Welcome to the 2012 Beccles Festival of Music and the Arts
Rev’d
John Beauchamp, Director
Welcome to the Beccles Music Festival 2012. We are excited to present
a wide variety of concerts and events including classical music and
jazz, poetry, spoken word and visual art. The Festival also offers an
extensive programme of community events and schools projects giving
opportunities for people of all ages to enjoy great music, art and
poetry and also get involved themselves.
Beccles is an historic market town nestling in the picturesque
Waveney Valley. Its medieval parish church sits on a high scarp and the
100’ tower with its peel of 10 bells dominates the town. With the river,
coast and countryside on our doorstep, Beccles has long been a place of
inspiration for musicians, artists and writers alike. The Beccles Music
Festival has its roots in this history and tradition while at the same
time breaking new ground with contemporary performers and new music, art
and poetry. I hope you will enjoy visiting Beccles for this year’s
Festival and sharing in its vibrant and colourful artistic life.
Elgar Howarth, Patron
It is a great pleasure once
more to be associated with and involved in the Beccles Festival. I
thought that on ‘retiring’ to Suffolk my time would be spent mostly in
composing – not so! The redoubtable Rev’d Beauchamp winkled me out and
roped me in and I soon had a baton back in hand – this year with the
greatly talented Kingfisher Sinfonietta, a Suffolk ensemble we can all
be rightly proud of. I look forward to September 23rd and to
the Royal Academy Brass concert the evening before – as their head of
brass chamber music I am proud of them too. E.H.
New for 2012
- Improved visibility in St Michael’s with raised and tiered staging across the performance area
- Concessionary ticket prices at all Festival events
- World premieres of works by Alan Bullard and Elgar Howarth
- Dean Parkin as ‘Festival Poet in Residence’
- Lunch-time events with music, dance, exhibitions, talks and art
- Schools project for younger children
All in addition to our great line-up of
established and up-and-coming artists presenting a varied programme of
classical music, jazz, poetry, spoken word, art and more.
Join our mailing list
If you would like to request a printed brochure when they are available please e-mail your name and address to: boxoffice@becclesfestival.co.uk
Have your say about 2011 and future festivals
Thank you to all who supported the 2011 Festival. We are keen to know what you thought of the Festival and what events you would like to see in the future. You can e-mail your comments and suggestions to: boxoffice@becclesfestival.co.uk
The 2012 Festival will feature
Michael Law's Piccadilly Dance Orchestra
Tim Bentinck (A 'one man show' by this well known Archers actor)
Ray Simmons and the Festival Jubilee All Stars
Academy Brass with Elgar Howarth
The Festival celebration service
The Kingfisher Sinfonia with pianist: Nigel Clayton
We thank all of our supporters and funders
The Arts Council – Grants for the Arts
The Townlands Trust
The Adnams Charity
The Fauconberge Educational Foundation
Councillor Mark Bee
Beccles Town Council
If you would like to become a Festival supporter as an individual, business or organisation please ring John Beauchamp on 01502 712317 to talk about how you could do this.