PRESENTS: MERTON COLLEGE observed that King Henry VIII was: THE ALEX GARNETT QUARTET “Extremely fond of tennis, at which game it was the Sunday 21 June Sunday 21 June prettiest thing in the world to see him play, his fair skin 10:00 – 11:00 | 11.30 – 12.30 20:00 – 22:30 glowing through a shirt of the finest texture.” 13.30 – 14.30 | 15:00 – 16:00 Freud Merton College Guistiniani was not referring to the Johnny­come­ £15 | £12.75 | £5 (under 18s) Free (no ticket required) lately game that they have been playing at Wimbledon for the last 150 years or so. Now called Alex Garnett has been the face of the Ronnie Real Tennis, this sport has its origins in 6th century Scott’s house band and the host of Ronnie Scott’s Tuscany. By the 16th century there were 250 courts Late Late Show for more than a decade. Acclaimed in the city of Paris alone. When Henry VIII sent his as one of the leading saxophonists in the UK and heavies to arrest his second wife Anne Boleyn, she mainland Europe, Alex has enjoyed success as both was enjoying betting on a game of real tennis at a jazz artist, composer and arranger. Greenwich! Join Alex and his world­class group of musicians; Nick Costley­White (guitar), Sam Burgess (bass) and Real Tennis has been played on Merton Street since Chris Higginbottom (drums) to celebrate the music of some of the finest jazz composers and 1595. Now you have a rare opportunity to come to musicians. Merton, hear about the colourful Tudor heyday of the game, watch some excellent play and then have a go yourself. Be warned though, once you have played we hear it is addictive! Attendance is free – just drop in. Sessions last an 21 hour including an introduction, viewing a game in 21 JUNE progress and then those who would like to have a go JUNE can step on court (soft shoes or trainers only, please). MUSIC IN CELEBRATION OF JACQUELINE DU PRÉ Sunday 21 June 19:00 – 20:15 St Mary Magdalen ENTERTAINMENT £12 | £10.20 | £5 (under 18s) COMEDY FESTIVAL Programme Jacqueline du Pré is regarded as one of the Sunday 21 June (also on Saturday 20 June) greatest cellists of all time and this year is the J. S. Bach Suites for unaccompanied violoncello 11:00 – 22:00 Suite No 1 in G major, BWV 1007 75th anniversary of her birth. To mark that The Oxford Artisan Distillery (T.O.A.D) Prélude – Allemande – Courante – Sarabande – occasion Oxford Festival of the Arts invited £6 in advance or £10 on the door (per session) Menuet I and II – Gigue acclaimed cellist Clare Deniz – herself taught by

Suite No 2 in D minor, BWV 1008 Jacqueline du Pré – to perform a concert Oxford’s own Jericho Comedy (winner of the 2019 Chortle Awards ‘Top 6 comedy clubs in the UK’) Prélude – Allemande – Courante – Sarabande – celebrating the life and work of this present a weekend comedy festival. Held over two days, the event will be showcasing some of the Menuet I and II – Gigue extraordinary musician. UK’s best up­and­coming comedians performing their newest shows ahead of the Edinburgh Festival. Suite No 6 in D major, BWV 1012 Clare Deniz is a former solo principal cellist of See page 10 for full description. Prélude – Allemande – Courante – Sarabande – The Royal Ballet and performs as a soloist and Gavotte I and II – Gigue chamber music artist across the UK and Europe.

16 17 SPEAKER SERIES MUSIC CARDINAL WOLSEY AND THE FIELD OF CLOTH OF GOLD ELIN MANAHAN THOMAS Monday 22 June AND ELIZABETH KENNY 17:30 – 19:30 Monday 22 June Magdalen College Chapel 20:00 – 21:00 £15 I £12.75 I £5 (under 18s) Ticket includes both talks Merton College Chapel

Dr David Rundle: Thomas Wolsey and the Cult of Splendour £15 | £12.75 | £5 (under 18s)

Dr David Rundle joined the University of Kent in Elin Manahan Thomas is one of the most versatile sopranos of September 2018 as Lecturer in Latin and Manuscript her generation. Since releasing her début albumEternal Light in Studies in the Centre for Medieval and Early Modern 2007, with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, she has Studies. He is a Renaissance historian and a performed at many of the world’s most prestigious venues and palaeographer. festivals, and with leading orchestras and conductors. Perhaps Thomas Wolsey was famous for his magnificence. He most famously known for her performances of baroque expressed his position and power through ostentatious masterpieces, Elin is equally at home performing classical and display which some considered unbecoming for a person contemporary works. In May 2018 she was honoured to of his birth and which later Protestants took as a symbol perform at the Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan of the corruption of the old church. One witness to his Markle. cultural patronage has come to live in the college where Elizabeth Kenny is one of Europe’s leading lute players. In he was educated. It is a liturgical manuscript, a twenty years of touring she has played with many of the Lectionary, of impressive craftsmanship, world’s best period instrument groups and experienced many one of a pair, the other also in Oxford, at different approaches to music making. Equally at home in solo Christ Church, the successor to Wolsey’s 22 work, chamber music and the opera house, she combines a 22 own foundation of Cardinal College. JUNE love of the lute repertoire with a flair for imaginative JUNE

