9—27 July 2011 www.buxtonfestival.co.uk Tickets: 0845 12 72190 ’a happy marriage of music, opera & books’
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Festival diary
Festival diary
SATURDAY 9 JULY 10.30am Dame Ellen MacArthur 6.15pm Opera talk 7.15pm Maria di Rohan
THURSDAY 14 JULY 19 18 9
SUNDAY 10 JULY 10.30am 10.45am 12.30pm 1pm 2.15pm 3pm 3.30pm 6.15pm 7.15pm
Robin Hanbury-Tenison Festival Mass Festival Lunch Tatiana Dardykina recital Michael Broadbent A Taste of the Peaks The Lovely Ladies Opera talk Saul
20 56 55 29 20 55 15 18 10
MONDAY 11 JULY 10.30am 12pm 1pm 3pm 4pm 6.15pm 7.15pm
From score to stage Entertaining Buxton walk Susannah Glanville recital Miranda Seymour Tarka the Otter Opera talk Mignon
20 54 29 20 16 18 11
TUESDAY 12 JULY 10.30am 12pm 1pm 3pm 3pm 4.30pm 6.15pm 7.15pm 10pm
Christopher Andrew & Keith Jeffrey Buxton’s heritage walk New Budapest Café Orchestra Robert Sackville-West The Girl I Left Behind Me Organ recital Opera talk Maria di Rohan Homage to Grappelli
Politics and the English language Opera scenes: Saul The natural horn Monteverdi’s Flying Circus Chiu-Yu Chen recital Virginia Nicholson Tarka the Otter Opera talk Saul Tango 5
Richard Miles The Devonshires in Buxton walk Seckou Keita London Concertante Betsy Tobin The Lovely Ladies Opera talk Greek Perunika Trio
10.30am 12.30pm 2pm 3pm 3pm 6.15pm 7.15pm
Christopher Lloyd ‘Touches of sweet harmony’ Beauty and the Beast Antony Penrose Shropshire and other Lads Opera talk Maria di Rohan
22 37 38 22 37 18 9
SATURDAY 16 JULY 10.30am 12.30pm 2.30pm 6.15pm 7.15pm
Salley Vickers Opera workshop New Zealand String Quartet Opera talk Mignon
SUNDAY 17 JULY
54 30 21 32 56 18 9 30
10.30am 11.15am 1pm 3pm 3pm 6.15pm 7.15pm
21 33 33 12 34 21 16 18 10 34
22 54 35 35 22 15 18 13 36
FRIDAY 15 JULY
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WEDNESDAY 13 JULY 10.30am 10.30am 12.30pm 2pm 2.30pm 3pm 4pm 6.15pm 7.15pm 10pm
10.30am 12pm 12.30pm 2pm 3pm 3.30pm 6.15pm 7.15pm 9.30pm
TUESDAY 19 JULY
Will Hutton Festival Mass Handel: Pastoral Pleasures Pimpinone Flowers with Friends Opera talk Saul
23 39 39 18 11
23 56 40 17 55 18 10
MONDAY 18 JULY 10.30am 1pm 3pm 3pm 3pm 6.15pm 7.15pm 10pm
Colin Thubron Mignon in song Patrick French Kathryn Stott recital A Taste of the Peaks Opera talk The Italian Girl in London Persian improvisation
23 40 23 41 55 18 14 41
10.30am 12.30pm 2pm 3pm 3pm 6.15pm 7.15pm
Simon Sebag Montefiore Frith Piano Quartet Mahler in Miniature Katherine Swift Innovation Chamber Ensemble Opera talk Mignon
SATURDAY 23 JULY 24 42 42 24 43 18 11
WEDNESDAY 20 JULY 10.30am 10.30am 1pm 3pm 3pm 6.15pm 7.15pm
General Lord Dannatt Opera scenes: Mignon In search of Duende Esther Freud Škampa Quartet Opera talk Maria di Rohan
24 33 43 24 44 18 9
THURSDAY 21 JULY 10.30am 12pm 12.30pm 2pm 3pm 3pm 4.30pm 6.15pm 7.15pm 10pm
Jane Brown Entertaining Buxton walk ‘Touches of sweet harmony’ Monteverdi’s Flying Circus Alexandra Harris Marcus Farnsworth recital Organ recital Opera talk Saul The Classic Buskers
25 54 37 12 25 44 56 18 10 45
FRIDAY 22 JULY 10.30am 10.30am 12.30pm 12.30pm 1.45pm 3pm 3pm 3.30pm 6.15pm 7.15pm
Melvyn Bragg 25 Opera scenes: Maria di Rohan 33 The Bible in Voice and Verse 45 Tasmin Little: The Naked Violin 46 Many Strings Attached 47 Martin Gayford 25 St Petersburg Quartet 47 The Well-Tempered Clavichord 48 Opera talk 18 Mignon 11
Front cover image commissioned from Rob Wilson, a Derbyshire-based mixed-media artist.
