OPERA * MUSIC * BOOKS 10–26 JULY 2015 buxtonfestival.co.uk
DIARY FRIDAY 10 JULY
WEDNESDAY 15 JULY
6.15pm 7.30pm
10.15am 12 noon 12.15pm 2pm 3.15pm 5pm 6pm 6.15pm 7.15pm
Festival Friends’ Reception English Chamber Orchestra
SATURDAY 11 JULY 9am 10.15am 12 noon 2pm 4pm 6.15pm 7.15pm 9pm
F Philip Holland A N Wilson Soraya Mafi & Ian Tindale Robert Douglas-Fairhurst Selina Hastings Festival Friends’ Reception Giovanna d’Arco The Alex Yellowlees Band
SUNDAY 12 JULY 10.15am 10.45am 12 noon 12.15pm 1pm 2pm 4pm 6pm 6.15pm 7.15pm
Andrew Roberts Festival Mass Buxton: Its Background & Beauty walk Roderick Williams & Susie Allan Poetry Writing Workshop Claudia Renton The Schubert Ensemble A Song at Six Pre-Opera Talk Lucia di Lammermoor
MONDAY 13 JULY 10.15am 12 noon 12 noon 2pm 3.30pm 4.45pm 6pm 6.15pm 7.15pm
Christopher Simon Sykes Eudald Buch The Future of Buxton’s Heritage walk Helen Macdonald Maria Camahort Quintet James Rebanks A Song At Six Pre-Opera Talk Dido and Aeneas
TUESDAY 14 JULY 9am 10.15am 12 noon 2pm 3.30pm 6pm 6.15pm 7.15pm
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Peter Hennessy Louis de Bernières Members of The English Concert Richard Davenport-Hines Fitzwilliam String Quartet A Song at Six Pre-Opera Talk Giovanna d’Arco
Jean Seaton Vera Brittain & Buxton walk Samson Tsoy & Pavel Kolesnikov Judith Flanders Sarah-Jane Lewis, Gareth Brynmor John & Simon Lepper Ferdinand Mount A Song at Six Pre-Opera Talk Lucia di Lammermoor
THURSDAY 16 JULY 9am 10.15am 12 noon 2pm 3.45pm 5pm 6pm 6.15pm 7.15pm 9pm
Carole Hillenbrand Antonia Fraser James McOran-Campbell & James Southall Anne de Courcy Masoud Banisadr Organ Recital A Song at Six Pre-Opera Talk Louise The James Pearson Trio featuring Lizzie Ball
FRIDAY 17 JULY 9am 10.15am 12 noon 12 noon 2pm 3.15pm 4.30pm 6pm 6.15pm 7.15pm 9pm
Peter Stanford Penny Junor Mei Yi Foo Buxton: Its Background & Beauty walk Ken Howard & Harold Riley Eleanor Turner Gordon Corera A Song at Six Pre-Opera Talk Giovanna d’Arco The James Pearson Trio featuring Lizzie Ball
SATURDAY 18 JULY 9am 10.15am 11am 12 noon 2pm 3pm 3.30pm 6pm 6.15pm 7.15pm 9pm
Simon Rees Helen Castor Flying The Nest Lutes & Ukes Cormac Murphy-O’Connor Flying The Nest Lucy Russell & John Butt A Song at Six Pre-Opera Talk Lucia di Lammermoor Chetham’s Jazz Ensemble
01298 72190 / 0845 127 2190 (Box Office) – Book tickets online: buxtonfestival.co.uk
SUNDAY 19 JULY
THURSDAY 23 JULY
10.15am Mark Bostridge 11am Flying The Nest 11.15am Festival Mass 12.15pm Ben Johnson & Sebastian Wybrew 1pm Historical Fiction Workshop 1.30pm Pre-Opera Talk 2.30pm Louise 3pm Flying The Nest 5.45pm Festival Friends’ Dinner 7.30pm An Evening with Kathy Lette, Ronni Ancona, Maureen Lipman & Meera Syal 7.30pm Huddersfield Choral Society
9am 10.15am 12 noon 2pm 2pm 3.30pm 5pm 6pm 6.15pm 7.15pm 9pm
MONDAY 20 JULY
FRIDAY 24 JULY
10.15am 12 noon 12 noon 2pm 3.30pm 4.45pm 6pm 6.15pm 7.15pm
9am 10.15am 11am 12 noon 12 noon 2pm 3.30pm 6pm 6.15pm 7.15pm 9pm 9.45pm
William Waldegrave Hallé Soloists The Future of Buxton’s Heritage walk Christopher Frayling Rosalind Coad & Gregory Drott Will Hutton A Song At Six Pre-Opera Talk Dido and Aeneas
TUESDAY 21 JULY 9am Peter Moore 10.15am Anthony King 12 noon The English Concert 2pm Marc Morris 2pm Scenes From An Opera: Lucia di Lammermoor 3.30pm Elias String Quartet 6pm A Song at Six 6.15pm Pre-Opera Talk 7.15pm Giovanna d’Arco
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John Hemming Benjamin Baker & Robert Thompson Pre-Opera Talk Lucia di Lammermoor La Serenissima
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Lewis Dartnell Sinclair McKay Dr Ingbert Blüthner Stephen Hough Vera Brittain & Buxton walk Matthew Dennison Laura Snowden A Song at Six Pre-Opera Talk Giovanna d’Arco Another 100 Years of Jazz Festival Friends’ Party
SATURDAY 25 JULY
WEDNESDAY 22 JULY 10.15am 12.15pm 1.30pm 2.30pm 7.30pm
Tony Little Robert Sackville-West Debussy and his Muse Miriam Margolyes Scenes from an Opera: Giovanna d’Arco Frith Piano Quartet Organ Recital: Alexander Pott A Song at Six Pre-Opera Talk Louise The Jay Rayner Quartet
9am 10am 10.15am 12 noon 2pm 3.15pm 4.30pm 6pm 6.15pm 7.15pm 9pm
Helen Mort The Magical Storytelling Yurt Bill Oddie Psappha Henry Marsh Inner City Brass David Crane A Song at Six Pre-Opera Talk Lucia di Lammermoor From Berlin to Bacharach
SUNDAY 26 JULY 10am 11.15am 12 noon
special Festival events
The Magical Storytelling Yurt Festival Mass The Oldie Literary Lunch
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THANK YOU Buxton Festival welcomes the support of the following major partners in 2015: Arts Council England Derbyshire County Council High Peak Borough Council Benefactors of Buxton Festival Patrons of Buxton Festival Friends of Buxton Festival The Director’s Circle Buxton Festival Foundation Banner Jones Wealth Management Buxton Crescent Hotel & Thermal Spa Partnership Central Technology Chethams School of Music Cresta Court Hotel Derby, Notts Chamber of Commerce Double Tree by Hilton Sheffield East Midlands Trains The Fox & Goose Grant Thornton Hewson & Howson Chartered Accountants Irwin Mitchell Solicitors
Investec Wealth & Investment The Kathleen Ferrier Awards Mercedes-Benz Midland Hotel Manchester NADFAS Northern Rail The Old Hall Hotel The Oldie Oxford Lieder Prudential Royal Northern College of Music Thornbridge Brewery The Tillett Trust Virgin Trains The Worshipful Company of Musicians We also thank the following local partners for their important support in 2015: Best Western Lee Wood Hotel Brooke-Taylors Solicitors Buxton Advertiser Buxton Antiques Fair Cromford Mills
Derby Quad The Green Pavilion Florist Haddon Hall Nursing Home High Peak Radio No 6 The Square Tearooms The Palace Hotel Pure Buxton Simply Thai Waitrose Buxton Festival Literary Series is presented in association
Buxton Festival 9am Literary talks in partnership with
Piano recitals in the Pavilion Arts Centre in partnership with
B&B
Singles from £75 Doubles from £6
5pp DBB Singles from £104 Doubles from £94pp
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01298 72190 / 0845 127 2190 (Box Office) – Book tickets online: buxtonfestival.co.uk
A MESSAGE FROM OUR ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Casting my eye over the long and glittering menu in store this summer in Buxton I’m struck once again at the depth of talent and diversity of artistic endeavour we will be presenting. Breadth and depth is always exhilarating in a Festival setting, as literary giants, conversationalists and politicians give way to intriguing concert programmes and major opera productions, all within venues a few paces from each other. This year we present two opera productions from the Italian repertoire, the more rare Giovanna d’Arco of Giuseppe Verdi and the better-known Lucia di Lammermoor of Gaetano Donizetti. Written within 10 years of each other, Giovanna is an example of Verdi’s bursting aspiration to thrill audiences with power and delicacy or tenderness, writing about a spiritual depth within humanity, whereas Donizetti’s Lucia is the masterpiece of all his works, concise, precise and devastating. Elijah Moshinsky comes to Buxton for the first time as one of the outstanding directors of Verdi
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operas in our lifetime, and Stuart Stratford conducting is right in the middle of his own central repertoire. I’m delighted too that the young Elin Pritchard will make what I am certain will be an exceptional debut in the role of Lucia. To offset the all-Italian experience, Charpentier’s quintessentially Parisian Louise in concert performances is not to be missed. We have a brilliant cast to offer you. It’s important to note here the substantial financial support for our productions that the Festival is receiving for the third year running from Ian Rosenblatt, whose enormous generosity has made such an indispensable contribution to our standards of quality and made much possible. Our Literary Series of talks about books and much else goes from strength to strength, reflecting a vibrant growth if television is anything by which to judge, of interest in history particularly. The modern historian is now much more of a public figure, so there is good balance between the novelist and historian this summer. There is refreshment here, refreshment of ideas and perception, and also entertainment and explanation, and I hope quite enough to provoke a little lively and healthy controversy. We aim to present the finest artists in concert of course, so it’s no surprise I hope that you’ll find the venerable English Chamber Orchestra, opening the Festival with a concert featuring their legendary leader Stephanie Gonley in a Mozart violin concerto and Madeleine Pierard singing two
special Festival events
Mozart concert arias, The English Concert presenting two concerts as well as two staged performances at the Opera House of Dido and Aeneas, a co-production with the Bristol Old Vic, and Serenissima returning to bring Vivaldi’s Four Seasons in a remarkably rare ‘Manchester Version’. Plenty of the highest quality chamber music is here too, including The Schubert Ensemble, Fitzwilliam and Elias quartets, mixed in with a full variety of solo recitals and ensembles, not to mention great artists such as Stephen Hough. I also want to draw your attention to Psappha’s concert. Psappha is one of the most successful contemporary music ensembles in Britain today and well known to Festival audiences. They bring a programme including Schoenberg’s Verklärte Nacht, their performance of which I heard recently in Manchester where they are based; it was one of the most moving, delicate and perceptive performances I have ever heard. It’s always our intention to promote younger artists every year as well, and I’m proud of the number we have attracted this year of the next generation star performers. You won’t be disappointed. Finally, please do consider the several important offers we have available which reduce ticket prices substantially in several ways for those eligible, and I hope you have as much pleasure turning these pages as we have had planning and anticipating them.
Stephen Barlow Artistic Director
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GIOVANNA D’ARCO
GIUSEPPE VERDI (1813–1901)
Giovanna Kate Ladner
Conductor Stuart Stratford
An operatic dramma lirico with a prologue and three acts
Carlo Ben Johnson
Director Elijah Moshinsky
Libretto by Temistocle Solera, in part after Friedrich Von Schiller’s play Die Jungfrau Von Orleans Sung in Italian, with English side-titles
Giacomo Eric Greene
Designer Russell Craig
Talbot Graeme Danby
Lighting Malcolm Rippeth
A Buxton Festival Production with the Buxton Festival Chorus and Northern Chamber Orchestra Spurred on by a vision of angels who ask her to become a soldier and lead France to victory against the English, Giovanna inspires Carlo, the future king, to continue the fight. Her father, Giacomo, however, believes she has given her soul to the Devil and denounces her to the English forces. On the eve of his coronation, Carlo confesses his love for Giovanna, but she withdraws as her voices warned her against earthly love. At the coronation, Giacomo arrives and repudiates his daughter. Despite Carlo’s pleadings, she refuses to defend herself. Giovanna is imprisoned and sentenced to death at the stake, begging God to stand by her. Verdi’s interpretation of the story of Joan of Arc features a central role of delicate ornamentation and powerful ensemble work, displaying the composer’s desire to experiment with formal vehicles through which his drama could be presented.
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Buxton Opera House Saturday 11, Tuesday 14, Friday 17, Tuesday 21, Friday 24 July 7.15pm–9.45pm Tickets: £20–£65
Supported by
01298 72190 / 0845 127 2190 (Box Office) – Book tickets online: buxtonfestival.co.uk
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LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR
GAETANO DONIZETTI (1797–1848)
Lucia Elin Pritchard
Conductor Stephen Barlow
A dramma tragico in three acts
Edgardo Adriano Graziani
Director Stephen Unwin
Enrico Stephen Gadd
Designer Jonathan Fensom
Alisa Natalie Sinnott
Lighting Malcolm Rippeth
Libretto by Salvadore Cammarano, based upon Sir Walter Scott’s The Bride of Lammermoor Sung in Italian, with English side-titles A Buxton Festival Production with the Buxton Festival Chorus and Northern Chamber Orchestra Despite her family having arranged for her to marry the influential and rich Lord Arturo, Lucia is in love with a family rival, Edgardo di Ravenswood. Her brother, Enrico vows to end the relationship, scheduling the wedding ceremony of Lucia and Arturo, and forging a letter from Edgardo claiming that he has married another. Lucia reluctantly agrees to marry Arturo, but in the aftermath of the ceremony, Edgardo returns, and Lucia collapses. So begins a descent into insanity, violence and death.
Normanno Richard Roberts Arturo Bonaventura Bottone Raimondo Andrew Greenan
Justifiably celebrated for its ‘Mad Scene’, its psychological insights, its eerie atmosphere and its vocal challenges, Lucia remains the high water mark of high Romantic sensibility.
Buxton Opera House Sunday 12, Wednesday 15, Saturday 18, Saturday 25 July 7.15pm–9.45pm Wednesday 22 July 2.30pm–5pm Tickets: £20–£65
Sponsored by
Opera
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LOUISE – A CONCERT PERFORMANCE
GUSTAVE CHARPENTIER (1860–1956)
Louise Madeleine Pierard
Sung in French, with English side-titles
Julien Adrian Dwyer
An opera in four acts Original French libretto by the composer, with some contributions by Saint-Pol-Roux A concert performance from Buxton Festival with the Buxton Festival Chorus and Northern Chamber Orchestra Louise, a Parisian seamstress, is in love with Julien, a young poet, despite the disapproval of her workingclass parents, who regard Julien as a good-for-nothing and forbid their marriage. Julien is urged by his Bohemian friends not to give up on Louise, while her work colleagues stoke the fires of romance in her. Louise runs away from work and is caught up in a carnival in Montmartre before her mother arrives to take her back to her increasingly bitter father. Louise must choose between love and family duty. Charpentier’s Louise is a love letter both to the idea of romance itself and to the city of Paris, occasionally shocking for its time in its advocacy of free love and the revolutionary nature of its score.