This talk will reveal the history of these College Magdalen of Courtesy collaborations that enrich an unusually varied performing life. manuscripts, focussing on what they can tell us about Liz Kenny is Director of Performance at the University of artistic patronage in the years around the Field of Cloth of Gold, and considering Wolsey’s role in those Oxford, and professor of Lute at the Royal Academy of Music. activities. We will see Wolsey at the centre of an international web of skilled artisans, including the one­ Tonight’s programme is especially built around the inspiration eyed, hard­drinking Dutch scribe active in England, Pieter Meghen. behind the festival – the Field of Cloth of Gold. 500 years ago Professor Glenn Richardson: The Field of Cloth of Gold two cultural, military and royal icons met in a field in what is now Pas­De­Calais, to cement the alliance between England Dr Glenn Richardson is Professor of Early Modern History at St and France. Francois I and Henry VIII brought with them lavish Mary’s University, Twickenham. His work has concentrated on the musical entourages, showcasing each one’s claim to be the European Renaissance, on diplomatic and cultural relations between ultimate Renaissance Prince. The fruits of these performances England, France, Venice and the Papacy. His most recent book is The lasted much longer than the peace between the two nations. Field of Cloth of Gold. He is currently completing a biography of There were dramatic outdoor spectacles and grand ceremonial Cardinal Wolsey. Glenn is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries and masses. This programme, which will include works by Henry a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. VIII himself, is an imagining of what happened on the more Glenn Richardson will explain what the Field of Cloth of Gold was intimate occasions, when private gatherings and secret and why it matters for our understanding of 16th century exchanges were accompanied by exquisite music for voice and European history. He will discuss why and where the meeting was lute conjured by these stellar musical tourists. Henry played a held and who attended it, as well as exploring the scale of the trump card with his own songs, possibly given a helping hand event and its preparation. He will describe the tournaments and by musicians such as Philip van Wilder and William Cornysh. At lavish banquets and the religious ceremonies and extravagant Francois’ court, the lute was all about refinement and gesture, gift­giving that took place. Finally Dr Richardson will reflect on the historical significance and and the compositions of Albert de Rippe brought the harmony meaning of the Field of Cloth of Gold for our understanding of Renaissance kingship. of the spheres alive to human ears. 18 19 SPEAKER SERIES NICHOLAS DELBANCO Why Writing Matters– Professor Nicholas Delbanco in conversation with Helen Pike, Master, Magdalen College School Tuesday 23 June 18:00 – 19:00 Magdalen College School Studio £10 | £8.50 | £5 (under 18s)

Nicholas Delbanco is the Robert Frost Distinguished University Professor Emeritus of English Language and Literature at the University of Michigan. He has published more than thirty volumes of fiction and nonfiction. His new book Why Writing Matters tackles central questions of the discipline of writing. Drawing on his own experience with such mentors as John Updike, John Gardner, and James Baldwin, and in turn having taught such rising and established stars as Bret Easton Ellis and Jesmyn Ward, Delbanco will explore influence and the contradictory, simultaneous impulses toward imitation and originality.

SPEAKER SERIES 23 JAMES CRACKNELL 23 JUNE Tonight’s Programme – The Gmelin Lecture JUNE No 1 in E­flat major, Op 1, No 1 Tuesday 23 June MUSIC No 3 in C minor, Op 1, No 3 20:00 – 21:00 No 4 in B­flat major, Op 11 TRIO OWON Magdalen College School Big School No 5 in D major, Op 70, No 1 ‘Ghost’ Tuesday 23 June (also on Wednesday 24 June) £10 | £8.50 | £5 (under 18s) 19:30 – 21:50 (including a short interval) Holywell Music Room After winning two Olympic Gold Medals and six World Championship titles, James Cracknell OBE £20 | £17 | £5 (under 18s) decided he hadn’t had enough of rowing so entered the 2005 Atlantic Rowing Race. Or enjoy both concerts for £30 | £25 He subsequently took part in various endurance events; competing in the 2008/9 South Pole Race, Marathon des Sables and representing Great Britain at the European Triathlon and World Duathlon Olivier Charlier, violin Championships. In 2010, James suffered a near fatal accident after being struck from behind by a Sung­Won Yang, violoncello truck while cycling through Arizona. Emmanuel Strosser, piano In 2018 James studied a Masters in Philosophy at Cambridge University and is politically active, Oxford Festival of the Arts in partnership with striving for greater awareness around the issues of childhood obesity and healthy living. TORCH (The Oxford Research Centre in the Last year James made history when he became the oldest competitor in the Boat Race, winning Humanities), Wadham College and the Faculty of alongside his Cambridge teammates. James works closely with two charities close to his heart; Music at the University of Oxford, brings Trio Owon Headway (of which he is Vice President) and the RNLI. back to Oxford after their debut in the city in February 2019. James will give us insight into his Olympic experience and will share his thoughts on the forthcoming Here they present two concerts of the complete summer games in Tokyo (now postponed until 2021). He may also be persuaded to talk about being a piano trios by Ludwig van Beethoven to celebrate Strictly Come Dancing alumnus! the 250th anniversary of his birth. See page 22 for alternative programme. 20 21 MUSIC MUSIC FOR A MIDSUMMER’S EVENING Wednesday 24 June Photo: Chris Gibbions Photo: 18:30 – 20:30 Magdalen College Chapel £12 | £10.20 | £5 (under 18s)

SPEAKER SERIES Renowned for its singing from the tower on May Morning, the Choir of Magdalen College Oxford, draws on its repertoire of DIARMAID secular madrigals, part­songs and close harmony, combined with MACCULLOCH popular classics from the sacred choral repertoire, in an entertaining programme for Midsummer’s Day. Your ticket Wednesday 24 June includes interval drinks served on the lawn of Magdalen’s iconic 18:00 – 19:00 and beautiful cloister. The uplifting programme will inspire and Weston Library Lecture Theatre delight you and includes many beautiful pieces such as: J RutterBirthday Madrigals; W Byrd Oh Lord, £10 | £8.50 | £5 (under 18s) make thy servant Elizabeth; S Rachmaninov Nyne Otpushchaeshi, J Lennon & P McCartney arr. B ChilcottYesterday , E Naylor Vox dicentis clama and many more.