10.30am 12.30pm 1.45pm 3pm 6.15pm 7.15pm
David Gilmour Njabulo Madlala recital The Italian Girl in London Perchance to Dream Opera talk Maria di Rohan
26 48 14 49 18 9
SUNDAY 24 JULY 10.30am 11.15am 1pm 3pm 5pm 6.15pm 7.15pm
Roy Hattersley Festival Mass A Good Reed? The Girl I Left Behind Me Friends’ and Patrons’ Dinner Opera talk Saul
26 56 49 32 55 18 10
MONDAY 25 JULY 10.30am 12pm 1pm 3pm 3pm 5pm 6.15pm 7.15pm 8pm 9.30pm
Matthew Parris & Andrew Bryson The Devonshires in Buxton walk Mark Bebbington recital Richard Tames Pimpinone Mugenkyo Taiko Drummers Opera talk Greek Rhythm of the World Purbayan Chatterjee sitar recital
26 54 50 26 17 50 18 13 51 51
TUESDAY 26 JULY 10.30am 12pm 1pm 3pm 3pm 3pm 6.15pm 7.15pm
A.C. Grayling Buxton’s heritage walk The Boult Quartet with Cosima Yu Katherine Frank Northern Chamber Orchestra A Taste of the Peaks Opera talk Mignon
27 54 52 27 52 55 18 11
WEDNESDAY 27 JULY 10.30am 1pm 3pm 3pm 6.15pm 7.15pm
Dowager Duchess of Devonshire Caratinga Matthew Rice Fibonacci Sequence Opera talk Maria di Rohan
27 53 27 53 18 9
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Contents
Welcome
Diary
2
Miscellaneous
56
Support
6
Booking information
57
Engage
7
Ticket prices and seating plan
58
Special offers
59
Opera
Andrew Greenwood Artistic Director
Maria di Rohan
9
Where to stay
60–64
Saul
10
Where to eat
64–65
Mignon
11
What to do
66–69
Monteverdi’s Flying Circus
12
Map and travel information
70
Greek
13
Supporters
72
The Italian Girl in London
14
The Lovely Ladies
15
Tarka the Otter
16
Pimpinone
17
Opera talks
18
Literary series
19–27
Mainly music
28–53
Enjoy Buxton
54–55
Tickets (from 4 April) 0845 12 72190 Information info@buxtonfestival.co.uk www.buxtonfestival.co.uk 01298 70395
I’m almost embarrassed (but also delighted!) to report that at a time when everyone is being offered less, at Buxton Festival we’re presenting a programme bigger and better than ever, with three full-scale homegrown productions. We celebrate Ambroise Thomas’s 200th birthday with a new staging of his most famous opera, Mignon. Hugely popular all over Europe in the nineteenth century, it remained until the 1950s the third most-performed work at the Paris OpéraComique, bettered only by Carmen and Manon. The director is Annilese Miskimmon, who delighted us with her Bluebeard in 2007 (and since then Orlando and Alcina from OTC Dublin), and a great cast is led by Wendy Dawn Thompson, Gillian Keith and American tenor Ryan MacPherson.