Sponsored by
Conductor Stephen Barlow
Mère Susan Bickley Père Michael Druiett Noctambuliste Adrian Thompson Irma Catarina Sereno Le Chiffonier Jamie Rock
Buxton Opera House Thursday 16, Thursday 23 July 7.15pm–10.15pm Sunday 19 July 2.30pm–5.30pm Tickets: £15–£50
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01298 72190 / 0845 127 2190 (Box Office) – Book tickets online: buxtonfestival.co.uk
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DIDO AND AENEAS
HENRY PURCELL (1659–95)
Dido Pumeza Matshikiza
Sung in English
Aeneas David Stout
A co-production between The English Concert and Bristol Old Vic An innovative, candle-lit staging of Henry Purcell’s first opera Dido and Aeneas, considered by many the greatest English opera of the 17th century. In this Bristol Old Vic production by Tom Morris and John Retallack, celebrated South African soprano Pumeza Matshikiza plays the abandoned Queen of Carthage, and rising star David Stout is the Trojan hero.
Belinda Mary Bevan 2nd Woman Lisa Wilson
Directors Tom Morris and John Retallack The English Concert Harpsichord/ Director Robert Howarth The Erebus Ensemble Chorus Master Tom Williams
Sorceress Susan Bickley
Purcell’s opera is preceded by a dramatised prologue detailing the moving story of Aeneas’ adventures prior to his arrival in Carthage and featuring excerpts from Virgil’s Aeneid and instrumental movements from Purcell, all combining to make this a unique evening. The performances of Dido and Aeneas are part of The English Concert’s residency in Buxton Festival 2015 which includes two concerts, on 14 and 21 July in St John’s Church.
Buxton Opera House LON
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M DON ATI 13 & Monday Monday 20 July 7.15pm–9.15pm T
R A I se e N
Tickets: £15–£50 The production of Dido and Aeneas is generously supported by George & Daphne Burnett and Maecenas
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Pavilion Gardens...
...experience much more than Opera Overlooking 23-acres of award winning landscaped gardens, why not join us for breakfast, lunch or dinner or simply a quick drink before or after the performance at the Pavilion Café and choose from a mouthwatering variety of home cooked dishes with locally sourced ingredients from our specially selected Festival Menu.
FR
cup EE o or co f tea ffee in th e Pav i li with on y meal our *
Café
Buxton Festival will be utilising the Pavilion Arts Centre at Pavilion Gardens, which will conveniently provide customers with the opportunity to experience the other great facilities including the Pavilion Coffee Bar and Gift Boutique. Open 9.30am-7pm, Monday-Sunday during the Festival. * In conjunction with a 'main' meal purchased in the Pavilion café only, offer ends 31st December 2015. Subject to terms and conditions.
5 p mr e sae r nv a tdi o n 7 p m n e e w t P r e - s h o w d i n i n g a sebcea l l 0 1 2 9 8 2 3 1 1 4 t o m a k e a nt ple To a v o i d d i s a p p o i n t m e
Twitter: /Pavilion Gardens Facebook: @gardensbuxton Trip Advisor: Pavilion Gardens, Buxton For further information tel: 01298 23114
www.paviliongardens.co.uk
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FRIDAY 10 JULY
ENGLISH CHAMBER ORCHESTRA 7.30pm–9.30pm Opera House Tickets: £15–£45 Stephen Barlow conductor Stephanie Gonley leader/director* Madeleine Pierard soprano Tchaikovsky Serenade for Strings Mozart Violin Concerto in D, K218* Mozart Ah se in ciel, benigne stele, K538 Mozart Ruhe Sanft (from Zaide) Mozart Symphony No 40 in G minor, K550 We are excited to get the 2015 Festival started with a concert from the most recorded chamber orchestra in the world, the English Chamber Orchestra. Its discography contains 860 recordings of over 1,500 works by more than 400 composers. The ECO has also performed in more countries than any other orchestra, and played with many of the world’s greatest musicians. The American radio network CPRN has selected ECO as one of the world’s greatest ‘living’ orchestras. The illustrious history of the orchestra features many major musical figures. Benjamin Britten was the orchestra’s first Patron and a significant musical influence. The ECO’s long relationship with Daniel Barenboim led to an acclaimed complete cycle of Mozart piano concertos as live performances and recordings, followed later by two further recordings of the complete cycle, with Murray Perahia and Mitsuko Uchida. This opening-night concert is conducted by Festival Artistic Director Stephen Barlow, who has enjoyed a long and fruitful relationship with the Orchestra, setting the tone for the musical highlights to come during Buxton Festival 2015.
Opera
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LOOKING FOR A TASTY TREAT? Then check out the Pavilion Gardens’ Night Food & Drink Festival, from 4pm–11pm tonight
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SATURDAY 11 JULY F PHILIP HOLLAND Lend me your ears 9am–10am Upstairs at the Old Clubhouse Tickets: £10.50 Our Saturday morning poetry series begins with award-winning local poet and retired Peak District farmer Philip Holland, who performs his own poetry on the themes of nature, music, history, love and loss. The onehour reading will feature sonnets, free verse, Haiku, ballads and popular comic verse.
SORAYA MAFI soprano IAN TINDALE piano
A N WILSON Victoria
12 noon–1pm St John’s Church Tickets: £15 (reserved), £12.50 (unreserved)
10.15am–11.15am Pavilion Arts Centre Tickets: £10.50 A N Wilson presents an exhaustively researched portrait of Queen Victoria as a passionate, expressive, humorous and unconventional woman. He explores the curious set of circumstances that led to Victoria’s coronation, her strange and isolated childhood, her passionate marriage, Prince Albert’s pivotal influence, and her widowhood and subsequent intimate friendship with John Brown, all set against the backdrop of this momentous epoch in Britain – and Europe’s – history.
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Mozart Aer tranquillo di sereni Deh vieni non tardar Strauss Schlagende herzen, Op 29 Du meines herzens kronelein, Op 21 Morgan, Op 27 Poulenc Deux poems de Louis Aragon Walton Three poems by Edith Sitwell Sullivan Orpheus with his lute Julius Harrison Philomel Parry My heart is like a singing bird Gershwin Someone to watch over me By Strauss Strauss Frülingstimmen Waltz Hailed as ‘a young singer of real promise’ by Opera magazine and featured as a New Face of opera in the Telegraph, Soraya Mafi’s notable concert performances include appearing as the soprano soloist in Britten’s Les Illuminations (Royal Festival Hall), performing the soprano solos for Handel’s Messiah, Mendelssohn’s Hear My Prayer and Karl Jenkins’ The Armed Man (Hull City Hall), Bach’s St Matthew Passion (Manchester Consort) and becoming the first soloist to perform the National Anthems at an England International game at the New Wembley Stadium. Future engagements include her debut with Theatre du Chatelet as Aminta in Il re pastore, her debut with English National Opera as Edith in The Pirates of Penzance, a recital at the Oxford Lieder Festival and performances of Fauré’s requiem and Jenkin’s The Armed Man at the Royal Albert Hall.
01298 72190 / 0845 127 2190 (Box Office) – Book tickets online: buxtonfestival.co.uk
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ROBERT DOUGLASFAIRHURST The Story of Alice 2pm–3pm Pavilion Arts Centre Tickets: £10.50 To celebrate the 150th anniversary of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Robert Douglas-Fairhurst examines the peculiar friendship between Oxford mathematician Charles Dodgson – Lewis Carroll – and Alice Liddell, and how their relationship influenced the creation of Wonderland. He looks at how the two Alice books took on an unstoppable cultural momentum in the Victorian era, and why 150 years later they continue to enthral and delight us. Sponsored by
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4pm–5pm Pavilion Arts Centre Tickets: £10.50
6.15pm–7.15pm Old Hall Hotel Tickets: £10
Selina Hastings tells the extraordinary story of her father, Jack, 16th Earl of Huntingdon, who, in 1925, infuriated his ultra-conservative parents by turning his back on centuries of tradition to make a scandalous run-away marriage, further enraging his family by leaving the country and becoming a painter. While in San Francisco, Hastings met the great Mexican artist Diego Rivera, and persuaded him to take him on as an assistant, living at close quarters with Rivera and his wife, Frida Kahlo. When eventually Hastings returned home it was to be faced with fighting on all fronts: in Spain during the Civil War; in England with his parents; and lastly with his wife, determined to keep him locked into a marriage from which by now he was desperate to escape.
Enjoy a pre-performance drink and nibbles with members of the Friends of Buxton Festival and VIP guests before the opening night of Giovanna d’Arco.
Fascinating insights into the creation of this year’s operas.
TODAY IS BUXTON CARNIVAL DAY Enjoy all the fun on offer in the town and make sure you give yourself plenty of time to arrive at your chosen Festival events
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FESTIVAL FRIENDS’ RECEPTION
6.15pm–6.45pm Buxton Opera House Tickets: £2
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SELINA HASTINGS The Red Earl
PRE-OPERA TALK
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special Festival events
TONIGHT’S OPERA
GIOVANNA D’ARCO 7.15pm–9.45pm Buxton Opera House Tickets: £20–£65 (see p.6)
THE ALEX YELLOWLEES BAND 9pm–10.30pm Pavilion Café Tickets: £20 Following their outstanding appearance at the 2013 Festival, Alex Yellowlees and his band return. Reminiscent of Django Reinhardt and the legendary Hot Club de France, this modern Grappelli on violin, with virtuoso guitarists Ged Brockie and Mike Nisbet and bassist Kenny Ellis, perform exciting, intoxicating swing jazz, laced with Latin rhythms and spiced with Celtic gypsy flair! Not to be missed! Expect world-class – for that is what you will get! Italy International Jazz Festival
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SUNDAY 12 JULY ANDREW ROBERTS Napoleon the Great 10.15am–11.15am Pavilion Arts Centre Tickets: £10.50 After years of study and visits paid to St Helena and 53 of Napoleon’s 56 battlefields, Andrew Roberts presents a true portrait of the mind, the life, and the military and, above all, political genius of a fundamentally constructive ruler. This is the Napoleon, Roberts reminds us, whose peacetime activity produced countless indispensable civic innovations – and whose Napoleonic Code provided the blueprint for civil law systems still in use around the world today.
FESTIVAL MASS Schubert Mass in C, D452 With Buxton Musical Society and Orchestra and soloists from the Buxton Festival Chorus 10.45am–12.30pm St John’s Church Free To be recorded by the BBC for future broadcast.
RODERICK WILLIAMS baritone SUSIE ALLAN piano 12.15pm–1.15pm Pavilion Arts Centre Tickets: £18 Vaughan Williams Four Last Songs Howells There was a Maiden, ‘St Bride’s Song’, Girl’s Song Torry The Face of Grief Elgar Sea Pictures Op 37 Roderick Williams returns to Buxton following his triumphant appearance at the Last Night of the Proms. Roderick has sung concert repertoire with all the BBC orchestras, and many other ensembles including the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, the Philharmonia, London Sinfonietta, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, the Hallé, Britten Sinfonia, Bournemouth Symphony and Scottish Chamber Orchestra. Recent opera engagements include Oronte in Charpentier’s Medée, Toby Kramer in Van der Aa’s Sunken Garden in the Netherlands and London, Pollux Castor and Pollux (English National Opera) and Van der Aa’s After Life at Melbourne State. Future performances include Sunken Garden (Opera de Lyon) and the title role in Billy Budd (Nationale Reisopera). Now, together with pianist Susie Allan, Roderick presents a programme of songs celebrating those left behind by the Great War.
FESTIVAL WALK Buxton: Its Background & Beauty 12 noon–1.15pm Pavilion Gardens Bandstand Tickets: £6 Ellen Outram’s walk takes in the architecture and beauty of Buxton’s buildings and shows how the town evolved through the Georgian and Victorian periods to become one of the most fashionable spa towns in the country.
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01298 72190 / 0845 127 2190 (Box Office) – Book tickets online: buxtonfestival.co.uk
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BUXTON FESTIVAL FRINGE POETRY WRITING WORKSHOP F Philip Holland
THE SCHUBERT ENSEMBLE 4pm–5.30pm Pavilion Arts Centre Tickets: £20
1pm–3pm Lee Wood Hotel Tickets: £20 (including tea & coffee) Paper, Ink, Action! Providing a convivial opportunity to create, edit, share and critique work; discuss themes, form, meaning and the relevance of reading and performing poetry.
CLAUDIA RENTON Those Wild Wyndhams 2pm–3pm Pavilion Arts Centre Tickets: £10.50
Schumann Canonic Studies, Op 56 Nos 3, 4 & 5 Fauré Piano Quintet No 1 in D minor Schumann Piano Quintet, Op 44 Since its first concert in January 1983 the Schubert Ensemble has established itself as one of the world’s leading exponents of music for piano and strings. Regularly giving around 50 concerts a year, the ensemble has performed in over 40 different countries. It has over 80 commissions to its name, has recorded over 30 critically acclaimed CDs and is familiar to British audiences through regular broadcasts on BBC Radio 3. In 1998 the Ensemble’s contribution to British musical life was recognized by the Royal Philharmonic Society when it presented the group with the Best Chamber Ensemble Award, for which it was shortlisted again in 2010. ‘outstanding in every respect’ – The Guardian
Mary, Madeline and Pamela – the three Wyndham sisters – were painted by John Singer Sargent in 1899. For The Times it was, quite simply, ‘the greatest picture of modern times’. But these beautiful, fin de siecle gentlewomen came to epitomize a vanished world. Claudia Renton describes the turbulent lives of these three sisters: their parents intimate friends with the Pre-Raphaelites and the girls growing to become leaders of the aesthetic movement. Bowing to convention, they made excellent marriages but found emotional support from others. Their liaisons shocked society, while the First World War devastated their way of life.
A SONG AT SIX 6pm–6.10pm Pavilion Gardens Bandstand Free Enjoy an al fresco Song at Six with members of the Festival Chorus.