THEATRE HENRY VIII OR ALL IS TRUE Creation Theatre explore the play based on the life of King Henry VIII 24 24 JUNE Wednesday 24 June (also on Thursday 25 June, Saturday 27 June, Sunday 28 June) JUNE 19:00 – 20:00 Wolsey and Cromwell, patron and servant Dean’s Garden, Christ Church Free (ticket required) Diarmaid MacCulloch is Professor of Church History at Oxford and is a multi award­winning author whose book The History of Christianity was made into a BBC TV series establishing him as a popular face on screen. In 2012 he was knighted by the Queen for services to history. “These are stars indeed; And sometimes falling ones.” Professor MacCulloch joins us to speak about his new life of Thomas Cromwell, called by Hilary Mantel ‘the biography we have been awaiting for 400 years’. It is based on a thorough examination of In Shakespeare and Fletcher’s play, Henry VIII, also known as All is Cromwell’s huge surviving archive, preserved for us at his downfall by being confiscated and removed True, the stars of Tudor history begin to fall, one by one. First to the official archive of King Henry VIII. Based on this treasure trove of manuscripts, it views the Henry’s queen, Katherine of Aragon, tumbles from grace; then his whole period in a fresh light. beloved advisor, Cardinal Wolsey, loses his grasp on power. Will Henry himself be next? Thomas Cromwell was arguably the most important politician of the Tudor age, so any Tudor historian is bound to meet him in the course of research: architect of the Protestant Reformation, ruthless Join Creation Theatre in an exploration of this rarely staged servant of Henry VIII, fascinatingly cosmopolitan, and as committed to founding his own dynasty as history play, perhaps now best remembered as the play which was his royal master for the Tudor succession. Yet Cromwell was also a profoundly religious man, who was being performed when the Globe theatre caught fire in 1613. took huge risks in promoting the Reformation as no cynical or secular­minded politician would have Funded by TORCH, this project will include a research symposium done. at the English Faculty of the University of Oxford, supported by Cromwell’s sudden arrest and execution were one outcome of England’s religious revolution, tangled the Centre for Early Modern Studies. up in personal and political hatreds that were an almost inevitable consequence of the lowly­born The performance will end with a short question and answer boy from Putney possessing more wit, style and political competence than most of the Tudor nobility session, in which you are invited to discuss the play and to draw who saw themselves as England’s natural rulers. Diarmaid MacCulloch will explore this, and much your own conclusions about its retelling of history. The play may more besides. be called All is True but such a title only begs the question: is it?

22 23 MUSIC ART AND ARTEFACTS Tonight’s Programme MCS SUMMER ART TRIO OWON No 2 in G major, Op 1, No 2 Wednesday 24 June (also on Tuesday 23 June) No 6 in E­flat major, Op 70, No 2 EXHIBITION No 7 in B­flat major, Op 97 Archduke 19:30 – 21:45 (including a short interval) Thursday 25 June Holywell Music Room 16:00 – 19:00 £20 | £17 | £5 (under 18s) Magdalen College School Art Department Or enjoy both concerts for £30 | £25 Free (no ticket required) See page 18 for full description and alternative programme. A­Level and GCSE students from Magdalen College School will be exhibiting their recent artwork alongside their preparatory sketchbooks in this open­studio event. It is a diverse and ambitious collection which stretches across installation, printmaking, photography, painting, sculpture, drawing and film. Students are encouraged to push themselves conceptually as well as technically, culminating This event is in highly individual work. kindly sponsored by Lower School Art and DT students will also have a selection of their work on display, allowing visitors to understand the students’ creative development throughout the school. There is something for everyone in this exhibition!

24 25 JUNE JUNE MAGDALEN COLLEGE SCHOOL MUSIC PERFORMANCE MUSIC THE EASY ROLLERS BIRDLAND – Bob Chilcott’s community opera Thursday 25 June (also on Friday 26 June) Drop me in Harlem! 17:00 – 18:00 and 19:00 – 20:00 A celebration of the Golden Age of Jazz Magdalen College School Field Wednesday 24 June £5 adults, children under 18 free 20:00 – 22:00 Freud “One note to begin, let the light in” £15 | £12.75 | £5 (under 18s) Welcome to Birdland, a world in which those with the best voice have the most power. Pip is a young sparrow with a “A slick, tightly choreographed hour of sizzling speakeasy from a melodious young septet.” song in his heart and a dream to sing just like his idol, the FringeReview Golden Nightingale. He is desperate to join the prestigious Dawn Chorus, but they have other ideas. Will Pip sell his The Easy Rollers are a roaring seven­piece vintage jazz band performing hits from the speakeasy bars soul to the glamourous Doc Rock Peacocks or lose his way of the Prohibition era through to the end of the Swing era. Based in Manchester, they have had in the Bewilderness? Or will he be able to find his true voice? audiences jumpin’ and jivin’ on dance floors across the country and appear at numerous jazz and Bring a blanket and a picnic and join us for the world music festivals. premiere of Bob Chilcott’s new community opera Birdland, This event is We encourage you to dress up in 20s style and really get into the ‘spirit’ of our prohibition themed bringing together a thousand­strong cast of singers and kindly sponsored by speakeasy party! Get your glad rags on and we’ll see you at Freud. dancers, including local schoolchildren from 12 primary schools and community arts groups.

24 25 SPEAKER SERIES THE FASHION CHRONICLES: Style Stories of History’s Best Dressed Thursday 25 June 18:00 – 19:00 St Luke’s Chapel £10 | £8.50 | £5 (under 18s)

Amber Butchart is a fashion historian, author and broadcaster who specialises in the historical intersections between dress, politics and culture. She is a former Research Fellow at the University of the Arts London, MUSIC and is a regular public lecturer at HENRY VIII AND FRANCIS I: the UK’s leading institutions from the Tate to the V&A, and as COURTLY SPLENDOUR far afield as Dubai and Music from the Royal Choirbook (1518) Hangzhou. Amber is a National Crime Agency External Advisor as a Consultant 25 Forensic Garment Analyst, working on cases that require investigation of clothing Thursday 25 June 25 JUNE and textiles. She also researches and presents documentaries for the BBC, including 21:00 – 22:00 JUNE the six­part series A Stitch in Time for BBC Four. Her publications includeThe Fashion Magdalen College Chapel of Film, Nautical Chic, and Fashion Illustration in Britain for the British Library. £12 | £10.20 | £5 (under 18s)

