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2004
is the 60th year of The Cheltenham International Festival of Music.
Live
performances
Once
again, this year, music fans can expect the best in live performances,
ranging from orchestral works and opera, to Hungarian folk music
and even an accordian recital.
Names
to grace the Cheltenham stage willinclude mezzo Alice Coote, tenor
Philip Langridge, pianists András Schiff, Melvyn Tan and
Imogen Cooper, and the Skampa and Takács Quartets.
Symphony
Orchestras
Or
you may prefer the City of Birmingham and Bournemouth Symphony Orchestras,
Westminster Cathedral Choir, the Hilliard Ensemble, Trio Mediaeval,
the Henri Oguike Dance Company and Buskaid Soweto String Ensemble.
The
Belcea Quartet is also in residence for a series of exclusive performances
and collaborations.
Cut-rate
price
And
if you think it all sounds a bit poncy and high-brow, this year
you can sample what's on offer at a cut-rate price.
Organisers
have programmed twenty-six concerts over the sixteen-day festival
at the low entrance price of five pounds.
So
for all those who have previously hovered on the edge of classical
music, now could be your opportunity to dip your toe right in.
Fringe
Festival
Running
hand-in-hand with the Music Festival will be The Cheltenham Fringe
Festival with assorted entertainment to suit all.
The
emphasis is on variety, accessibility and affordability.
Highlights
include Thea Gilmore, Jim Diamond & Snake Davis, A Night of
Stand-out Stand-up, and The Hot Club Of Cowtown.
Busking
Fiesta
As
part of the Fringe event there will be a Busking Fiesta held on
Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th July.
You'll
be able to spot the talents at the heats in the Regent Arcade and
Beechwood Shopping Centre on Saturday, then
cheer on the finalists in the Imperial Gardens on Sunday.
World
premiere
The
Music Festival also includes the world premiere of John Taverner's,
much anticipated, new candelit meditational piece 'Schuon Lieder',
a performance by one of Britain's leading string quartets - The
Arditti Quartet, and a concert with the acclaimed soprano and new
Young Welsh Singer of the Year Camilla Roberts.
Cheltenham
also celebrates the 130th anniversary of the birth of it own son,
Gustav Holst, this year, and Festival organisers will use the opportunity
to hear some of his less familiar works as well as famous pieces
like The Planets.
ElgarÂ’s
Enigma Variations
This
is complemented by other English orchestral masterpieces like ElgarÂ’s
Enigma Variations and Vaughan WilliamsÂ’s Tallis Fantasia.
There'll
also be a brand new opera based on the Odysseus myth by the British
composer Edward Rushton, which is among 60 first performances, one
for each year of the FestivalÂ’s history.
Opera
also features on each Festival weekend, with three masterworks by
EnglandÂ’s leading composer in the field, Benjamin Britten.
Broadcast
live
And
if you can't make it to Cheltenham 18 concerts will be broadcast
live on ,
including performances from the London Sinfonietta and the Arditti
Quartet.
| Cheltenham
International Festivals of Music and Fringe |
| Venue |
Various
locations in Cheltenham
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| Date |
July
2 - July 18 2004 |
| Info/Tickets |
Contact
Cheltenham Town Hall Box Office on 01242 227979
or visit the website.
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Whether
it's serious classical pieces, or a bit of busking that you're into,
music lovers are in for treat in Cheltenham over the next couple of
weeks.