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For a taster of the Buxton Festival Fringe, drop in to Fringe Sunday in the Pavilion Gardens from 2pm–4.30pm
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special Festival events
PRE-OPERA TALK 6.15pm–6.45pm Buxton Opera House Tickets: £2 (see p.13)
TONIGHT’S OPERA
LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR 7.15pm–9.45pm Buxton Opera House Tickets: £20–£65 (see p.7)
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MONDAY 13 JULY FESTIVAL WALK The Future of Buxton’s Heritage 12 noon–1.15pm Pavilion Gardens Bandstand Tickets: £6
CHRISTOPHER SIMON SYKES Hockney 10.15am–11.15am Buxton Opera House Tickets: £12 Christopher Simon Sykes talks about his second, fascinating volume of the life and work of Britain’s most popular living artist. He picks up Hockney’s story in 1975, flitting between Notting Hill and California, where he took inspiration for the swimming pool series of paintings; created the acclaimed set designs for operas around the world; and embraced emerging technologies – the camera and fax machine in the 1970s and 80s, and, most recently, the iPad. Hockney’s boundless energy extends to his personal life too, and Sykes illuminates the glamorous circles he moved in, as well as his sometimes turbulent relationships, in a lively and revelatory account of an acclaimed artist and an extraordinary man. Sponsored by
From the Opera House, Slopes and Pavilion Gardens to the Devonshire Royal Campus and the ambitious plans for the Crescent and Thermal Spa, Buxton’s rich architectural heritage is enjoying a new lease of life through a programme of heritageled regeneration. Richard Tuffrey and Trevor Osborne lead a walk taking in all of these projects and more, looking at their recent and past history and some of the issues surrounding their restoration.
HELEN MACDONALD H is for Hawk 2pm–3pm Pavilion Arts Centre Tickets: £10.50 Helen Macdonald’s bestseller H is for Hawk has already won the Costa Book of the Year and Samuel Johnson Prize and been acclaimed as a classic of nature writing. Now she comes to Buxton to talk about her youthful determination to become a falconer, which, in the wake of her father’s death, turned into a spiritual journey as she set about training her own goshawk, Mabel. Helen’s account encompasses memory, nature and nation, and how it might be possible to try to reconcile death with life and love.
EUDALD BUCH piano 12 noon–1pm Pavilion Arts Centre Tickets: £15 Bach Prelude and Fugue in C sharp major, BWV 872 (Book II) Bach Prelude and Fugue in C sharp minor, BWV 873 (Book II) Beethoven Sonata in A flat major, Op 26 Schumann Novellette No 8, Op.21 Granados Quejas o la maja y el ruiseñor (from Goyescas) Scriabin Sonata No 4 in F sharp major, Op 30 Eudald Buch began to play the piano at the age of 10. In 2013, he was accepted at Chetham’s School of Music to study piano with Murray McLachlan and Peter Lawson. Here he has continued to study the organ with Andrew Dean and Joshua Hales as well as participating in many chamber music groups and contemporary music ensembles. He has obtained several prizes both in chamber music and piano competitions in Girona (first prize in Girona Conservatoire’s Chamber Music Competition 2013) and Barcelona (first prize in the ‘Arjau’ Foundation Chamber Music Competition 2011) and second prize in the National Competition for Young Pianists 2012), and he recently received the first prize in the Chetham’s Concerto Competition. In partnership with
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01298 72190 / 0845 127 2190 (Box Office) – Book tickets online: buxtonfestival.co.uk
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MARIA CAMAHORT QUINTET 3.30pm–4.30pm St John’s Church Tickets: £15 (reserved), £12.50 (unreserved) Refreshments available at this concert Mompou Song and Dance No 7 Mompou Cantar del Alma Dominguez P mi Niño Garcia Lorca Canciones Populares Españolas(Las Morillas de Jaén & En el café de chinitas) de Falla Spanish Popular Songs (Jota; Canción; Nana; Polo; Asturiana; El Paño Moruno) Gasull Lullaby Piazzolla Fuga y Misteio Camahort 2 Songs to Verses of Garcia-Lorca de Falla Ommagio Ruhi & Camahort La presó de Lleida Mompou Damunt de tu només les flors Gasull Bosc Maria Camahort, together with four other brilliant musicians, presents a concert of music by Spanish composers with a very original approach, sharing with the audience the vivid colours, earthy textures and rhythms of Spanish musical art. The originality of the ensemble is given by the intense collaboration between musicians from different musical traditions, by its characteristic timbre, and by the specific choice of classical repertoire and their adaptation to this particular quintet. Supported by
PRE-OPERA TALK 6.15pm–6.45pm Buxton Opera House Tickets: £2 (see p.13)
A SONG AT SIX 6pm–6.10pm Pavilion Gardens Bandstand Free (see p.15)
TONIGHT’S OPERA
DIDO AND AENEAS
JAMES REBANKS The Shepherd’s Life 4.45pm–5.45pm Pavilion Arts Centre Tickets: £10.50 The first son of a shepherd, who was the first son of a shepherd himself, James Rebanks, known to his thousands of Twitter followers as the Herdwick Shepherd, and his family have lived and worked in and around the Lake District for generations. Their way of life is ordered by the seasons: sending the sheep to the fells in the summer and making the hay; the autumn fairs where the flocks are replenished; the gruelling toil of winter when the sheep must be kept alive, and the light-headedness that comes with spring, as the lambs are born and the sheep get ready to return to the fells. James offers a unique account of rural life and a fundamental connection with the land that most of us have lost.
7.15pm–9.15pm Buxton Opera House Tickets: £15–£5o (see p.9)
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TUESDAY 14 JULY PETER HENNESSY Establishment & Meritocracy 9am–10am Upstairs at the Old Clubhouse Tickets: £10.50 Like so many of his post-war generation, Peter Hennessy climbed the ladders of opportunity set up by the 1944 Education Act that were designed to craft a more meritocratic society. Now he examines the rise of meritocracy as a concept, and the persistence of the shadowy notion of an establishment. He asks whether these elusive descriptors still have explanatory power in understanding British society and institutions, and why they continue to fascinate us. To what extent are they both imagined concepts? And, perhaps most difficult of all, did a British meritocracy rise in the years since 1945? In partnership with
LOUIS DE BERNIÈRES The Dust That Falls From Dreams 10.15am–11.15am Pavilion Arts Centre Tickets: £10.50
MEMBERS OF THE ENGLISH CONCERT MARY BEVAN soprano 12 noon–1pm St John’s Church Tickets: £15 (reserved), £12.50 (unreserved)
Louis de Bernières, bestselling author of Captain Correlli’s Mandolin, introduces his magnificent and moving new novel, following the lives of an unforgettable cast of characters as the Edwardian age disintegrates into the Great War, and they strike out to seek what happiness can be salvaged from the ruins of the old world.
Handel Oboe Sonata in F, HWV 363a Telemann Warum verstellst du die Gebärden? (From Harmonischer Gottesdienst) Gabrielli Sonata for cello and harpsichord in G Aldrovandini Son ferito d’un labro di ciglio (Cantata, for solo voice and oboe) Telemann Cello Sonata in D TWV 41:D6 Handel selections from 9 German Arias: In den angenehmen Büschen HWV 209 Flammende Rose, Zierde der Erden The English Concert continues their residency at Buxton Festival 2015. Mary Bevan is one of Britain’s leading emerging artists, receiving much acclaim from critics and audiences alike for her stand-out performances. This season she sings Susanna The Marriage of Figaro (English National Opera), La Musica & Ninfa L’Orfeo (Royal Opera House at the Roundhouse and with ENO at the Bristol Old Vic), Mozart Requiem (English Chamber Orchestra) and Fauré Requiem (Philharmonia Orchestra).
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01298 72190 / 0845 127 2190 (Box Office) – Book tickets online: buxtonfestival.co.uk
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FITZWILLIAM STRING QUARTET 3.30pm–5pm St John’s Church Tickets: £20 (reserved), £17.50 (unreserved) Refreshments available at this concert Purcell (Arr Barcham-Stevens) Fantasia No 11 – Double Beethoven String Quartet No 12 in E flat, Op 127 Shostakovich String Quartet No 3 in F, Op 73
RICHARD DAVENPORT-HINES Universal Man: The Seven Lives of John Maynard Keynes
One of the longest established string quartets in the world, the Fitzwilliam String Quartet now is built around a younger generation of players combining amicably with one original member! Founded in 1968 by four Cambridge undergraduates, the quartet achieved international recognition at the very outset of its career, as a result of its members’ personal friendship with Dmitri Shostakovich, who entrusted them with the Western premières of his last three quartets – before long they had become the first ever group to perform and record all 15! Whilst their pre-eminence in the interpretation of Shostakovich has persisted, the authority gained has also been put at the service of diverse other composers, from the late 17th century to the present day.
2pm–3pm Pavilion Arts Centre Tickets: £10.50 Richard Davenport-Hines examines John Maynard Keynes, the man who saved Britain from financial crisis twice, over the course of two World Wars. He gives us the man behind the economics: the connoisseur, intellectual, public official and statesman, equally at ease socialising with the Bloomsbury Group as he was persuading prime ministers and presidents. By exploring the desires and experiences that made Keynes think as he did, he reveals the aesthetic basis of Keynesian economics, and explores why the ideas of this Great Briton continue to resonate so powerfully today. Sponsored by
Opera
A SONG AT SIX 6pm–6.10pm Pavilion Gardens Bandstand Free (see p.15)
PRE-OPERA TALK 6.15pm–6.45pm Buxton Opera House Tickets: £2 (see p.13)
Music
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TONIGHT’S OPERA
GIOVANNA D’ARCO 7.15pm–9.45pm Buxton Opera House Tickets: £20–£65 (see p.6)
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WEDNESDAY 15 JULY JEAN SEATON in conversation with Dame Janet Smith Pinkoes & Traitors 10.15am–11.15am Pavilion Arts Centre Tickets: £10.50 Jean Seaton talks to former Festival Chairman Dame Janet Smith about the history of the BBC during the Margaret Thatcher years, when the Corporation had to justify its right to the Licence Fee and as an independent institution, by producing memorable programmes for the whole British public. Drawing on previously unseen State and BBC papers, Jean Seaton examines the turbulent controversies (stirred up by programmes such as Maggie’s Militant Tendency) and the magnificent triumphs (such as Life on Earth and Morecambe & Wise) of the 1980s.
SAMSON TSOY piano & PAVEL KOLESNIKOV piano 12.15pm–1.15pm Pavilion Arts Centre Tickets: £15 Rachmaninov Six Morceaux, Op 11 Stravinsky The Rite of Spring
FESTIVAL WALK Vera Brittain & Buxton 12 noon–1.15pm Pavilion Gardens Bandstand Tickets: £6 Ellen Outram takes you on a tour of the Buxton locations that influenced the early life of celebrated Testament of Youth writer Vera Brittain.
We are excited to present a concert by two friends building an international reputation for their piano virtuosity. Samson Tsoy’s playing has been described as ‘the most promising’ by BBC Music magazine. In 2012, he was recognised as a Laureate of the Santander International Piano Competition (where he attracted the attention of legendary pianist Elisabeth Leonskaja) and at more than 20 international piano competitions. Following Pavel Kolesnikov’s Wigmore Hall debut in January 2014, the Telegraph gave his recital a rare five-star review and called it ‘one of the most memorable of such occasions London has witnessed in a while’. Since becoming Prize Laureate of the Honens Prize for Piano in 2012, Kolesnikov has been winning hearts around the world. Supported by
JUDITH FLANDERS The Making of Home 2pm–3pm Pavilion Arts Centre Tickets: £10.50 Judith Flanders traces the evolution of the house across northern Europe and America from the 16th to the early 20th century, arguing that the transformation of houses into ‘homes’ was not a private matter, but an essential ingredient in the rise of capitalism and the birth of the Industrial Revolution. As she charts the development of ordinary household objects she also peels back the myths that surround some of our most basic assumptions, including our entire notion of what it is that makes a family.
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01298 72190 / 0845 127 2190 (Box Office) – Book tickets online: buxtonfestival.co.uk
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SARAH-JANE LEWIS soprano GARETH BRYNMOR JOHN baritone SIMON LEPPER piano 3.15pm–4.45pm St John’s Church Tickets: £20 (reserved), £17.50 (unreserved) Refreshments available at this concert Mendelssohn Ich wollt’ meine Lieb’, Op 63 No 1 Gruss, Op 63 No 3 Die Liebende schreibt, Op 86 No 3 Herbstlied, Op 63 No 4 Nachtlied, Op 71 No 6 Venetianishces Gondollied, Op 57, No 5 Wasserfahrt Brahms Vor der Tür, Op 28/2 An den Mond, Op 71/2 Geheimnis, Op 71/3 Von ewiger Liebe, Op 43/1 Minnelied, Op 71/5 Es rasuchet das Wasser, Op 28/3 Da unten im Tale, WoO33
Tchaikovsky Don Juan’s Serenade Amid the din of the ball Oh, if you could but for a moment Rachmaninov On the death of a Linnet Oh, do not grieve for me In the silence of the secret night Rachmaninov Loneliness No Prophet, I Pied Piper A-oo The Soldier’s Wife Spring Waters
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FERDINAND MOUNT The Tears of the Rajas 5pm–6pm Pavilion Arts Centre Tickets: £10.50 Ferdinand Mount gives a sweeping, epic history of the British in India, seen through the experiences of a single family, the Lows – his own ancestors and those of Prime Minister David Cameron. Vividly and poignantly capturing the lives of one family, Mount tells the story of some of the most dramatic and terrible moments of the Indian Raj, from the mutinies, battles, massacres and famines, to the ineptitude, folly and sometimes deviousness of British rulers themselves.
A SONG AT SIX
The Kathleen Ferrier Awards present a concert of winners from recent years, soprano Sarah-Jane Lewis and baritone Gareth Brynmor John, accompanied by acclaimed accompanist Simon Lepper. Sarah-Jane Lewis, winner of 2nd prize at the 2014 Ferrier Competition, graduated from the Royal College of Music in 2009 with First Class Honours and received her MA DipRAM from the Royal Academy of Music in 2013. She completed her studies at the National Opera Studio supported by a scholarship from the Nicholas John Trust and the Countess of Munster Musical Trust in 2014. Winner of the 2013 Kathleen Ferrier Award, baritone Gareth Brynmor John held a choral scholarship at St John’s College, Cambridge, before taking a place at London’s Royal Academy of Music. In his final year, he won the Royal Academy of Music Patrons’ Award and was awarded the Silver Medal by the Worshipful Company of Musicians. Gareth was awarded an Independent Opera Postgraduate Voice Fellowship in 2013. In partnership with
6pm–6.10pm Pavilion Gardens Bandstand Free (see p.15)
PRE-OPERA TALK 6.15pm–6.45pm Buxton Opera House Tickets: £2 (see p.13)
TONIGHT’S OPERA
LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR 7.15pm–9.45pm Buxton Opera House Tickets: £20–£65 (see p.7)
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THURSDAY 16 JULY CAROLE HILLENBRAND Islam 9am–10am Upstairs at the Old Clubhouse Tickets: £10.50 Carole Hillenbrand offers a profound understanding of the history of Muslims and their faith, from the life of Muhammad to the religion practised by 1.6 billion people around the world today. She helps us to gain a sensitive understanding of the essential tenets of the religion and of the many ways in which the present is shaped by the past.