From Eve's fig leaf to Hillary Clinton's pantsuit, the way we choose to clothe our bodies can carry Motets by Mouton, Josquin, Crequillon and Verdelot. layer upon layer of meaning. Across cultures and throughout history people have used clothing to signify power and status, to adorn and beautify, even to prop up or dismantle regimes. For this talk, Before Henry VIII became famous for his marriages, for ransacking monasteries, and for cutting based on her latest book, Amber Butchart uncovers sartorial stories from notable people across England off from the Roman Catholic Church, he had been responsible for a period which many saw as the 16th century. Amongst others these prominent players include Henry VIII, Thomas Cromwell, a new Golden Age. He was a great patron to the arts, and is indeed known to have turned his own Bess of Hardwick and Maximilian I. hand to composition. In this concert, three parts vied explore some of the choral music circulating the courts of Henry VIII and his French counterpart, Francis I. The court of King Henry VIII is represented by a complete performance of a manuscript known as the Royal Choirbook, an exquisitely illuminated manuscript of Latin motets presented to Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon in 1518, a facsimile of which will be available to view after the concert. The French side of this musical exploration includes music by the French court composer, Jean THEATRE Mouton, including his extraordinary lament on the death of Queen Anne of Brittany in 1514,Quis HENRY VIII OR ALL IS TRUE dabit oculis. Within the splendour of these courts, composers competed with one another using increasingly complex compositional devices including canons, coded words and hidden messages, all of Creation Theatre explore the play based on the life of King Henry VIII which feature within the programme demonstrating this musical Golden Age. Thursday 25 June (also on Wednesday 24 June, Saturday 27 June, Sunday 28 June) Three parts vied present a varied mix of projects and programmes, each thoughtfully crafted in order 19:00 – 20:00 | Dean’s House Drawing Room, Christ Church | Free (ticket required) to immerse listeners in the remarkable expressive worlds of 16th­18th century musical cultures. See page 21 for full description.

26 27 MAGDALEN COLLEGE SCHOOL MUSIC PERFORMANCE BIRDLAND – Bob Chilcott’s community opera This event is Friday 26 June (also on Thursday 25 June) kindly sponsored by 17:00 – 18:00 and 19:00 – 20:00 | Magdalen College School Field £5 adults, children under 18 free See page 23 for full description.

SPEAKER SERIES PORTRAYING PREGNANCY: from Holbein to Social Media Friday 26 June 18:00 – 19:00 Magdalen College School Studio £10 | £8.50 | £5 (under 18s)

Karen Hearn is a historian of British art and culture c.1500­ 26 c.1710 and exhibition curator. JUNE Previously the Curator of 16th & 17th century British Art at the Tate Galleries, she is also Honorary Professor, Department of English Language and Literature, UCL. Karen joins us to talk about her recent exhibition, Portraying Pregnancy: from Holbein to Social Media. This major exhibition was the first to focus on portraits of pregnant women in British art over 500 years. She will talk about representations of women in a religious context, early popular and medical understanding of pregnancy, dress and fashion and the significant shift in the way that early 20th century male artists depicted their own wives and partners as they began to celebrate pregnancy visually. Her talk will provide an exceptional opportunity to place contemporary issues of women’s identity, emotion, empowerment and autonomy in a 500­year context.

28 MUSIC This event is MUSIC FOR THE ROYAL FIREWORKS kindly supported Alison Balsom, trumpet by Geoffrey and Caroline de Jager The Balsom Ensemble Friday 26 June 20:00 – 21:45 Christ Church Cathedral £30 | £25 | £20 | £5 (under 18s)

Celebrated trumpeter Alison Balsom brings her own virtuoso ensemble of six natural trumpets, strings, organ, theorbo and timpani to perform a dazzling programme of great baroque masterpieces and beloved classics. Widely acknowledged as one of the greatest trumpeters of her generation, Alison Balsom has established a multi­faceted career as a hugely popular soloist on the international concert stage. She has been awarded a Gramophone Award for Artist of the Year, three Classic BRIT Awards, a Nordoff Robbins Silver Clef Award, and has performed as a soloist at the Last Night of the Proms. In 2016 she was awarded the OBE for services to music.

26 JUNE

Programme

F. Biber Sonata à 7 for six trumpets, timpani and continuo G. Torelli Concerto for Trumpet and Strings in D major, ‘Estienne Roger 188’ J. Löwe von Eisenach Capriccio 1 & 2 for two Natural Trumpets and Continuo J. S. Bach Extracts from Weihnachtsoratorium BWV 248 H. Purcell Funeral Sentences and Music for the Funeral of Queen Mary H. Purcell Sonata for Trumpet and Strings Z.850

30 31 JOIN IN TUDOR HISTORY WALKING TOUR Saturday 27 June 11:00 – 12:30 and 15:00 – 16:30 Meeting point in Central Oxford £10 | £8.50 | £5 (under 18s)

Elizabeth Hudson­Evans has been guiding professionally in Oxford for 15 years. Join Elizabeth as she guides you around Oxford’s many beautiful buildings bringing their history to life. The tour will cover events in Oxford from the reign of Henry VII to the death of Elizabeth 1 in 1503, including The English Reformation and Cardinal Wolsey, Shakespeare, Raleigh, The Protestant Martyrs, the Bodleian Library and so much more.

MUSIC THE GOLDEN AGE OF JAZZ WITH THE BBC BIG BAND Barry Forgie, conductor

Saturday 27 June This event is kindly sponsored by 19:30 – 22:00 Festival Marquee 27 £25 | £21.75 | £5 (under 18s) 27 JUNE JUNE “A wonderful band!” Tony Bennett. “World­class … a brilliant musical force” The Telegraph Widely regarded as one of the world’s leading and most versatile orchestras, The BBC Big Band continues to delight audiences around the world through their broadcasts on BBC Radio and their live performances. Through a diverse repertoire arranged and curated by the BBC Big Band’s musical director and conductor, Barry Forgie, this concert celebrates the music of the twentieth century’s most iconic swing JOIN IN bands and composers whose legacy and influence defined a golden age of jazz and big band music. ROWING TASTERS Enjoy music from the likes of Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Tommy Dorsey and Benny Goodman, and numbers which defined this golden age of Swing music, such as One O’Clock Jump, Take the ‘A’ Train, Saturday 27 June (also on Sunday 28 June) Begin the Beguine, Sing, Sing, Sing, Opus One … and many more. 12:00 – 13:30 and 13:30 – 15:00 Meet on the Junior School terrace £8 (Participants must be aged 11 or older) THEATRE

Try your hand at rowing with a beginner’s HENRY VIII OR ALL IS TRUE lesson on the River Cherwell. These sessions Creation Theatre explore the play based on the life of King Henry VIII are an opportunity to learn the basics with a rowing professional from Magdalen College Saturday 27 June (also on Wednesday 24 June, Thursday 25 June, Sunday 28 June) School. It’s an ideal way to experience rowing 14:00 | 15:05 | 16:10 (performance is 45 minutes) | The Painted Room, 3 Cornmarket Street and will suit those with little or no experience. Free (ticket required). See page 21 for full description.

