20th Ribchester Festival of Music and Arts

A very warm welcome to this the 20th Ribchester Festival of Music and Art. For this special year, we have endeavoured to meet the growing number of requests for the return of the more popular themes of previous years, whilst being mindful of our commitment to new and up-and-coming artistes of the future. We do hope, therefore, that there will be something for everyone in our programme to encourage large scale attendance at every event!

By popular request, we have reintroduced Jazz into this year’s programme with the return of Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen. One of the most requested pieces over the years has been Gilbert & Sullivan and we are therefore delighted to welcome Donald Maxwell and his group of friends.

The major coup this year is, of course, the return, after a long absence, of world renowned violinist Tasmin Little and pianist Martin Roscoe. Local talent Melissa Sinden Gray will be introducing her friends in the delightful setting of Stydd Church with an evening of poetry and readings.

The Pachelbel String Quartet have played twice at Stydd in 2011 to popular acclaim; we are sure that they will provide us with a wonderful evening at both St Wilfrid’s and St Saviour’s Stydd.

As evidence of our commitment to the promotion of young musicians of quality and expertise, we are also pleased to include in our programme the Absolution Saxophone Quartet and the Tempest Flute Trio from the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester.

For the first time, our Festival Eucharist will welcome our new Festival President, the Right Revd. Nicholas Reade, Bishop of Blackburn as well as Schola Cantorum, Stonyhurst College’s own choir.

Finally, we are also thrilled to welcome the return of The Goldberg Ensemble under the direction of our first Artistic Director, Professor Malcolm Layfield for our final concert of this series.

Tim Rainford