JAMES McORAN-CAMPBELL baritone JAMES SOUTHALL piano 12 noon–1.10pm Pavilion Arts Centre Tickets: £15 Schubert Wintereisse, D911 James McOran-Campbell, who memorably played the role of Adolf in last year’s Jacobin, returns with Schubert’s masterpiece Wintereisse, the song cycle in two parts containing 12 songs each and taking the soloist on an allegorical journey of the heart. Born in London, James studied in Milan, at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and the National Opera Studio. He sang Belcore L’elisir d’amore, title role Eugene Onegin and Figaro Il barbiere di Siviglia (Grange Park Opera Young Artists), which led to engagements as Bello La fanciulla del West, Gamekeeper and Forester Rusalka (Grange Park Opera).
In partnership with
ANNE DE COURCY Margot at War
ANTONIA FRASER in conversation with Dame Janet Smith My History 10.15am–11.15am Buxton Opera House Tickets: £12 Antonia Fraser talks to former Festival Chairman Dame Janet Smith about growing up in the 1930s and 1940s, and her burgeoning fascination with history as a child which developed into an enduring passion. The eldest of the eight children of the future Lord and Lady Longford, Antonia was evacuated at the beginning of the war to a romantic Elizabethan manor house which inspired her historical imaginings. Her years as one of the few girls then admitted to the Dragon School for boys, her time at a convent school after her family’s conversion to Catholicism, her father’s joining the Labour Government in 1945, and exploits such as working in a Bond Street hat shop and a season as a self-made debutante, all create an unforgettable account of one person’s journey towards becoming a writer – and a historian. Sponsored by
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2pm–3pm Pavilion Arts Centre Tickets: £10.50 Anne de Courcy reveals the extraordinary love triangle that took place behind the scenes at Downing Street during the First World War. Her book opens in 1912: with the daring, unconventional Margot Asquith at its helm, the prime minister’s residence had transformed into a glittering social and intellectual salon. But in 1912 rumblings of discontent and reform began to intrude on the scene (quite literally, when Suffragettes threw bricks through the windows). By 1915, of course, when the book ends, everything had changed – for the country as a whole, for those in power, for a whole stratum of society and especially for the characters at the heart of this book.
01298 72190 / 0845 127 2190 (Box Office) – Book tickets online: buxtonfestival.co.uk
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MASOUD BANISADR Destructive & Terrorist Cults: A New Kind of Slavery 3.45pm–4.45pm Pavilion Arts Centre Tickets: £10.50
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A SONG AT SIX 6pm–6.10pm Pavilion Gardens Bandstand Free (see p.15)
PRE-OPERA TALK
Growing up in the aftermath of the 1953 CIA coup in Iran exposed the young Masoud Banisadr to extremes of wealth and poverty, loyalty and betrayal. Years later in the United Kingdom, he decided to join the Iranian Mohajedin, an organisation fighting to dislodge the regime that took power following the 1979 revolution. Torn between two loves – his family and the cause – Masoud gave up normal life to pursue the revolution. Now he sets out to understand terrorist cults: their leaders, how they recruit and manipulate the minds of their victims, changing them from a normal person into a human bomb.
6.15pm–6.45pm Buxton Opera House Tickets: £2 (see p.13)
TONIGHT’S OPERA
LOUISE A CONCERT PERFORMANCE 7.15pm–10.15pm Buxton Opera House Tickets: £15–£50 (see p.8)
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THE JAMES PEARSON TRIO FEATURING LIZZIE BALL The Great American Songbook 9pm–10.30pm Pavilion Café Tickets: £20 The James Pearson Trio, resident artists at the legendary Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, featuring acclaimed violinist/vocalist Lizzie Ball, will perform a portrait of the Great American Songbook. A glorious journey through the music of Gershwin, Cole Porter, Harold Arlen and Irving Berlin, exploring the music that inspired the artistry of Oscar Peterson, Ella Fitzgerald and more.
In partnership with
ORGAN RECITAL 5pm–6pm St John’s Church Tickets: £10 (unreserved) Refreshments available at this concert A recital by a leading Cambridge organ scholar on the four manual Hill Organ in the glorious acoustic of St John’s Church.
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FRIDAY 17 JULY PETER STANFORD Judas: The Most Hated Name in History
FESTIVAL WALK Buxton: Its Background & Beauty
9am–10am Upstairs at the Old Clubhouse Tickets: £10.50
12 noon–1.15pm Pavilion Gardens Bandstand Tickets: £6 (see p.14)
Peter Stanford presents a fascinating historical and cultural biography deconstructing that most vilified of Bible characters: Judas Iscariot, who famously betrayed Jesus with a kiss. Peter explores 2000 years of cultural and theological history to investigate how the very name Judas came to be synonymous with betrayal and, ultimately, human evil. But should we in fact be grateful to him for his role in the divine drama of salvation?
MEI YI FOO piano 12 noon–1pm Pavilion Arts Centre Tickets: £15 Bach Partita No 5, in G Bach-Busoni Chorale Prelude ‘Nun komm der Heiden Heiland’, BWV 599 Mozart Eine Kleine Gigue Mozart Rondo in A minor, K 511 Debussy Three Preludes Ravel La Valse
In partnership with
PENNY JUNOR Prince Harry 10.15am–11.15am Buxton Opera House Tickets: £12 Acclaimed Royal Family biographer Penny Junor takes an authoritative look at the Prince Harry you’ve never read about before: the maverick Prince, who is brilliant, impetuous and unpredictable. The Prince who with his unique talents, charm and bloody-minded determination is changing lives across the world. But the Prince who could, in a moment of madness, bring it all crashing down.
Pianist Mei Yi Foo was the award Best Newcomer from BBC Music magazine in 2013, for her album Musical Toys. Her international reputation has led to her performing at the Lucerne Festival, Hong Kong City Hall, CRR Concert Hall in Istanbul, Wigmore Hall and with Oviedo Filharmonia and Poznan Philharmonic amongst many others. Mei Yi also enjoys working in chamber music partnership with Dimitri Ashkenazy, Nicolas Dautricourt, Shlomy Dobrinsky, Patricia Kopatchinskaya, Antti Siirala, Hugo Ticciati, Matthew Trusler, Bartosz Woroch and Ashley Wass. Her avid rapport with musicians also brings her to direct orchestras such as the Malaysian Philharmonic and the Russian Virtuosi.
KEN HOWARD & HAROLD RILEY 2pm–3pm Pavilion Arts Centre Tickets: £10.50 Following the success of the inaugural Buxton Spa Art Prize, two of its judges, worldrenowned painters Ken Howard (who says painting is about revelation, communication and celebration) and Harold Riley discuss their distinguished careers in the visual arts. Sponsored by
In partnership with
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01298 72190 / 0845 127 2190 (Box Office) – Book tickets online: buxtonfestival.co.uk
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Antonio de Cabezón Pavana con su glosa Isaac Albeniz Leyenda (Asturias) Mozart Duet from La clemenza di Tito transcribed for harp by RNC Bochsa Liszt Le Rossignol, No 1 from Mélodies Russes 5 Alabieff Russian Air transcribed by H Renié Eleanor Turner Two pieces for harp and loop station: Alice in Escher’s Wonderland, Two Breton Girls by the Sea Piazzolla Invierno Porteño; Verano Porteño (Winter and Summer in Buenos Aires), transcribed by María Luisa Rayan-Forero Yann Tiersen Suite from the film Amelie (arr. Turner) Deborah Henson-Conant Baroque Flamenco Since her London concerto debut with the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, aged just 15, harpist Eleanor Turner has gained a worldwide reputation for the warmth and passion that she brings to her performances. In the 2007 Cardiff European Harp Competition she won First Prize, which sparked an international career; concertos in New Orleans and Sydney, chamber music in the Berlin Philharmonie Kammermusiksaal and solo recitals across Spain and Italy. Now Buxton Festival audiences can hear this unique talent.
PRE-OPERA TALK
Opera
Music
TONIGHT’S OPERA
GIOVANNA D’ARCO 7.15pm–9.45pm Buxton Opera House Tickets: £20–£65 (see p.6)
6.15pm–6.45pm Buxton Opera House Tickets: £2 (see p.13)
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4.30pm–5.30pm Pavilion Arts Centre Tickets: £10.50
3.15pm–4.15pm St John’s Church Tickets: £15 (reserved), £12.50 (unreserved) Refreshments available at this concert
6pm–6.10pm Pavilion Gardens Bandstand Free (see p.15)
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GORDON CORERA Intercept: The Secret History of Computers & Spies
ELEANOR TURNER harp
A SONG AT SIX
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Gordon Corera presents the previously untold – and highly classified – story of the melding of technology and espionage, taking us from the First World War to the Internet age, with shocking revelations about the extent of espionage carried out today. Using his unique access to GCHQ, the NSA and Chinese officials, Corera has gathered stories from heads of state, hackers and spies of all stripes to focus on the new space in which the worlds of industrial and individual espionage, geopolitics, diplomacy, science and technology collide.
THE JAMES PEARSON TRIO FEATURING LIZZIE BALL A Tribute to George Shearing and Stéphane Grappelli 9pm–10.30pm Pavilion Café Tickets: £20 Renowned violinist and vocalist Lizzie Ball, together with one of the UK’s stellar jazz trios led by the formidable James Pearson, are delighted to present to you an evening in tribute to the combined genius of Grappelli and Shearing. The programme will use brand new arrangements taken from their classic 1972 album The Reunion, featuring some of the most-loved jazz classics.
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SATURDAY 18 JULY SIMON REES The Wood below Coelbren 9am–10am Upstairs at the Old Clubhouse Tickets: £10.50
LUTES & UKES The Wolves of St Elvis Play Shakespeare
Our poetry series continues with acclaimed writer Simon Rees presenting his latest series of poems, inspired by the Welsh village of Coelbren, its Roman fort and camp, its open-cast colliery, its waterfall and monkey sanctuary.
St John’s Church 12 noon–1.30pm Tickets: £20 (reserved), £17.50 (unreserved)
HELEN CASTOR Joan of Arc 10.15am–11.15am Pavilion Arts Centre Tickets: £10.50
HandMade Theatre FLYING THE NEST 11am–12 noon, 3pm–4pm Pavilion Gardens Free Welcome to Hatchling College, an eggciting place to learn all about native birds and how to be a good birder. Sit in a giant nest and get involved in this interactive eggsperience led by our three eggstrodinary professors. Filled with a fantastic mix of music, puppetry, facts and fun, this humorous show brings to life native bird characters in a new and engaging way. A show suitable for children aged 4–9 years and their families.
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Acclaimed historian and broadcaster Helen Castor, author and presenter of the BBC’s She Wolves, brings us afresh a gripping life of Joan of Arc. Instead of the icon, she gives us a living, breathing young woman; a 19-year-old peasant who hears voices from God; a teenager transformed into a warrior leading an army to victory, in an age that believed women should not fight. It is the story behind the myth we all know, a myth which began to take hold at her trial: that of the Maid of Orleans, the saviour of France, a young woman burned at the stake as a heretic, a woman who 500 years later would be declared a saint.
‘The Ukulele Orchestra’ joins in a genre-crashing supergroup with Elizabeth Kenny’s ‘Theatre of the Ayre’, singing songs across the centuries and playing lute, theorbo, cittern, renaissance guitar… and ukuleles, including the dirty electric cigar box. The play list, from Wolf Heckel’s Lute Book of 1565 to Howling Wolf circa 1964, shows the common ground between rock and baroque: ranging from Robert Johnson of Shakespeare’s King’s Men to The King (the more recent Elvis).
01298 72190 / 0845 127 2190 (Box Office) – Book tickets online: buxtonfestival.co.uk
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A SONG AT SIX LUCY RUSSELL violin & JOHN BUTT harpsichord
6pm–6.10pm Pavilion Gardens Bandstand Free (see p.15)
3.30pm–4.30pm St John’s Church Tickets: £15 (reserved), £12.50 (unreserved) Refreshments available at this concert Bach Sonata 6, BWV 1019 in G Bach Three Preludes and Fugues from the Well Tempered Clavier John Woolrich New Work for Solo Violin – World Premiere Bach Three Preludes and Fugues from the Well Tempered Clavier Bach Sonata 2, BWV 1015 in A
CORMAC MURPHY-O’CONNOR An English Spring 2pm–3pm Buxton Opera House Tickets: £12 With affection and wry humour, Cardinal Cormac MurphyO’Connor reflects on his Irish Catholic roots and English upbringing, his training for the priesthood in Rome, and his time as a priest and bishop during a time of unprecedented turbulence and change. In 2000, at the age of 68, with the Church worldwide engulfed by the sexual abuse crisis, he was a surprise appointment as Archbishop of Westminster. He reflects frankly on the mistakes he himself made and on how the Church has tried to respond to the crisis, and he speaks poignantly of the terrible anguish suffered by the victims of abuse by Catholic priests. He also takes us behind the scenes of the dramatic conclaves in Rome that led to the elections of Popes Benedict and Francis.
Opera
Music
Books
Lucy Russell is among the most distinguished international violinists, having achieved eminence on both historical instruments and their ‘modern’ counterparts, performing and recording music from Monteverdi to the present day with equal distinction and authority. She became leader of the Fitzwilliam String Quartet in 1995, having been leader of Florilegium, Dunedin Consort, Concerto Caledonia, Classical Opera Company, Retrospect Ensemble, and The King’s Consort, as well as a director of the Scottish Early Music Consort and a solo violinist in the New London Consort. John Butt is Gardiner Professor of Music at the University of Glasgow and musical director of Edinburgh’s Dunedin Consort, and also continues to be active as a solo organist and harpsichordist: 11 recordings on organ, harpsichord and clavichord have been released by Harmonia Mundi. As conductor or organist he has performed throughout the world, including recent trips to Germany, France, Poland, Israel, South Korea, Canada, Belgium, Holland and the Irish Republic.
PRE-OPERA TALK 6.15pm–6.45pm Buxton Opera House Tickets: £2 (see p.13)
TONIGHT’S OPERA
LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR 7.15pm–9.45pm Buxton Opera House Tickets: £20–£65 (see p.7)
special Festival events
CHETHAM’S JAZZ ENSEMBLE 9pm–10.30pm Pavilion Café Tickets: £20 A thrilling concert from the young musicians making up The Jam Experiment; led by the 2014 winner of the BBC Young Musician Jazz Award 2014, saxophonist Alexander Bone, with Oren McLoughlin (kit), Toby Corneau (piano) and Peter Hartley (bass).
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SUNDAY 19 JULY MARK BOSTRIDGE Vera Brittain & The First World War 10.15am–11.15am Pavilion Arts Centre £10.50 Mark Bostridge tells the remarkable story of the author of Testament of Youth whilst charting the book’s ascent to become one of the most loved memoirs of the First World War period. He explores the effects of the First World War on Vera, both in terms of her personal life and in terms of its effect on her development as a writer and her eventual decision to become a pacifist. He also talks about the making of the film of Testament of Youth, released in January 2015.