32 33 JOIN IN THEATRE ROWING TASTERS HENRY VIII OR ALL IS TRUE Sunday 28 June (also on Saturday 27 June) Creation Theatre explore the play based on the life of King Henry VIII 12:00 – 13:30 and 13:30 – 15:00 | Meet on the Junior School terrace | £8 Sunday 28 June (also on Wednesday 24 June, Thursday 25 June, Saturday 27 June) See page 30 for full description. 14:00 | 15:05 | 16:10 (performance is 45 minutes) | The Painted Room, 3 Cornmarket Street Free (ticket required). See page 21 for full description.

ART AND ARTEFACTS

EMMA RIDGWAY PRESENTS: SPEAKER SERIES Ruth Asawa: Citizen of the Universe WOMEN, SEX AND POWER IN THE Sunday 28 June 12:00 – 13:30 SIXTEENTH CENTURY Modern Art Oxford Sunday 28 June Free (ticket required) 18:00 – 19:00 We are delighted to be collaborating with Modern Art Festival Marquee Oxford for this bespoke exhibition tour about the inspiring £10 | £8.50 | £5 (under 18s) artist Ruth Asawa (1926­2013). “Essential reading for all those interested in the hidden stories of the Reformation and Join MAO Chief Curator Emma Ridgway as she leads you hearing the everyday voices so often left out of history books” Kate Mosse through Asawa’s exhibition Citizen of the Universe, the first public solo exhibition of Oxford Festival of the Arts is proud to welcome Professor Suzannah Lipscomb 28 Asawa’s work in Europe. The exhibition historian, academic and television presenter for this fascinating insight into the life of 28 JUNE features her signature hanging sculptures in women in Tudor times. Suzannah JUNE has written and presented looped and tied wire and celebrates her Photo by Imogen Cunningham. © 2020 Imogen Cunningham Trust. Artwork © Estate of Ruth Asawa. Courtesy David Zwirner holistic integration of art, education and community engagement. extensively on Tudor England, with books including 1536: The Year that Changed Henry VIII and A Visitor's SILENT FILM (with music) Companion to Tudor England. She OLIVER TWIST with live piano accompaniment has appeared extensively on television, having written and Sunday 28 June presented 18 documentaries for 15:00 – 16:15 the BBC, Channel 5, National Ultimate Picture Palace Geographic and others. She £10 | £8 | £5 (under 18s) currently holds a personal chair as To mark the 150­year anniversary of Charles Dickens’ death Professor of History at the we invite you to enjoy the 1922 American silent film University of Roehampton. adaptation of his much­loved bookOliver Twist. Starring Lon Suzannah Lipscomb will explore Chaney as Fagin and Jackie Coogan as Oliver, the film was why many of the women who ever thought lost until a print surfaced in 1973 and was lived left no trace of their existence restored. on the record of history. She will Our screening in the beautiful art deco surroundings of delve into stories from the archives UPP will be accompanied by live music performed by to reveal the details of real women’s pianist and composer Leif Kaner­Lidström. This matinee lives, exploring how they navigated screening will be an ideal event to bring the whole family power in the sixteenth century. along to. Photo: Nicholas Dawkes Nicholas Photo:

34 35 MAGDALEN COLLEGE SCHOOL MUSIC PERFORMANCE A NIGHT AT THE PROMS Monday 29 June 19:30 – 21:45 Sheldonian Theatre £12 | £6 (under 18s)

The talented pupils from MCS’ orchestras and choral society perform a delightful proms­inspired evening of music in the atmospheric surroundings of the Sheldonian Theatre. Programme R. V. Williams The Wasps Overture MCS Symphony Orchestra L. v Beethoven Concerto for Violin, Cello, and Piano in C major, Op. 56 (Triple Concerto) MCS Chamber Orchestra and soloists: Kevin Zheng cello, Quinn Obbink violin, James Edmiston piano Interval P. Hadley My Beloved Spake MCS Choral Society 29 L. Anderson Plink Plank Plunk MCS String Orchestra 30 JUNE E. Elgar Pomp & Circumstance MCS Symphony Orchestra JUNE

SILENT FILM (with music) THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC MAGDALEN COLLEGE SCHOOL THEATRE PERFORMANCE A silent film with improvised live organ accompaniment TWELFTH NIGHT Monday 29 June 21:00 – 23:00 Tuesday 30 June (also on Wednesday 1 July and Thursday 2 July) Magdalen College Chapel 19:30 – 22:20 (including a short interval) £10 | £8.50 | £5 (under 18s) Magdalen College School Field £10 | £8 | £2 (under 18s) This 1928 classic silent film La Passion de Jeanne d’Arc is based on the actual record of the trial of Joan of Arc in 1431 for The survivors of a shipwreck are washed up on the coast of Illyria, land of mystery, music and heresy. mistaken identity. Viola finds herself in even deeper water as she becomes an unwitting pawn in the struggle between the tortured Duke Orsino and the object of his unrequited passion, the Lady Olivia. It is considered to be a ground­breaking film for its production, direction by Carl Theodor Dreyer and the performance of Nothing is as it seems in Illyria, so with confusion reigning supreme you are invited to make of it Renée Falconetti as Joan. To this day it is heralded as a seminal ‘what you will’, as Shakespeare’s alternative title runs. work of early cinema. A talented cast of MCS pupils bring this much­loved comedy to life on the glorious banks of the We welcome the return of virtuoso organist David Bednall who Cherwell; the perfect entertainment for a summer’s evening. will perform live improvised music to accompany the screening.

