|
St Endellion 50th Anniversary
In the Collegiate Church of St Endelienta, St Endellion, near Port Isaac
Conductors: RICHARD HICKOX CBE | |
 |
“Every festival at St Endellion is special, but I don't think I've ever planned
any with such excitement as the forthcoming 50th anniversary St Endellion
Summer Festival.
To celebrate the anniversary, every note played in this year's festival will be
by a British composer
The Anniversary is to be celebrated by revisiting some of the very great events that have taken place at St Endellion during the past 50 years |
|
We will be giving three performances of Britten's Peter Grimes - and I am sure that
no one who was present at the 1994 performances will ever forget the shattering
impact of that piece in St Endellion Church
This year’s cast will include the role debuts of Mark Padmore as Grimes, Roderick Williams as Balstrode and Sally Matthews as Ellen. We have also invited Andrew Watkinson to play Vaughan Williams’ Lark Ascending in our opening concert - his performance of this work in the 1980s was equally memorable There will be a very special concert in Truro Cathedral on 5 August, when the Enigma Variations and Vaughan Williams' A Sea Symphony will be the main works. The concert will begin with a unique performance of Malcolm Arnold's Four Cornish Dances, recreating an occasion in Truro Cathedral conducted by Malcolm himself, with the Silver Bands of St Dennis and St Agnes joining the Festival Orchestra Michael Berkeley (whose own 60th birthday will be celebrated this year – as is mine!!) will be Composer in Residence. As a godson of Benjamin Britten, he will be giving a pre-performance discussion with me before the performance of Peter Grimes on Wednesday 6 August Other soloists appearing during the Festival include Rachel Nicholls, Susan Bullock, Helen Parker, Pamela Helen Stephen, Valerie Reid , Daniel Norman, Richard Berkeley-Steele William Purefoy, Matthew Brook, Graeme Danby, Richard Hetherington and Iain Burnside We will also be looking forwards with performances of contemporary British music by Michael Berkeley himself, Jonathan Dove and our very own Roderick Williams!. A richly varied chamber music programme will include performances of three song cycles by Vaughan Williams - not only On Wenlock Edge but also Songs of Travel and House of Life (accompanied by renowned pianist Iain Burnside), as well as Elgar's magnificent Piano Quartet, Vaughan Williams’ Blake Settings for solo obe and tenor, Walton’s String Quartet. and Purcell's magnificent Funeral Music for Queen Mary And as a precursor to our 50th anniversary and as part of our celebrations, I am delighted to be conducting a concert in Truro Cathedral on 9th July with the internationally-renowned Philharmonia Orchestra. The programme will include Vaughan Williams’ 5th Symphony, as well as Bruch’s violin concerto, performed by Alina Ibragimova I look forward to seeing you at this year’s Festival, which promises to be very special!” (Richard Hickox, CBE) | |