HandMade Theatre FLYING THE NEST 11am–12 noon, 3pm–4pm Pavilion Gardens Free (see p.26)
FESTIVAL MASS Haydn Harmoniemesse
With Buxton Musical Society and Orchestra and soloists from the Buxton Festival Chorus 11.15am–12.45pm St John’s Church Free
BEN JOHNSON tenor SEBASTIAN WYBREW piano 12.15pm–1.15pm Pavilion Arts Centre Tickets: £15 Sullivan The Lost Chord Parry No longer mourn for me when I am dead Stanford A soft day Elgar Pleading Elgar Is she not passing fair Coates I heard you singing Coates Betty and Jonny
Tenor Ben Johnson, who plays Carlo in Giovanna d’Arco presents a programme of English songs. Ben represented England in BBC Cardiff Singer of the World 2013 and won the Audience Prize. A former BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist and 2008 winner of the Kathleen Ferrier Award, he is much in demand on the concert platform, having sung a Mozart programme with Andris Nelsons and the CBSO, Bach St Matthew Passion (Residentie Orkest), Mendelssohn Lobegesang (Gulbenkian Orchestra), and Britten St Nicolas (Choir of King’s College, Cambridge/ Britten Sinfonia.
HISTORICAL FICTION WORKSHOP Ann Featherstone 1pm–3pm Lee Wood Hotel Tickets: £20 (including tea & coffee)
OPERA MATINÉE
LOUISE A CONCERT PERFORMANCE 2.30pm–5.30pm Buxton Opera House Tickets: £15–£50 (see p.8)
Ann Featherstone, author of Walking in Pimlico and The Newgate Jig tells you how to get started in the popular genre of Historical Fiction.
FESTIVAL FRIENDS’ DINNER
PRE-OPERA TALK
5.45pm–7.30pm Old Hall Hotel Tickets: £35
1.30pm–2pm Buxton Opera House Tickets: £2 (see p.13)
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Head Money O! Head Little road to Bethlehem Herbert Hughes Downby the Sally Gardens Herbert Hughes Stuttering lovers Woodforde-Finden Kasmiri song Woodforde-Finden Till I wake Lehmann Henry King Lehmann If built I world for you Coates Tell me where is fancy bred Coates Rise up and reach the stars
Join the Friends of Buxton Festival for a 3-course dinner, in an opportunity to a break from the busy Festival schedule and relax with convivial company and great food.
01298 72190 / 0845 127 2190 (Box Office) – Book tickets online: buxtonfestival.co.uk
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AN EVENING WITH KATHY LETTE, RONNI ANCONA, MAUREEN LIPMAN & MEERA SYAL
HUDDERSFIELD CHORAL SOCIETY
7.30pm–9pm Buxton Opera House Tickets: £16, £20
7.30pm–9.30pm St John’s Church Tickets: £25 (reserved), £20 (unreserved) Wine and refreshments available at this concert
Join outspoken and hilarious novelist Kathy Lette and her posse of Love Goddesses, Ronni Ancona, Maureen Lipman and Meera Syal, for a hilarious, frank and free-wheeling chat about their their lives, loves, careers, favourite cakes, pet peeves and passions. Kathy Lette cites amongst her career highlights once teaching Stephen Fry a word; Salman Rushdie, the limbo; and scripting Julian Assange’s cameo in The Simpsons’ 500th episode. Her latest novel is Courting Trouble, the first of a planned series in which she brings her unique voice to the crime genre. Actress Ronni Ancona has delighted audiences with her uncannily accurate impressions (in shows alongside Alistair McGowan) and in popular dramas including Last Tango in Halifax, Hope Springs and The Trip. Maureen Lipman is one of Britain’s most popular theatrical personalities, through her many roles on stage and screen, and also her wonderfully warm, honest and humorous memoirs. Writer and actress Meera Syal is best known as co-writer and is star of the popular TV comedy series Goodness Gracious Me and The Kumars at No 42. She is the author of bestselling novels Anita and Me and Life Isn’t All Ha Ha Hee Hee, and most recently has been seen as the judge in Broadchurch.
Opera
Music
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special Festival events
Elgar Ave Verum Parry Songs of Farewell Stanford Fantasia & Cantata Parry I Was Glad Rachmaninov Vespers Conductor Aidan Oliver Huddersfield Choral Society was founded in 1836. Under distinguished principal conductors and chorus masters it has developed an international reputation. Its special quality is the unique ‘Huddersfield Sound’ – a full-bodied and blended yet flexible tone.
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MONDAY 20 JULY WILLIAM WALDEGRAVE A Different Kind of Weather
HALLÉ SOLOISTS Quartet for the End of Time
10.15am–11.15am Buxton Opera House Tickets: £12
12 noon–1.30pm St John’s Church Tickets: £20 (reserved), £17.50 (unreserved)
‘Why did you go into politics in the first place?’ Former Cabinet minister Lord Waldegrave sets out to answer the question he has found himself asked, and indeed asking himself, over the years. The youngest of seven children, and the son of an earl, Waldegrave’s quintessentially English upbringing would go on to shape the course of his life, instilling in him a sense of independence and self-discipline needed to steel one for a successful career in government. As a fearless young Conservative politician in the 70s and 80s, one who witnessed the fall of Heath and the triumph and eventual decline of Thatcher, Waldegrave was firmly at the heart of one of the most exciting and tumultuous periods of modern British history. Now he gives a beautifully weighted memoir of political success and failure, and the passing of an era.
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A welcome return to Buxton by the Hallé Soloists, performing Olivier Messiaen’s groundbreaking Quartet for the End of Time, written in Stalag VIII-A, during World War II, with an illustrated pre-performance talk. Hallé Soloists are a chamber group of great virtuosity, formed and led by the Hallé’s leader Lyn Fletcher. All members are principal players within the orchestra who also enjoy enviable concerto and chamber music careers aside from their orchestral commitments. Flexible in number, Hallé Soloists perform duos through to octets and their relaxed concert style combined with great passion and virtuosity makes them very much in demand at chamber music venues across the country.
FESTIVAL WALK The Future of Buxton’s 12 noon–1.15pm Heritage Pavilion Gardens Bandstand Tickets: £6 12 noon–1.15pm Pavilion Gardens Bandstand Tickets: £6 (see p.16)
CHRISTOPHER FRAYLING The Yellow Peril 2pm–3pm Pavilion Arts Centre Tickets: £10.50 A hundred years ago, a character who, in his day, was as well-known as Count Dracula or Sherlock Holmes, made his debut: the evil genius Dr Fu Manchu, described at the beginning of his first story as ‘the yellow peril incarnate in one man’. Cultural historian Christopher Frayling takes us to the heart of music hall, pulp literature, and the mass-market press, to discover why the idea that the Chinese were a threat to Western civilization developed at precisely the time when China was in chaos and utterly incapable of being a ‘peril’ to anyone even if it had wanted to be.
01298 72190 / 0845 127 2190 (Box Office) – Book tickets online: buxtonfestival.co.uk
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ROSALIND COAD soprano & GREGORY DROTT piano
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A SONG AT SIX 6pm–6.10pm Pavilion Gardens Bandstand Free (see p.15)
3.30pm–4.30pm St John’s Church Tickets: £15 (reserved), £12.50 (unreserved) Refreshments available at this concert
PRE-OPERA TALK 6.15pm–6.45pm Buxton Opera House Tickets: £2 (see p.13)
Poulenc Banalités Ives Ann Street Copland Eight Poems of Emily Dickinson Ives Memories Ives Maple Leaves Honegger 6 poèmes d’Apollinaire Ives Mists
TONIGHT’S OPERA
Winner of the Oxford Lieder Young Artist Platform Award in 2013 and the 2nd prize at the Bampton Classical Opera Competition, Rosalind was also a Britten-Pears Young artist in 2012, and has taken part in masterclasses with Simon Keenlyside, Dawn Upshaw and Graham Johnson. At the Royal Academy of Music, Rosalind performed Noémie Cendrillon, Spirit Dido and Aeneas, La Bergère L’enfant et les sortilèges and Baronesa Irene La Vera Constanza. Other roles include Donna Elvira Don Giovanni and Musetta La Bohème (OperaUpClose), Hélène La Belle Hélène (Merry Opera), Sandman Hänsel und Gretel (Opera Door Opera), and Elisetta Il matrimonio segreto (British Youth Opera). Recent engagements include Gianetta L’Elisir d’amore and Clotilde Norma (Opera Holland Park), Ginevra Ariodante, Clorinda La cenerentola and Euridice Orfeo ed Euridice (Scottish Opera). Passionate about the Song repertoire, Rosalind regularly performs recitals with her pianist Gregory Drott. Supported by Oxford Lieder
DIDO AND AENEAS 7.15pm–9.15pm Buxton Opera House Tickets: £15–£5o (see p.9)
WILL HUTTON How Good Can We Be? 4.45pm–5.45pm Pavilion Arts Centre Tickets: £10.50 Will Hutton, bestselling author of The State We’re In, talks about ‘Ending the Mercenary Society and Building a Great Country’. He argues that we are living through a crisis of capitalism: without capitalism there is no economic dynamism and top-down State control does not work: but equally without careful design of capitalist markets and institutions it quickly degrades into rent seeking, profiteering, short cuts and exploitation that can overwhelm it. Will Hutton’s brilliant, eye-opening arguments will show us how, with pride, purpose and openness, the country can be rebuilt.
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TUESDAY 21 JULY ANTHONY KING Who Governs Britain? 10.15am–11.15am Buxton Opera House Tickets: £12
THE ENGLISH CONCERT Baroque Masters Robert Howarth Harpsichord/Director Alfonso Leal del Ojo Viola
PETER MOORE The Weather Experiment 9am–10am Upstairs at the Old Clubhouse Tickets: £10.50 Peter Moore looks at the pioneering group of naturalists, engineers, and artists who conquered the elements, turning weather forecasting from the stuff of folklore and superstition into genuine science. He takes us from Irish bogs to a thunderstorm in Guanabara Bay to the basket of a hydrogen balloon 8,500 feet over Paris. And he captures the particular bent of mind – combining the Romantic love of Nature and the Enlightenment love of Reason – that allowed humanity to finally decipher the skies.
St John’s Church 12 noon–1.30pm Tickets: £25 (reserved), £18 (unreserved)
The British system of government has changed dramatically in recent decades, and far more than most of us realise. As acclaimed political scientist and bestselling author Anthony King shows us, this shift is at the heart of Britain’s political dilemma today: the quality of government and the capacity of politicians have been greatly diminished, yet our expectations have not adjusted to the new reality. But how exactly has the British government changed, and where has power shifted?
Purcell Suite from King Arthur Handel Concerto Grosso in A, Op 6 No 11 Telemann Viola Concerto in G Vivaldi Concerto for strings in G minor, RV157 Handel Concerto Grosso in G minor, Op 6 No 6 Bach Orchestral Suite No 1, BMV1066
The English Concert is one of Europe’s leading chamber orchestras specialising in historically informed performance. The English Concert’s recent highlights include European and US tours with Alice Coote, Joyce DiDonato, David Daniels and Andreas Scholl as well as the orchestra’s first tour to mainland China. Following the success of Handel’s Radamisto in New York 2013, Carnegie Hall has commissioned one Handel opera each season from The English Concert (Theodora followed in early 2014, which toured West Coast of the USA as well as the Théâtre des Champs Elysées Paris and the Barbican London followed by a critically acclaimed tour of Alcina in October 2014).
In partnership with
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01298 72190 / 0845 127 2190 (Box Office) – Book tickets online: buxtonfestival.co.uk
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ELIAS STRING QUARTET 3.30pm–5pm St John’s Church Tickets: £20 (reserved), £17.50 (unreserved) Refreshments available at this concert
MARC MORRIS King John: Treachery, Tyranny & The Road to Magna Carta
Haydn String Quartet in C ‘The Bird’, Op 33 No 3 Mozart String Quartet no 19 in C, ‘Dissonance’ Beethoven String Quartet No 8 in E minor, Op 59 No 2
2pm–3pm Pavilion Arts Centre Tickets: £10.50 To coincide with the 800-year anniversary of Magna Carta, Marc Morris presents a brilliantly compelling new biography of the treacherous and tyrannical King John: a young man whose early adult life was full of plots and intrigues, driven by his hunger for the crown. Yet when he did eventually become King, John quickly lost the great Continental empire assembled by his ancestors, giving the remainder of his reign its dominant, urgent narrative: to regain the lands that he has surrendered.
SCENES FROM AN OPERA Lucia di Lammermoor 2pm–3pm Palace Hotel Tickets: £10
A SONG AT SIX 6pm–6.10pm Pavilion Gardens Bandstand Free (see p.15)
PRE-OPERA TALK
Members of the Buxton Festival Chorus, who are understudying parts in Lucia, present an entertainment of scenes from the opera, in an exciting new interpretation from the production’s assistant director.
6.15pm–6.45pm Buxton Opera House Tickets: £2 (see p.13)
The Elias String Quartet was formed in 1998 at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester where they worked closely with the late Dr Christopher Rowland. They have performed at some of the world’s most prestigious chamber venues, including New York’s Carnegie Hall, the Washington Library of Congress, the Vienna Musikverein, the Berlin Konzerthaus, the Amsterdam Concertgebouw and the Wigmore Hall in London. For four years they were resident String Quartet at Sheffield’s Music in the Round as part of Ensemble 360, taking over from the Lindsay Quartet.
TONIGHT’S OPERA
GIOVANNA D’ARCO 7.15pm–9.45pm Buxton Opera House Tickets: £20–£65 (see p.6)
Opera
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special Festival events
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WEDNESDAY 22 JULY BENJAMIN BAKER violin & ROBERT THOMPSON piano 12.15pm–1.15pm Pavilion Arts Centre Tickets: £15 Schubert Duo in A, D574 Schubert, arr Ernst Der Erlkönig, Op 26 Richard Strauss Sonata for Violin & Piano, Op 18
JOHN HEMMING Naturalists in Paradise 10.15am–11.15am Pavilion Arts Centre Tickets: £10.50 Amazon expert John Hemming weaves the riveting stories of three young naturalists – Alfred Wallace, Henry Walter Bates and Richard Spruce – each famous for a particular discovery: Wallace is credited, along with Charles Darwin, with developing the theory of evolution; Bates uncovered the phenomenon of protective mimicry among insects; and Spruce transported the quinine-bearing Cinchona tree to India, saving countless lives from malaria. Hemming offers insight into the often lawless frontier life in South America as seen through the lives of the great pioneers of modern disciplines: anthropology, tribal linguistics, archaeology, and every branch of natural science.