36 37 SPEAKER SERIES SPEAKER SERIES “ALL IS TRUE” DAMIAN LEWIS 30 – Hilary Mantel’s Tudor Worlds in conversation with Tom Ward 30 JUNE Tuesday 30 June Tuesday 30 June JUNE 18:00 – 19:00 19:30 – 20:30 Magdalen College Chapel Festival Marquee £10 | £8.50 | £5 (under 18s) £15 | £12.75 | £5 (under 18s)

Dr Janet Dickinson is Senior Associate Tutor in History at Oxford University’s Damian Lewis is one of the leading actors of his generation, both at home and internationally. After Department for Continuing education and Lecturer for New York University in an early career predominately spent on the stage, he won the leading role of Lieutenant Richard London. Her research focuses on the nobility and the court in early modern Winters in HBO’s landmark WW2 series, Band of Brothers, for which he was nominated for a Golden England and Europe and she has published widely on these subjects. Globe award. Numerous other film and television parts followed both in Britain and the US, before his role as Sergeant Nicholas Brody in the Showtime seriesHomeland again brought him international Dr Lynn Robson is Tutorial Fellow in English Literature and Dean of Regent’s acclaim. His portrayal won him a Golden Globe and an Emmy. Park College, University of Oxford. Her research interests are in early modern print culture, particularly cheap print. Lynn’s initial research into prose murder In 2014 he played Henry VIII in the BBC’s production ofWolf Hall, for which he was nominated for a pamphlets of the period is developing to encompass prison literature: writing further Golden Globe. Most recently he has been seen as the antihero hedge­fund manager Bobby from and about the early modern prison, with a concentration on the Axelrod, in the Showtime seriesBillions , and as Steve McQueen in Quentin Tarantino’sOnce upon a depiction of penitence. Time in Hollywood. He is married to the actress Helen McCrory. Together our eminent guests will explore where history and literature collide Tom Ward has had leading roles in many major television shows, including Vanity Fair, The Lost World, or perhaps elide? An ambitious Thomas Cromwell navigates Henry VIII's Pride and Prejudice, and Doctor Who. He is probably best known, however, for playing Harry claustrophobic and dangerous court: is this history or creative fiction? Cunningham in the BBC’s Silent Witness for many years. In 1999 he and Damian Lewis both appeared in the Balkan war drama Warriors, directed by Peter Kosminsky, where they became friends. Hilary Mantel's astounding Wolf Hall Trilogy is a vivid retelling of Cromwell's life, career and death, but what do a historian and a literary scholar make of it? Tom will be talking to Damian about his life and career, his approach to the business and craft of Welcome to the debate ­ who tells the best story, history or literature? acting, and the many extraordinarily talented people he has worked with over the years. Since the festival has a Tudor theme this year, special mention will be given toWolf Hall!

38 39 SILENT FILM (with music) CHARLIE CHAPLIN FILMS with live piano accompaniment Tuesday 30 June 21:00 – 22:30 Ultimate Picture Palace £10 | £8.50 | £5 (under 18s)

We are delighted to be screening three rarely seen Chaplin shorts. Enjoy Behind the Screen (1916), The Rink (1916), and The Immigrant (1917). All three are funny, charming and heartfelt. Our screening in the beautiful art deco surroundings of UPP will be accompanied by live music performed by pianist and composer Leif Kaner­ Lidström.

30 30 JUNE JUNE

THEATRE PSS PSS Tuesday 30 June (also on 1 July) 19:30 – 20:30 Oxford Playhouse £18 | £16 | £13 | £10

“This is slapstick reimagined, silent storytelling at its best — delightful, light­hearted and hilarious.” The Times “Sometimes a show is such a total delight that it is hard to write about it without just gushing ‘See it, see it!’”. Total Theatre Inspired by the era of silent films, PSS PSS, performed by Compagnia Baccalà is an extraordinary physical performance blending contemporary clowning with theatre and circus. Two modern­day clowns take to the stage, playing out a unique and hilarious pas de deux through the universal language of comedy and slapstick. PSS PSS has been performed in over 50 countries, winning 13 international prizes and huge acclaim. An hour of happiness not to be missed.

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SPEAKER SERIES THEATRE GOLD ON PARCHMENT JO BLAKE – BLODEUWEDD UNTOLD (BLODEUWEDD: BLOD-AE-WUTH) Wednesday 1 July 18:00 – 19:30 Wednesday 1 July Weston Library Lecture Theatre 19:30 – 20:30 £10 | £8.50 | £5 (under 18s) The Old Fire Station £15 ­ £11 Patricia Lovett MBE is a world­renowned scribe and illuminator who has taught and lectured at many prestigious institutions in the UK and abroad including the British Library, the Fitzwilliam Museum, ★★★★ “Blake is a phenomenal storyteller” – A Younger Theatre Harvard, the National Library of New Zealand, and London, Birmingham, and Durham Universities ★★★★ “An intimate and rich experience,Blodeuwedd Untold has the potential to transport you to amongst others. another world” – Theatre Weekly In this talk Patricia will explain the differences between vellum and parchment, how real gold leaf was Unearth the unwritten Blodeuwedd, the Frankenstein of flowers. Captured in the pages of a medieval attached, the colours and pigments used and the sequence of creating a medieval manuscript. Along book, the ancient myth of Blodeuwedd describes a woman made out of flowers who was turned into the way she will also look at historical scribes, illuminators and manuscripts. There will be the an owl as punishment for adultery. But who was this woman before being confined to the page? opportunity to ask Patricia questions at the end of the talk. Jo Blake, international contemporary storyteller, irradiates this figure of Celtic myth through word, We are delighted that to coincide with Patricia Lovett’s appearance, the Bodleian Library has curated movement and ritual. The myth is unravelled in this radical reclamation of the untold; intertwined for us a number of treasured illuminated manuscripts. Dr Andrew Dunning (RW Hunt Curator of with personal experience and striking observations of the role of myth in our unmythic modern lives. Medieval Manuscripts) will guide us through this bespoke display ahead of Patricia’s talk. Jo performed this piece to sell­out audiences at the 2019 Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Presented by Jo Blake in association with The Pleasance and Royal & Derngate, Northampton.