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We’re pleased to welcome an up-and-coming young violinist making a name for himself around the world. In 2013 Benjamin won 1st Prize and the Audience Prize in the Windsor Festival International Competition and was selected by YCAT. Other awards include 1st Prize in the string section of the 2012 Royal Over-Seas League Competition and the Development Prize from the Michael Hill Competition. Over the last year Benjamin has made his debut with the Philharmonia Orchestra and performed the Britten Concerto with the Haydn Chamber Orchestra conducted by Nicholas Collon. He gave recitals at Wigmore Hall, the Lichfield, Newbury and Northern Chords Festivals; recorded for Champs Hill Records; and appeared as soloist with the Royal New Zealand Ballet Company. Supported by
01298 72190 / 0845 127 2190 (Box Office) – Book tickets online: buxtonfestival.co.uk
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PRE-OPERA TALK 1.30pm–2pm Buxton Opera House Tickets: £2 (see p.13)
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OPERA MATINÉE
LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR 2.30pm–5pm Buxon Opera House Tickets: £20–£65 (see p.7)
LA SERENISSIMA Adrian Chandler violin/director 7.30pm–9.30pm Buxton Opera House Tickets: £15–£35 Vivaldi Concerto per violin in tromba marina, strings & continuo in D, RV 221 Vivaldi Concerto per Maestro dè Morzin for bassoon, strings & continuo in G, RV 496 Vivaldi Concerto per violin in tromba marina, strings & continuo in G, RV 313 Vivaldi Concerto La Notte for bassoon, strings & continuo in B flat, RV 501 Vivaldi The Four Seasons (Manchester edition) from Il Cemento dell’Armonica e Inventione, Op 8 1–4 In the year they turn 21, La Serenissima presents a programme of fabulous Vivaldi concertos. The concert features the most popular piece of classical music of all time, The Four Seasons, using a new edition made by violinist Adrian Chandler from parts which are in the hand of Vivaldi’s father, Giovanni Battista, housed in the Henry Watson Library, Manchester. La Serenissima wil also perform, for the first time since the eighteenth century, two concertos for ‘prepared violin’, the violin in tromba marina, having recreated this curious and loud instrument from evidence surviving in the archives of the Ospedale della Pietà. Join us for a unique concert that will open your eyes and ears to a new world of Vivaldi, a true Renaissance man at the forefront of baroque innovation.
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THURSDAY 23 JULY TONY LITTLE An Intelligent Person’s Guide to Education
MIRIAM MARGOLYES Dickens’ Women 2pm–3pm Buxton Opera House Tickets: £12
9am–10am Upstairs at the Old Clubhouse Tickets: £10.50 Tony Little, Head Master of Eton, gets to grips with fundamental questions concerning education. Year on year GCSE and A Level pupils post better exam results, with more students achieving top grades. Yet business leaders and employers complain bitterly that our schools are not producing people fit for purpose. Mr Little asks: How do children absorb information? What kind of people does society need? What is education for? In partnership with
ROBERT SACKVILLE-WEST The Disinherited 10.15am–11.15am Buxton Opera House Tickets: £12
DEBUSSY AND HIS MUSE Gillian Keith soprano Simon Lepper piano Nina Brazier director 12 noon–1.10pm Pavilion Arts Centre Tickets: £18
Bringing to life 23 of Charles Dickens’ most affecting and colourful female (and male!) characters, acclaimed actress Miriam Margolyes presents her powerful, comprehensive, and at times hilarious exposé of Dickens, his writing, and the real-life women who found themselves immortalised in his books in the show, which has played to sell-out houses across the UK, the US and Canada.
When an 18-year-old Debussy took a job as accompanist in the studio of fading diva Madame Moreau-Sainti, he fell in love with one of her most talented pupils, the enchanting Marie-Blanche Vasnier. This green-eyed muse, 14 years his senior, mother of two, and married to a wellrespected civil engineer, sang her way into his heart, as he charmed his way into the Vasnier household. During this period of great happiness, creativity and self-discovery, Debussy wrote nearly 40 songs, 27 of which were dedicated to Marie. Award-winning duo Gillian Keith and Simon Lepper, established and respected Debussy interpreters, mark the release of their second volume of songs, with a programme of some of his most ravishing Vasnier melodies, presented within a compelling script written by Gillian Keith and directed by Nina Brazier.
In the small hours of the morning of 3 June 1914, a woman and her husband were found dead in a sparsely furnished apartment in Paris. The man, Henry Sackville-West, had shot himself minutes after the death of his wife from cancer; but Henry’s suicidal despair had been driven equally by the failure of his claim to be the legitimate son of Lord Sackville and heir to Knole. Robert Sackville-West reveals the secrets and lies at the heart of an English dynasty, in particular Henry’s older sister, Victoria, who on becoming Lady Sackville and mistress of Knole, by marriage, consigned her brothers and sisters to lives of poverty and disappointment.
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01298 72190 / 0845 127 2190 (Box Office) – Book tickets online: buxtonfestival.co.uk
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SCENES FROM AN OPERA Giovanna d’Arco
ORGAN RECITAL Alexander Pott – Christ Church Oxford
2pm–3pm Palace Hotel Tickets: £10
5pm–6pm St John’s Church Tickets: £10 (unreserved) Refreshments available at this concert (see p.23)
Members of the Buxton Festival Chorus, who are understudying parts in Giovanna d’Arco, present an entertainment of scenes from the opera, in an exciting new interpretation from the production’s assistant director.
A SONG AT SIX
Schumann Piano Quartet in E flat, Op 47 Dvorˇák Piano Quartet No 2 in E flat, Op 87
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LOUISE A CONCERT PERFORMANCE 7.15pm–10.15pm Buxton Opera House Tickets: £15–£50 (see p.8)
PRE-OPERA TALK
9pm–10.30pm Pavilion Café Tickets: £20
6.15pm–6.45pm Buxton Opera House Tickets: £2 (see p.13)
special Festival events
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TONIGHT’S OPERA
THE JAY RAYNER QUARTET Hungry Jazz
The Frith Piano Quartet was formed in 2000 by the pianist Benjamin Frith, violinist Robert Heard, violist Louise Williams and cellist Richard Jenkinson. Since its formation the group have performed the complete piano quartets of Brahms, Dvorˇák, Fauré and Mozart but also take a keen interest in performing gems that are not so often heard in the concert hall by the likes of Frank Bridge, Arthur Bliss and Richard Strauss.
Opera
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6pm–6.10pm Pavilion Gardens Bandstand Free (see p.15)
FRITH PIANO QUARTET 3.30pm–4.30pm Pavilion Arts Centre Tickets: £18
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The renowned restaurant critic, Masterchef judge and sometime jazz pianist Jay Rayner comes to Buxton with an ensemble of top-flight musicians performing 90 minutes of tunes from the Great American food and drink songbook. There will be standards from the likes of Johnny Mercer, Harold Arlen, Blossom Dearie and Dave Frishberg, alongside anecdotes from his life being paid to eat out on somebody else’s dime, and stories about growing up with a mother, agony aunt Clare Rayner. With the singer Pat Gordon Smith, bassist Robert Rickenberg and saxophonist Dave Lewis.
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FRIDAY 24 JULY SINCLAIR McKAY The Secret Life of Fighter Command 10.15am–11.15am Buxton Opera House Tickets: £12
LEWIS DARTNELL The Knowledge 9am–10am Upstairs at the Old Clubhouse Tickets: £10.50 Maybe it was a viral pandemic, or an asteroid strike, or perhaps nuclear war. Whatever the cause, the world as we know it has ended and you and the other survivors must start again. What key knowledge would you need to start rebuilding civilisation from scratch? Lewis Dartnell gives a quickstart guide for rebooting civilisation which will transform your understanding of the world.
During the dark days of 1940, Britain faced the might of Hitler’s armed forces alone. The men and women of Fighter Command worked tirelessly in air bases scattered throughout Britain to thwart the Nazi attacks; from setting up the ground-breaking radar systems along the coast of the Southeast of England, to the distribution of spotters of bombing waves coming along the Thames Estuary, the boffins who designed and built the guidance and detection structures to organise a winning defence umbrella, to the Wrens who plotted enemy movements – all of them played a part in maintaining the security over Britain. Sinclair McKay tells the human story of the work that enabled our Hurricanes and Spitfires to triumph over the German airforce.
In partnership with
FESTIVAL WALK Vera Brittain & Buxton 12 noon–1.15pm Pavilion Gardens Bandstand Tickets: £6 (see p.20)
MATTHEW DENNISON Behind the Mask: Vita Sackville-West 2pm–3pm Pavilion Arts Centre Tickets: £10.50
DR INGBERT BLÜTHNER 11am–11.30am Pavilion Arts Centre Free In this Q&A session, Dr Blüthner gives a fascinating insight into his family firm and the piano used in the Festival’s piano recitals.
STEPHEN HOUGH piano 12 noon–1.30pm Pavilion Arts Centre Tickets: £20 Schubert Sonata, D784 Franck Prelude, Chorale and Fugue Debussy Estampes Liszt Transendental Etudes Nos 11 (harmonies du soir) & 10 Named by The Economist as one of 20 Living Polymaths, British pianist Stephen Hough is a rare renaissance man of our time. Over the course of a long and distinguished career as one of the world’s leading concert pianists, he has also excelled as a writer and composer. Mr. Hough combines an exceptional facility and tonal palette with a uniquely inquisitive musical personality, and his musical achievements have resulted in many awards and accolades for his concerts and a discography of more than 50 recordings. In partnership with
In this stunning portrait of Vita Sackville-West, Matthew Dennison traces the triumph and contradictions of Vita’s extraordinary life, from her lonely childhood at Knole, through her affectionate but ‘open’ marriage to Harold Nicolson (during which both husband and wife energetically pursued homosexual affairs, Vita most famously with Virginia Woolf), and through Vita’s literary successes and disappointments.
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01298 72190 / 0845 127 2190 (Box Office) – Book tickets online: buxtonfestival.co.uk
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LAURA SNOWDEN guitar 3.30pm–4.30pm St John’s Church Tickets: £15 (reserved), £12.50 (unreserved) Refreshments available at this concert Dowland Three Fantasies Villa Lobos Five Preludes Gerhard Fantasia de Falla Homenaje ‘Le Tombeau de Claude Debussy’ Roussel Segovia Berkeley Sonatina Mertz Fantaisie Hongroise
ANOTHER 100 YEARS OF JAZZ 9pm–10.30pm Pavilion Café Tickets: £20
Possessing an ‘exceptional range of colour and sonority’ (Classical Guitar magazine 2014), guitarist Laura Snowden is a winner of numerous national and international awards. Recently selected for the Tillett Trust, St John’s Smith Square and International Guitar Foundation’s Young Artists Programmes, she also won First Prize at the 2014 Ivor Mairants Guitar Award. Laura has performed at some of the UK’s leading music and guitar festivals. Last year, she gave a series of solo and duo recitals for the International Guitar Foundation’s North East and London Guitar Festivals, which included the performance of newly commissioned works. Supported by The Tillett Trust
A SONG AT SIX
PRE-OPERA TALK
6pm–6.10pm Pavilion Gardens Bandstand Free (see p.15)
6.15pm–6.45pm Buxton Opera House Tickets: £2 (see p.13)
TONIGHT’S OPERA
7.15pm–9.45pm Buxton Opera House Tickets: £20–£65 (see p.6)
Music
Following last year’s 100 Years of Jazz in 99 minutes, take a new musical trip with our multiinstrumental jazz virtuosi, from New Orleans to Be Bop, Swing to Latin, Hot to Cool, from Chicago to New York and around the world, interspersed with fascinating stories from jazz history.
FESTIVAL FRIENDS’ PARTY
GIOVANNA D’ARCO
Opera
Pete Long sax, clarinet Georgina Jackson vocals, trumpet Enrico Tomasso trumpet, trombone Richard Pite drums (and surprises!) Nick Dawson piano Dave Chamberlain bass & guitar
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9.45pm–11.15pm Old Hall Hotel Tickets: £20 Join the Friends of Buxton Festival for drinks and good company in the perfect way to end an evening at the opera.
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SATURDAY 25 JULY HELEN MORT Division Street
BILL ODDIE Unplucked
9am–10am Upstairs at the Old Clubhouse Tickets: £10.50
10.15am–11.15am Buxton Opera House Tickets: £12
Helen Mort reads a selection of her poems and talks about her role as Derbyshire Poet Laureate. Her collection Division Street was shortlisted for the TS Eliot Prize and the Costa Prize. She is a five-times winner of the Foyle Young Poets award and in 2010 became the youngest ever poet in residence at The Wordsworth Trust in Grasmere. Helen was selected by The Poetry Book Society as one of their Next Generation Poets 2014.
Author, actor, comedian, artist, naturalist and musician Bill Oddie, has developed a reputation as a keen and committed birdwatcher and has written a number of bestselling books on this subject including the legendary Bill Oddie’s Little Black Bird Book. Now he looks back over a lifetime of birdwatching, and the wildlife he has been fortunate to see on his many travels over the years. Sponsored by
PSAPPHA THE MAGICAL STORYTELLING YURT 10am–4pm Pavilion Gardens Free Presented by High Peak Community Arts Step inside our magical yurt for storytelling yurt for storytelling and other fun activities for little Festival-goers and their families.
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HENRY MARSH Do No Harm 2pm–3pm Pavilion Arts Centre Tickets: £10.50 Henry Marsh, Consultant Neurosurgeon at Atkinson Morley’s/St George’s Hospital in London, gives an astonishingly candid insight into the life and work of a modern neurosurgeon. How does it feel to hold someone’s life in your hands, to cut into the stuff that creates thought, feeling and reason? How do you live with the consequences when it all goes wrong? If you believe that brain surgery is a precise and exquisite craft, practised by calm and detached surgeons, this gripping, brutally honest account will make you think again.
12 noon–1.30pm St John’s Church Tickets: £20 (reserved), £17.50 (unreserved) Brahms String Sextet No 1 in B flat, Op 18 Adams John’s Book of Alleged Dances Schoenberg Verkaerte Nacht Psappha, Manchester’s pre-eminent new music ensemble and one of the UK’s leading contemporary music groups, was formed in 1991 by its Artistic Director Tim Williams and specialises in the performance of music by living composers and that of the 20th and 21st centuries. The group has an extensive and varied repertoire of hundreds of works and a reputation for technical assurance and interpretive flair.