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ENTERTAINMENT A FUNNY EVENING WITH GYLES BRANDRETH Wednesday 1 July 19:30 – 21:30 (including a short interval) Festival Marquee £20 | £17 | £5 (under 18s)

★★★★ ‘The best raconteur in the business’ The Telegraph. ★★★★ ‘A total joy’ Scotsman

Gyles Brandreth, actor, author, former MP, One Show reporter, Gogglebox star, veteran of Countdown, QI and Have I Got News For You is coming to the Oxford Festival of the Arts with his own celebration of the arts ­ A Funny Evening with Gyles Brandreth! His one­man show was a 5­star total sell­out when it opened at the Edinburgh Fringe and gives you Brandreth unleashed on the stars of stage and screen, television and literature that he’s known and the stories about them that have made him laugh, and occasionally, cry. Without hesitation or repetition (and just a touch of deviation),Just a Minute star Gyles delivers a dazzling two hours of wit, wisdom, high drama, low comedy and riotous name­dropping. What’s more he will even be giving us the GB take on the Field of Cloth of Gold!

44 45 MAGDALEN COLLEGE SCHOOL THEATRE PERFORMANCE TWELFTH NIGHT Wednesday 1 July (also on Tuesday 30 June and Thursday 2 July) 19:30 – 22:20 (including a short interval) | Magdalen College School Field £10 | £8 | £2 (under 18s) See page 35 for full description.

THEATRE Place your family’s PSS PSS Wednesday 1 July (also on Tuesday 30 June) finances in safe hands 19:30 – 20:30 | Oxford Playhouse £18 | £16 | £13 | £10 See page 38 for full description.

MAGDALEN COLLEGE SCHOOL THEATRE PERFORMANCE THE DUCHESS OF MALFI by John Webster 01 Wednesday 1 July (also on Thursday 2 July) JULY 21:30 – 22:50 (including a short interval) Magdalen College School Big School £10 | £8 | £2 (under 18s)

Building on the success of fringe­style student drama in recent festivals, a team of MCS Sixth­ Formers presents a reinterpretation of Webster’s Jacobean tragedy, setting the play in the late 20th century. Experience the oppressive court of Malfi, complete with a socially climbing assassin, an unfaithful cardinal and the worst sibling relationship in literature, all amongst the glamour and glare of the city’s bright lights. Passion, dark humour and gratuitous blood effects abound. Let our Private Client team help Age guidance 16+. you plan your financial future.

Call Liz Higgins on 01865 261100

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46 MAGDALEN COLLEGE SCHOOL THEATRE PERFORMANCE TWELFTH NIGHT Thursday 2 July (also on Tuesday 30 June and Wednesday 1 July) 19:30 – 22:20 (including a short interval) | Magdalen College School Field £10 | £8 | £2 (under 18s) See page 35 for full description.

MAGDALEN COLLEGE SCHOOL THEATRE PERFORMANCE THE DUCHESS OF MALFI by John Webster Thursday 2 July (also on Wednesday 1 July) 21:30 – 22:50 (including a short interval) | Magdalen College School Big School £10 | £8 | £2 (under 18s) See page 44 for full description.

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ENTERTAINMENT AN EVENING WITH BRIAN BLESSED Thursday 2 July 19:30 – 22:30 (including an interval of 20 minutes) Festival Marquee £20 | £17 | £5 (under 18s)

We are delighted to welcome to Oxford, actor, adventurer and raconteur Brian Blessed. Yorkshire­ born Blessed is one of this country's best­known actors, both for his larger­than­life portrayals in the MAGDALEN COLLEGE SCHOOL MUSIC PERFORMANCE theatre, films and television and of course for his unmistakable resounding voice ­ heard everywhere MADRIGALS ON THE RIVER from animated films and tv ads to video games and satellite navigation systems. This giant of a man has an eloquent wit and wonderful aptitude for story­telling. An Evening with Friday 3 July Brian Blessed is an experience that nobody should miss. 20:00 – 21:30 (Field open from 19:00) Magdalen College School Field Brian will talk about his career on stage and screen including anecdotes from Blackadder, Flash £15 | £12.75 | £5 (under 18s) Gordon, I Claudius and Z Cars and his many appearances in Shakespearean Productions. Brian is also a great adventurer and avid mountaineer having made three expeditions to Mount Everest, trekked to It has long been a tradition that Magdalen College School’s Trinity Term comes to an end with a the North Pole and explored The Lost World in Venezuela amongst other exploits. concert of Madrigals performed from punts on the river. This hugely popular event will feature a Brian is an enthusiastic and animated performer, so expect a very lively evening and the possible variety of madrigals, folksongs and some contemporary songs too, interspersed with instrumental inclusion of some expletives! items. Bring a blanket and a picnic to enjoy this uniquely Oxford experience.

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JOIN IN ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPT WORKSHOP Saturday 4 July 10:00 – 17:00 (includes a 30­minute break for lunch) Magdalen College School Studio £50 plus £15 for materials (bursaries are available please email [email protected])

Patricia Lovett MBE is a world­renowned scribe and illuminator who has taught and lectured at many prestigious institutions in the UK and abroad. This is your chance to spend a day illuminating with real gold leaf and painting an animal from a medieval bestiary (book of beasts). You will be able to choose your own animal to copy from a small selection and be shown how to prepare calfskin vellum for painting, how to apply gold leaf and the sequence of medieval painting for miniatures using a fine Kolinsky sable brush. You will go home with your illumination on vellum ready to frame. Since this workshop is one which will have a focus on one­to­one instruction, it is restricted to 16 people. We suggest early booking. Anyone taking part in this workshop will need to be contacted by Patricia in advance of the session, so please be aware that e­mail and/or other contact will be required. Please note that lunch is not included.

51 Photo: Ken Drew

Programme A. Pärt Da pacem Domine C. Shaw Punctum P. Vasks The Fruit of Silence P. Haas String Quartet No. 2 (From the Monkey Mountains)

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MUSIC MUSIC OXUS - WEAVING GOLD: LEGACIES OF HOPE? ZOË GILBY AND ANDY CHAMPION, Saturday 4 July VOICE AND DOUBLE BASS DUO 19:30 – 20:30 Saturday 4 July Friends Meeting House 21:00 – 22:15 £12 | £10.20 | £5 (under 18s) St Mary Magdalen

£12 | £10.20 | £5 (under 18s) OXUS returns to the festival with a programme of string quartets inspired by the 1520 UK­Franco festival for peace, friendship and international relationships. From Arvo Pärt's sublime stillness withDa Winner of Parliamentary Jazz Awards Jazz Vocalist Of The Year 2019. Pacem Domine, to Caroline Shaw's intricate Punctum based on Bach's Passion Chorale, this is a performance that will weave sound as if it were a silk tapestry. Pēteris Vasks' The Fruit of Silence is based Zoë has teamed up with her husband, the innovative and powerful double bassist Andy Champion for on Mother Teresa's Prayer for Peace, while Pavel Haas was interned at Terezín and killed at Auschwitz. a voice and double bass duo. This exceptional pairing creates an electrifying soundscape breathing fresh life into the familiar, as well as heading off to the unchartered. OXUS is a string quartet with an eye for intriguing and unusual repertoire, performing music from all eras, but specialising in 20th­century and contemporary works. OXUS has performed in venues ranging Their approach is bold, hypnotic and mesmerizing, removing boundaries, exploring space and time from the Institute of Contemporary Art in London to the stables building of a pub in the Thame Arts and with just voice and double bass. Inspired by the legendary Sheila Jordan, this exciting project has Literary Festival, and the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. As a group, they strive to find different ways to been taking audiences by storm throughout the UK and Europe and highlights Zoë’s great ingenuity present music, stripping away some of the formality which chamber music performance is perceived to in interpreting text. involve. Tonight wait for the final movement of Haas’ quartet, with its additional part for six percussion instruments, giving an unusual and surprising end to the piece and to the concert.

52 53 JOIN IN THE TUDOR VILLAGE Sunday 5 July 11:00 – 16:00 Magdalen College School Field Free (no ticket required)

Come and join us on the field where you will be transported to a living Tudor village complete with games, performances and plenty of activities to join in with. Henry VIII and the original ‘SIX’ await your presence at a celebration of the 500 years since the political spin event of the 16th Century; the Field of Cloth of Gold. This is your chance for an audience with Your King and, rather uniquely, his six wives in the same space at the same time! Brought to life by Past­Times Living History, this fusion of history and theatre ensures everyone will have an experience that is memorable, educational and above all, entertaining. There is children’s have­a­go Tudor archery, demonstrations of Tudor sword fighting and our Alchemist will be cooking up amazing lotions, potions and enchantments. For those who like to play the fool our jesters will be performing and running workshops. Our younger visitors have plenty to enjoy with make­and­take­home sessions in: gargoyle/dragon plaster cast making; Tudor confectionary; Tudor witch pots and games and toys. A magical Tudor­themed day that will captivate adults and children alike awaits you. Tudor costumes are not required but we would be delighted if you wanted to join in 05 with the theme! JULY

As a team, we are passionate about hor琀culture and simply love sharing our knowledge. Nicholsons’ 23-acre plant nursery stocks all the usual suspects: shrubs, a small herbaceous collec琀on, climbers and fruit. We specialise in bigger screening and ornamental trees.

Why not stop o昀 at our Yurt café on your way around? Our chef enjoys exploring new 昀avours, bringing you a new menu to try each month.

www.nicholsonsgb.com | 01869 340342 The Park, North Aston, OX25 6HL Photo: Allanette Photography 55 MUSIC Heyfordian Travel supports MUSIC FOR MUSTARDSEED sustainability: for A meeting of musical minds in aid of Mustardseed School in Uganda every coach booking we Sunday 5 July 19:00 – 21:00 sponsor “The Sheldonian Theatre Trees for Schools £15 adults, children under 18 free Appeal” in the UK

To close the festival, this special event in aid of MCS’ www.treeappeal.com partner primary school in Sentema, Uganda brings together musicians from diverse genres and backgrounds in a one­off event celebrating the spirit of collaboration. Hosted by ELIZA (formerly Eliza Doolittle) and Steve Pretty and the Hackney Colliery Band the concert features a dazzling variety of high profile musicians from the R&B, jazz, pop and world music SPECIALISTS IN GROUP TRAVEL scene. This will be an unmissable night’s entertainment for a very good cause; all proceeds will go towards the building and upkeep of Mustardseed School. FOR OVER 70 YEARS – 1947 to 2020 Mustardseed School was conceived by two friends: Kenneth Buwule, a Ugandan school teacher, book editor and postgraduate scholar of peace and conflict resolution, and John Caird, British writer Established in 1947, Heyfordian Travel is a family owned and and theatre director (and MCS alumnus). Kenneth and John share a deep sense of care for the health of the world in ecological and educational terms. Mustardseed is being designed, built managed business. Heyfordian, one of the UK’s premier coach and maintained as an eco­sustainable school in a richly bio­diverse environment. operators, operates a fleet of state-of-the-art coaches ranging from 05 The name of the school is taken from the parable of the Mustardseed. If you plant JULY even the smallest of seeds in fertile ground, it can grow into a mighty tree that will 16-seat minibuses to midi executive coaches right up to 85-seater provide a home for the birds of the air to make their nests and raise their young. fully executive doubledecker coaches. Mustardseed’s mission is to provide an inspirational and practical education for young children, encouraging them to flourish and prosper in Uganda and the wider world. Whatever your group travel So join us to see out the 2020 Oxford Festival of the Arts in grand, feel­good, foot­stomping, dancing­in­the­aisles style! needs contact Heyfordian – we provide friendly advice and assistance to make your booking a success and with a fleet in excess of 90 vehicles we are sure we can service your needs.

To find out more and help the cause: www.mcsoxford.org/about­us/partnerships/charitable­partnerships or www.mustardseed.school +44 (0) 1869 241500

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