01298 72190 / 0845 127 2190 (Box Office) – Book tickets online: buxtonfestival.co.uk
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DAVID CRANE Went The Day Well? Witnessing Waterloo 4.30pm–5.30pm Pavilion Arts Centre Tickets: £10.50
INNER CITY BRASS 3.15pm–4.15pm St John’s Church Tickets: £15 (reserved), £12.50 (unreserved) Refreshments available at this concert Boughton When a Body Meets a Body Gabrieli Canzon 1 à 5 Bach, arr A Miller Chromatic Fugue BWV 903 Brahms, trans R Sauer Chorale Prelude No 10 Wood Quintet for Brass Koetsier Kleiner Zirkusmarsch Crespo Suite Americano No 1 (Ragtime; Vals Peruano; Son de México) DiLorenzo Fire Dance Inner City Brass are a young, awardwinning, brass quintet that was formed at the Royal Academy of Music in January 2011 and has quickly become a must-see ensemble. In April they won the Worshipful Company of Musicians’ Brass Ensemble Prize and were selected by the adjudicating panel as the winners of the showcase and therefore selected to perform a recital in the Three Choirs Festival in Hereford. Supported by
Opera
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Midnight, Sunday, 17 June 1815. There was no town in England that had not sent its soldiers, hardly a household that was not holding its breath, not a family, as Byron put it, that would escape ‘havoc’s tender mercies’ at Waterloo, and yet at the same time life inevitably went on as normal. As the day unfolded, a whole nation, was brought together by war. Samuel Johnson Prize-shortlisted author David Crane moves from England to the battle and back again this vivid, stunning freeze-frame of a country on the day of Waterloo.
A SONG AT SIX 6pm–6.10pm Pavilion Gardens Bandstand Free (see p.15)
PRE-OPERA TALK 6.15pm–6.45pm Buxton Opera House Tickets: £2 (see p.13)
TONIGHT’S OPERA FROM BERLIN TO BACHARACH 9pm–10.30pm Pavilion Café Tickets: £20 Pete Long saxes, clarinet, flutes Georgina Jackson vocals, trumpet, flugel horn Nick Dawson piano Richard Pite drums (and surprises) Ian Laws guitar Dave Chamberlain bass
LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR 7.15pm–9.45pm Buxon Opera House Tickets: £20–£65 (see p.7)
Join Georgina Jackson, Pete Long and their fabulous musicians for classic swinging songs and melodies from Irving Berlin and Burt Bacharach with some of the good stuff in between! Songs include … Blue Skies, Change Partners, Wives and Lovers, I’ll Take Romance, The Man I Love, Breaking Up Is Hard To Do, King of the Swingers, This Girl’s in Love with You and many more.
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SUNDAY 26 JULY
THE OLDIE LITERARY LUNCH Kate Mosse on The Taxidermist’s Daughter Jonathan Fryer on unconventional figures Prue Leith on a culinary life 12 noon–3pm (Book signing 12 noon–1pm, Lunch 1pm) Old Hall Hotel Tickets: £62 What better way to wind up another great Literary Series at Buxton Festival, with The Oldie’s celebrated Literary Lunch – coming for the first time from Buxton. Hosted by Jeremy Lewis, the Lunch welcomes three terrific authors with fascinating stories to tell. Kate Mosse – author of Labyrinth and The Winter Ghosts – makes her Oldie Literary Lunch debut to tell us about The Taxidermist’s Daughter, a gothic psychological thriller set on the flooded marshlands of the author’s native West Sussex on the Eve of St Mark, 1912. As a foreign reporter, Jonathan Fryer’s voice will be familiar from BBC Radio 4’s From Our Own Correspondent. As a historian, he has published a dozen books focusing on particularly debauched figures, including Oscar Wilde,
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Dylan Thomas, and the inhabitants of Soho in its hedonistic heyday of the Fifties and Sixties. Restaurateur, founder of Leith’s Cookery School and author of a dozen cookery books, Prue Leith is a self-described glutton for life, as detailed in her memoir Relish. Not content to stay in the kitchen, Leith has also turned her hand to novel-writing. She will speak about her most recent fiction, as well as a life spent immersed in food. In partnership with
MENU Old Hall Paté, Red Onion Confit, Melba Toast Smoked Salmon & Asparagus Salad, Dill Crème Fraiche • Roast Leg of Lamb with a Shallot and Red Currant Jus with New Potatoes, Roast Potatoes and Seasonal Vegetables Sea Bass fillet with a Cream Watercress Sauce, New Potatoes, Roast Potatoes and Seasonal Vegetables Broccoli and Stilton Tartlet with Mixed Salad, Lemon and Dill Crushed New Potatoes • Vanilla Crème Brulée, Shortbread Biscuit Meringue Nest filled with Chocolate Dipped Strawberries and Chantilly Cream • Tea or Coffee with Minted Chocolates
THE MAGICAL STORYTELLING YURT
FESTIVAL MASS Victoria Missa Quarti Toni
10am–4pm Pavilion Gardens Free Presented by High Peak Community Arts (see p.40)
With Buxton Madrigal Singers 11.15am–12.30pm St John’s Church Free
01298 72190 / 0845 127 2190 (Box Office) – Book tickets online: buxtonfestival.co.uk
FESTIVAL FRINGE The 2015 Fringe offers a spectacular programme of theatre, comedy, music, film, exhibitions, poetry, children’s events and more. One of the largest Fringes in England, it features some 600 events at over 40 venues in and around Buxton, including a free afternoon sampler at the Pavilion Gardens on Sunday 12 July. The Fringe is open to all with no selection or censorship. The programme is published in early June and on www.buxtonfringe.org.uk, where you can order a free printed programme and find out how to become a Fringe Friend. For queries email info@buxtonfringe.org.uk or call 01298 70705 or text 07952 193 521
BUXTON FEST
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comedy • dan ce • film • for families • mu sic • spoken word • street theatre • the atre • visual arts ...and mo re!
Sponsored by
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WHERE TO STAY HOTELS
OLD HALL HOTEL
ALISON PARK HOTEL 3 Temple Road Buxton SK17 9BA 01298 22473 reservations@alison-park-hotel.co.uk alison-park-hotel.co.uk Our beautiful Edwardian hotel is set in its own gardens, only five minutes’ walk away from the Opera House and the Pavilion Gardens. Our bedrooms offer a combination of double, twin, single or family accommodation, all non-smoking. Our conservatory and restaurant provide a comfortable setting for a hearty breakfast or dinner. BEST WESTERN LEE WOOD HOTEL The Park Buxton, SK17 6TQ 01298 23002 reservations@leewoodhotel.co.uk leewoodhotel.co.uk Set in its own mature grounds this elegant Georgian hotel is situated only a few moments’ walk from the centre of the spa town and its famous opera house. Family owned for 56 years the 4 star hotel offers high quality accommodation and award winning dining.
The Square Buxton SK17 6TQ 01298 22841 reception@oldhallhotelbuxton.co.uk oldhallhotelbuxton.co.uk Situated across the square from the Edwardian Opera House – the ideal base for your festival visit. We have 38 individually decorated bedrooms all with en suite and free Wi Fi. With a range of rooms from Single bedrooms to Four Poster bedrooms and the choice of a Restaurant and Wine Bar in the heart of this beautiful town of Buxton. Bed and breakfast rates and dinner bed and breakfast rates are available.
PORTLAND HOTEL 32 St John’s Road Buxton SK17 6XQ 01298 22462 portland.hotel@btinternet.com www.portlandhotelbuxton.com Ideally located, only 200 yards from the Opera House. Flat, well illuminated walk to and from the Opera House. Pre-theatre evening meals available. Single, Twins and Doubles at most competitive rates.
PALACE HOTEL Palace Road Buxton SK17 6AG 01298 22001 thehotelcollection.co.uk/buxton This elegant four star hotel is set in lovely grounds combining Victorian heritage with modern facilities. The Buxton Palace is only a 5-minute walk from the Opera House and is set in five acres of landscaped gardens. With 122 en-suite bedrooms and full leisure facilities including a 14-metre indoor pool, the hotel is an ideal choice for your visit to the Festival. Pre-theatre dinners available from 5.30pm.
MADE IN DERBYSHIRE 2015 Buxton Festival is proud to be part of Buxton Festival 2015, a year of celebrations and activities exploring the rich cultural life and diversity of Derbyshire.
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01298 72190 / 0845 127 2190 (Box Office) – Book tickets online: buxtonfestival.co.uk
Non-Smoking Accommodation Private Car Park 路 En-suite Rooms
The perfect place to relax, unwind and explore the Peak District, just 10 minutes from Buxton Opera House
Guest Accommodation
& MARTIN ON 01298 83219 www.WheeldonTreesFarm.co.uk
CALL DEBORAH WEB
Opera
Music
Books
special Festival events
19 Broad Walk 路 Buxton 路 SK17 6JR T: 01298 24904 E: enquiries@roseleighhotel.co.uk W: www.roseleighhotel.co.uk
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WHERE TO STAY COUNTRY HOUSE HOTELS
THE PEACOCK AT ROWSLEY Rowsley Derbyshire DE4 2EB 01629 733518 reception@thepeacockatrowsley.com www.thepeacockatrowsley.com
BIGGIN HALL HOTEL Biggin-by-Hartington Buxton SK17 0DH 01298 84451 enquiries@bigginhall.co.uk www.bigginhall.co.uk Historic Biggin Hall Country House Hotel, of 17th century origin, is gloriously situated in the Peak District National Park, in peaceful open countryside – superb for walking and cycling – within easy reach of Buxton. Superbly cooked and presented locally The finest 4 star sourced food. hotel & spa in the LOSEHILL HOUSE HOTEL & SPA
Peak District
Lose Hill Lane, Hope S33 6AF www.losehillhouse.co.uk 01433 621 219 01433 621 219 @losehillhouse info@losehillhouse.co.uk www.losehillhouse.co.uk
The Peacock at Rowsley: a chic and cosy hotel with 3 AA Rosette restaurant and excellent bar. Owned by Lord Edward Manners and part of the Haddon Estate, the hotel is ideally located between Chatsworth and Haddon Hall and offers stately charm with contemporary style.
THREE HORSESHOES INN AND COUNTRY HOTEL Buxton Road Blackshawmoor Leek, Staffs ST13 8TW 01538 300296 enquirires@threeshoesinn.co.uk www.3shoesinn.co.uk
A family-run Inn & Country Hotel situated on the A53, 15 minutes south of Buxton. Set within the Peak National Park. It has 26 well appointed, beautiful bedrooms ranging from Classic style rooms, to luxurious Garden Rooms with private cedar wood hot tubs. With a traditional Bar & Grill and award winning 2AA rosette Brasserie, there is sure to be a dish to satisfy every palate. It boasts the brand new Mill Wheel Spa due to open in Spring 2015.
Lose Hill Lane, Hope, Derbyshire, S33 6AF
Losehill House is the finest 4 star hotel in the Peak District, with stunning views of Hope Valley. With 23 beautifully appointed en-suite bedrooms, our award winning restaurant and relaxing spa, Losehill House offers an enjoyable break for any occasion.
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01298 72190 / 0845 127 2190 (Box Office) – Book tickets online: buxtonfestival.co.uk
EXPLORE STROLL
The finest 4 star hotel & spa in the Peak District
& Buxton Country Park A natural wonder of the Peak District
All weather attraction
www.losehillhouse.co.uk 01433 621 219 @losehillhouse
RELAX
Lose Hill Lane, Hope, Derbyshire, S33 6AF
Guided Tours
www.poolescavern.co.uk
Cafe & Shop
Picnic & Play Area
T: 01298 26978 E: info@poolescavern.co.uk Poole’s Cavern and Buxton Country, Park Green Lane, Buxton, Derbyshire SK17 9DH
The Palace Hotel is a 4 star hotel located in the centre of Buxton combining stunning Victorian heritage with modern facilities The Palace Hotel is only a 5 minute walk from the Opera House and is set in 5 acres of beautifully landscaped gardens With 122 en-suite bedrooms, lounge bar, restaurant, beauty salon and leisure facilities including a 14 metre swimming pool and 8 treatment rooms. The Palace Hotel is an ideal choice for your visit to the Buxton Festival Dine with us between 5.30pm-6.30pm and receive a 25% discount* Take advantage of our spa and receive a 15% discount off a treatment of your choice, spa days or just a day pass* Quote BF2015 to take advantage of these very special discounts We look forward to welcoming you to The Palace Hotel *Terms & conditions apply.
The Palace Hotel, Palace Road, Buxton, Derbyshire SK17 6AG thehotelcollection.co.uk/buxton Follow us
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WHERE TO STAY B&B & GUEST-HOUSES
ROSELEIGH GUEST-HOUSE
CRAMOND HOUSE BED & BREAKFAST
19 Broad Walk Buxton SK17 6JR 01298 24904 enquiries@roseleighhotel.co.uk
57 West Road Buxton SK17 6HQ 01298 938577 info@cramondhousebandb.co.uk www.cramondhousebandb.co.uk Rated Trip Advisor Excellent, Cramond House is a beautifully renovated Victorian town house near to the town centre. Your comfort is assured in the luxuriously furnished rooms. The warmest welcome awaits you from the owner Senga, who wants your stay at Cramond House to be the first of many. OLDFIELD GUEST-HOUSE 8 Macclesfield Road Buxton SK17 9AH 01298 78264 enquiries@oldfieldhousebuxton.co.uk www.oldfieldhousebuxton.co.uk AAbbbb Gold Stars. Spacious en-suite rooms, comfortable beds, delicious breakfasts, friendly atmosphere, non-smoking, off-street car parking and only a short stroll across the Pavilion Gardens to the Opera House, plus restaurants and pubs all within a short walk. B&B £85 per room per night. THE OLD MANSE The Old Manse 6 Clifton Road Buxton SK17 6QL 01298 25638 info@theoldmanse.co.uk www.oldmanse.co.uk Our elegant, Victorian, stone-built property is steeped in history and is ideally situated in a quiet, leafy residential area. Delicious home-cooked breakfasts using local produce. A short walk to the town centre, Opera House and Pavilion Gardens.
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Only a five minute scenic walk from the Buxton Opera House, located on Broadwalk this Victorian 14-bedroom, family run, non-smoking guest-house built in 1871 overlooks the Pavilion Gardens and ornamental lake of which the superb landscaping was developed between 1861 and the early 1870s. Free residents’ parking for up to 10 cars. Please visit our website for a comprehensive virtual tour. Bed & Breakfast from £40 per person based on two people sharing en suite double/twin rooms. WESTMINSTER HOTEL 21 Broad Walk Buxton SK17 6JR 01298 23929 enquiries@westminsterhotel.co.uk www.westminsterhotel.co.uk Small family-run hotel overlooking the Pavilion Gardens. Short stroll to Opera House. All rooms en-suite and non-smoking. TV, tea and coffee making facilities. Large car park. Great food and warm welcome. B&B from £72 per room per night.
SELF-CATERING ACCOMMODATION JOSEPH APARTMENT 3 The Square Buxton, SK17 6AZ 07855 134362 www.josephapartment-thesquare.co.uk Part of a historic former Georgian lodging house, this desirable, extremely spacious, first floor apartment is set within a grade II listed landmark of Buxton. Opposite the Opera House, Pavilion Gardens, views of the Devonshire Dome (Sleeps 8). Late offers available.
STADEN GRANGE Staden Lane Buxton Derbyshire SK17 9RZ 01298 70404 info@stadengrange.co.uk www.stadengrange.co.uk Marvelous 4 star country house, 6 acres of farmland, woods and gardens on outskirts of Buxton, just 1.5 miles from centre. B&B, bar, lounge, peaceful location with lovely views, excellent parking, family owned. Campsite in the woods. Newly opened Tea Room and Animal Farm. WHEELDON TREES FARM Earl Sterndale Buxton SK17 0AA 01298 83219 stay@wheeldontreesfarm.co.uk www.wheeldontreesfarm.co.uk VBbbbb Gold Enjoy outstanding comfort just ten minutes from the Opera House. Nine self-catering cottages sleeping between two and five in a stunning and secluded location. Short breaks from two nights welcome. Child, pet and guest friendly! 32A SOUTH AVENUE Buxton SK17 6NQ 07941 518175 bj.c@btinternet.com www.32a.info Welcome to 32A South Avenue. Our warm and stylish Self-Catering Apartment is 5 minutes walk from the Opera House. A super location to base yourself. Sleeps 2+2 (Super King Size bed + pull out sofa).
01298 72190 / 0845 127 2190 (Box Office) – Book tickets online: buxtonfestival.co.uk
WHERE TO EAT BAR BRASSERIE The Old Court House George Street Buxton SK17 6AY 01298 25333 thebarbrasseriebuxton.co.uk Whether you want your favourite French dish or simply want to try something different, for a special occasion, romantic evening for two or family celebration you want to ensure you visit The Bar Brasserie in Buxton.
NO 6 THE SQUARE TEAROOMS
THE OLD CLUBHOUSE
6 The Square Buxton SK17 6AZ 01298 213541 louise@no6tearooms.co.uk no6tearooms.co.uk
3 Water Street Buxton SK17 6XN 01298 7017
Traditional English tearooms situated opposite the Opera House. Special Festival fare pre-opera with Champagne. Open 10am–7pm. Festival fare available 5.30–7pm.
COLUMBINE
OLD HALL HOTEL
7 Hall Bank Buxton SK17 6EW 01298 78752 www.columbinerestaurant.co.uk
The Square Buxton SK17 6BD 01298 22841 reception@oldhallhotelbuxton.co.uk www.oldhallhotelbuxton.co.uk
We are a small independent restaurant, 3 minute’s walk from Buxton’s Opera House, serving modern British food, cooked to order. We are open for both pre and post theatre suppers by prior reservation. THE DUKE 123 St John’s Road Buxton SK17 6UR 01298 78781 info@thedukebuxton.com thedukebuxton.com The Duke offers a great range of award winning ales, an extensive range of award winning ales, an extensive wine and drinks list as well a full menu created with local Derbyshire produce. Food served daily 12pm till 3pm then 5pm till 9pm. FIRENZE 3 Eagle Parade Buxton SK17 6EQ 01298 72203 www.restaurantsinbuxton.co.uk For traditional Italian cuisine be sure to come to the Firenze Italian Restaurant in Buxton. We have been established for nearly 20 years and have developed an excellent local reputation for the superb quality of our food and service.
Opera
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The Old Clubhouse is a recently refurbished family friendly pub ideally situated next to Buxton Opera House. Serving food from 12 until 10pm every day. Our menu offers a wide variety of dishes from your pub classics to seasonal specials. THE BUXTON TAP HOUSE George Street Buxton SK17 6AY 01298 214085 www.buxtonbrewery.co.uk/tap
Old Hall Hotel, Restaurant and Wine Bar across the square from the Opera House – the perfect and very popular venue for pre- and post-opera meals. Restaurant open from 12pm–2pm and then 5.15pm–11pm. Wine Bar open all day from 10am. Advanced bookings are advisable.
The Tap House is the place to enjoy fantastic beers from the acclaimed Buxton Brewery. Food served all day 12–9pm. Sunday Lunch 12-3pm. Specialising in home smoked pulled pork amongst other tasty dishes, perfect for pre theatre dining. No bookings taken.
THE PAVILION CAFÉ
53 DEGREES NORTH
Pavilion Gardens Buxton SK17 6BE 01298 23114 paviliongarden@highpeak.gov.uk www.paviliongardens.co.uk
8 Hall Bank Buxton SK17 6EW 01298 79119
The Pavilion Cafe Buxton is a warm, welcoming and spacious cafe overlooking the picturesque award winning landscaped gardens. Our team are hard at work all day with breakfast served with a smile from 9.30am until 11.30am, then continuing with main meals right through to afternoon teas served from 2.30pm. During the summer festival season our cafe also opens for pre-show meals between 5pm and 7pm but it is advisable to book in advance as these are highly popular.
special Festival events
A friendly neighbourhood bar in central Buxton offering a range of award winning real ales, great wines, cocktails, craft beers and Italian coffee. Our food is locally sourced and served daily between 12–3 and 5–9. Pre-theatre meals available from 5pm.
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WHERE TO VISIT SCRIVENER’S BOOKS AND BOOKBINDING
BUXTON MUSEUM AND ART GALLERY
42 High Street Buxton 01298 73100 scrivbooks@hotmail.co.uk www.scrivenersbooks.co.uk Come and browse our 5 floors of books which include fiction, children’s, antiquarian and collectables. Our Bookbinders offer restoration and repair or can help you plan new binding projects. We also have sheet music, maps, cards, prints, the staircase gallery and tiny Victorian museum. One of the Guardians ’10 Best Second hand Bookshops’. Open Monday – Saturday 9.30–5.00 and Sunday 12.00–4.00. BOOKSTORE BRIERLOW BAR Ashbourne Road Buxton SK17 9PY 01298 71017 info@bookstore-derbyshire.co.uk www.bookstore-uk.co.uk Bookstore Brierlow Bar (2 miles south of Buxton on the A515 Ashbourne Road) is available for you to access thousands of books on a multitude of subjects at our unrivalled prices, for 7 days a week during your Festival visit.
Terrace Road Buxton SK17 6DA 01629 533540 buxton.museum@derbyshire.gov.uk www.derbyshire.gov.uk/buxtonmuseum Explore the geology, archaeology and creative spirit of the Peak District. The annual Derbyshire Open Art Exhibition features works by professional and amateur artists, and Arto Funduklian – His Personal Choice includes works by French artists from early 20th century in the museum’s permanent collection.
THE WONDER OF THE PEAK
01298 79648 info@discoverbuxton.co.uk www.discoverbuxton.co.uk Discover Buxton provides a journey through time into the history; people and landmarks of Buxton aboard the phantasmagorical Victorian tram The Wonder of the Peak. Our guided tours leave hourly from outside the Opera House. Heritage experiences and a range of walking tours also available.
POOLES CAVERN & BUXTON COUNTRY PARK Green Lane Buxton SK17 9DH info@poolescavern.co.uk www.poolescavern.co.uk For centuries curious visitors have explored and marvelled at the natural subterranean world that is Poole’s Cavern. Explore Poole’s Cavern today with our expert guides and journey through the beautifully illuminated chambers to discover for yourself the magnificent underground scenery of the Peak District.
For more details on Buxton and the surrounding area visit www.visitbuxton.co.uk or www.visitpeakdistrict.com or call the helpful Buxton Tourist Information Office on 01298 25106
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01298 72190 / 0845 127 2190 (Box Office) – Book tickets online: buxtonfestival.co.uk
PRICES & SEATING PLANS Opera House
Pavilion Arts Centre Stage
Stage
Stalls A–N
Stalls
Stalls K–N
Bleacher
Stalls O–Q
Balcony
Dress Circle
Boxes
Upper Circle Boxes
Boxes Gallery
Performances at the Opera House Giovanna d’Arco
Dido and Aeneas
Louise
English Chamber Orchestra
La Serenissima
Lucia di Lammermoor Stalls
£
£
£
£
£
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48
40
40
35
25
O–Q
35
30
30
20
20
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65
50
50
45
35
Dress Circle Boxes
65
50
50
45
35
Upper Circle
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40
40
35
25
Upper Circle Sides
20
15
15
15
15
Gallery
25
20
20
15
15
Ticket prices for other events vary from show to show – please see individual show listings for details St John’s Church concerts have two-tier prices: a higher rate for reserved seats in the nave, and a lower rate for unreserved seats in the balcony. Ticket prices are inclusive of booking fees where applicable.
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BOOKING Box Office 0845 127 2190 (or 01298 72190) or in person at Buxton Opera House, Water Street, Buxton, SK17 6XN from 1 April. Box Office Opening – Monday–Saturday 10am–8pm, Sunday 4pm–8pm Online booking via buxtonfestival.co.uk from 1 April Tickets at venues other than the Opera House can be bought on the door half an hour before each event, unless sold out. Refunds – tickets can neither be refunded nor exchanged. Box Office staff will try to resell tickets – a 10% administration fee will be charged.
ACCESS INFO
Wheelchair Users We are pleased to welcome people with disabilities. The Opera House has three spaces for wheelchair users in the stalls. There are also spaces for wheelchair users at the Pavilion Arts Centre. Toilet facilities for the disabled are available in both venues. Essential companions who are Registered Carers or who are in receipt of Carers’ Allowance are admitted free (proof of eligibility will be required).
Help With Hearing There are a limited number of passive infra-red (PIR) systems in both the Opera House and Arts Centre. These work through a special headset (rather than your hearing aid), which is available from the theatre – please reserve one when booking tickets (a £10 cash deposit is required). There is also an induction loop system at the counter in both Box Offices. Facilities For People With Disabilities Please call the Festival office on 01298 70395 for information about facilities for disabled people at all Festival venues. We will do our best to facilitate your visit to the Festival.
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01298 72190 / 0845 127 2190 (Box Office) – Book tickets online: buxtonfestival.co.uk
INFORMATION
SPECIAL OFFERS
2015 Programme Book. The indispensable guide to the Festival, with details of all performances and artists, and also articles and background information on the operas. Order in advance and collect at the Festival. £12 The Festival reserves the right to make alterations to the programme, although it is correct at the time of going to press. In accordance with standard theatre policy, latecomers will not be admitted until a suitable break in the performance.
Only one offer per ticket. All offers are subject to availability. Groups of ten receive a 10% discount for all performances except Saturday evenings. See four operas and save! Book tickets for four opera performances in stalls A–N or Dress Circle (Buxton Opera House only) and deduct £3 from the cost of each ticket. Opera House Standby. Full-time students and those on JSA/Income Support may purchase any available seat for a performance at half price from 6.45pm on the day of performance (excludes Saturdays). Personal callers at the box office only. Under-30s – Festival for a Fiver From 1 June all available seats are £5 for under-30s. Book at the Opera House box office or by phone. Tickets must be collected from the box office and proof of age provided. Festival for a Fiver tickets cannot be purchased online. Offer excludes Festival Friends’ Party and Festival Friends’ Lunch. Late-night jazz. If you’ve been to the opera and would like to catch the remainder of the jazz concert in the Pavilion Café once the opera has finished, bring your opera ticket along and pay £5 for the jazz concert on the door (places subject to availability)
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“Nothing so liberalises a man and expands the kindly instincts that nature put in him as travel” - Mark Twain Our network connects some of Britain’s best cities and its most scenic destinations, faster than ever before, so now’s the time to expand your horizons.
Book online at virgintrains.com Virgin Trains is proud to support the
Buxton Festival 2015
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01298 72190 / 0845 127 2190 (Box Office) – Book tickets online: buxtonfestival.co.uk
HOW TO GET TO BUXTON A5004 to STOCKPORT & WHALEY BRIDGE
EAGLE PARADE
RO AD
R ST. GE O RG ES TREE T
W AT E
K( PE DE HAR ST TING RIA TON N) RO AD
BRO AD WA L
AD BAKEWELL RO
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Police Station
Market Place
Ashwood Park
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ET RE ST
Car Parking There are 1001 car park spaces in Buxton including: Opera House Pay and display parking for 50 cars, including 2 spaces for the disabled. Charges: 1 hour 70p, 2 hours £1.20, 4 hours £2.50, free after 6pm. Pavilion Gardens Parking for 262 cars including 15 spaces for the disabled. Charges: 1 hour £1, 2 hours £1.60, 4 hours £3, over 4 hours £5, free after 6pm. Palace Hotel For non-residents: £4.50 for 3 hours and then £1 per hour. £7.50 spent on refreshments gives 3 hours free parking. Please allow extra time if travelling by car on Carnival Day (11 July)
Books
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By Car Buxton is only an hour’s drive from the M1, M6, Manchester, Sheffield, Nottingham and Derby. See www.theaa.com for a route planner.
Music
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Town Hall
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FIE FAIR
Coach Park
A6 to BAKEWELL, TIDESWELL & MATLOCK
BATH ROAD
WEST ROAD
Opera
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A6 to MANCHESTER, GLOSSOP, HAYFIELD, CHINLEY & NEW MILLS
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AD RO FIE LD R OAD
ST. GE
Pavilion Gardens
The Slopes
Opera House
Pavilion Arts Centre
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Old Hall Hotel
(PEDESTRIAN) DENS G AR
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GTON BURLIN
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ING SPR
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A55 to LEEK & MACCLESFIELD
THE SQ
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OAD SR N’ OH ST. J
St John’s Church
The Crescent
TERRACE ROAD
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T AN DR UA
Old Clubhouse KR PAR
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Devonshire Dome
Cricket Ground
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Palace Hotel
STREET
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OA D
Buxton Station
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HI RE
D ROA CE LA PA
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PARK R
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TR EE T
MAN CHE STE R
The Lee Wood Hotel
AD RO LE DA LON DO NR OA D
A515 to ASHBOURNE
By Rail Regular inter-city trains from Euston to Macclesfield, Stockport and Manchester (www.virgintrains.co.uk) with connecting sevices to Buxton (journey time approx. three hours). The last train from Buxton to Manchester leaves at 10.56pm. For more information www.nationalrail.co.uk / 08457 48 49 50 By Bus Direct buses to Buxton operate from Chesterfield, Derby, Glossop, Huddersfield, Macclesfield, Sheffield, Stockport and Stoke.
For more information www.derbysbus.info www.traveline.org.uk / 0871 200 22 33 www.nationalexpress.com / 08717 81 81 81
By Air Regular national and international flights to Manchester and Nottingham East Midlands airports For more information www.manchesterairport.co.uk www.eastmidlandsairport.com
special Festival events
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1oth
11th
12th
13th
14th
15th
16th
17th
18th
19th
20th
21st
22nd
23rd
24th
25th
26th
= infinite possibilities An inspirational setting for inspirational learning. The University of Derby Buxton Campus provides unparalleled opportunities for real world learning in Sport & Outdoor, Events, Hospitality, Tourism, Spa, Performing Arts and Humanities. With a work-ready focus, our courses ensure students go on to take roles with leading national and international employers.
TheFestival Guardian Proud to sponsor the Buxton
TOP 50 University Guide 2015
www.derby.ac.uk