Pure Buxton
President The Earl of Harewood KBE Artistic Director Andrew Greenwood Chairman Dame Janet Smith Chief Executive Glyn Foley
Continuing our series of Handel oratorio stagings conducted authoritatively by Harry Christophers, we reach Saul, the original drama of familial jealousy, and one of the master’s greatest scores. I’m delighted to welcome Olivia Fuchs to direct in Buxton for the first time (I fondly remember collaborating with her on a terrific ETO Traviata some years ago), and she is working with such stylish Handelian singers as Jonathan Best, Robert Murray and Anne Marie Gibbons. Last, but certainly not least, Maria di Rohan is another Donizetti scorcher, a taut melodrama set in the Paris of Cardinal Richelieu. Yes, and Mary Plazas sings the title role, sparring with familiar colleagues John Bellemer, Mirouslava Yordanova and David Kempster, all presided over by the old artistic firm of Medcalf, O’Connor and Greenwood. Self-recommending, though I shouldn’t say it myself…
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Visiting productions in the Opera House include a welcome return by Bampton Classical Opera with Cimarosa’s comedy The Italian Girl in London, a piece first seen in Buxton back in 1989 (‘the audience laughed long and loud’, wrote Michael Kennedy). Equally welcome back is the Armonico Consort in Monteverdi’s Flying Circus, with a script by Kit Hesketh-Harvey dramatising the composer‘s last years and weaving together some of his most ravishing music – delightful. And if something a little more edgy is for you, Music Theatre Wales returns with a new production of Greek, a modern version of the Oedipus myth and the opera that made Mark-Anthony Turnage’s reputation in the 1980s. Unmissable. The opening of the Pavilion Arts Centre provides us with an exciting new venue for concerts and smallerscale music theatre. Here we present our community opera Tarka the Otter, a version of Henry Williamson’s classic that won Stephen McNeff a British Composer Award in 2007. Back by popular demand is Donald Maxwell’s version of Telemann’s Pimpinone, an uproarious hit at the Festival five years ago. Connoisseurs of the noble grape will adore The Lovely Ladies, whose cast of characters includes Bordeaux, ‘a grandee’, and Yquem, ‘an aging beauty’. And we welcome Opera North for The Girl I Left Behind Me, a witty exploration of the various demands on women playing male roles. There’s still room for dozens of exciting concerts, including big names like Tasmin Little and Kathryn Stott, prize-winning young singers Njabula Madlala and Marcus Farnsworth, two chances to hear the Festival Chorus sing Holst and Vaughan Williams, great string quartets (from St Petersburg to New Zealand), London Concertante and of course, emerging blinking from the orchestra pit, the NCO. Add to the mix the outstanding Literary Series, late-night jazz and world music, walks, lunches, etc. and you have another Festival bursting at the seams. We’re not cutting back, and we know you’ll support us to the hilt. So read on and enjoy…
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Finance
Community
SUPPORT
ENGAGE Every year the Festival involves more than 2,000 local people in creative arts activity through our community and education programme. All projects are free and engage different sections of our community. The highlight of 2011’s programme is a production of Stephen McNeff’s community opera Tarka the Otter (see page 16), performed by children, teenagers and local adult singers, alongside a professional orchestra, cast and creative team. The opera is performed three times during the Festival, including a free performance to an invited audience of schoolchildren and elderly people.
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Community and Education Sponsor:
Other projects include: Festival for a Fiver
To welcome new audiences to the opera and make the experience affordable to all, we’re offering Festival tickets for only £5 to under 30s. We hope to welcome around 500 young people to the Festival for the first time this year (see page 59).
Poetry and Photography Competitions
We run national competitions to encourage creative thinking, and this year’s theme is ‘fire’. You can see the winning entries in a special exhibition at the Devonshire Dome in July.
Festival ambassadors
Local teenagers will be invited backstage at Festival events to interview performers, meet the crew and report their findings on our blog.
World music workshop
We welcome local youth groups to take part in creative workshops led by performers from our world music series.
Wandering Minstrels Box Office income only pays for the first half of the performance! We are very grateful to the public funders and private sponsors who invest in our programme, but we wouldn’t be able to mount our exciting and ambitious Festival without the support of our Friends and Patrons. To help us put on the second half do please consider the following:
We’ve introduced new Patronage levels so you can link support to specific aspects of the Festival, with bespoke benefits including a number of tickets and meeting the artists:
Patrons
£1,000 Cast, Chamber or Community supporter
£150 single / £200 joint membership Priority Booking opens on 7 March
Gold Friends
£55 single / £80 joint membership Priority Booking opens on 7 March
Friends
£25 single / £35 joint membership Priority Booking opens on 14 March
Education donors
A small (e.g. £3) monthly or other donation to support our education work
Festival Foundation
Please do consider a legacy to sustain the long-term future of the Festival.
£500 Chorus, Wardrobe, Recital or Literary supporter
£2,500 Opera or Orchestra supporter For further information on any of these groups please contact the Festival office on 01298 70395 or info@buxtonfestival.co.uk.
Festival musicians will entertain the elderly in daycare and residential centres.
Live Music Now!
Specially trained musicians will entertain more than 300 children with special needs. The Festival’s board and staff thank the following partners for their support in this valuable work:
The Bingham Trust The Buxton Hall Bank Trust The Chestnut Centre The Joyce Fletcher Charitable Trust The Granada Foundation The Peter Moores Foundation The Rotary Club of Buxton The Zochonis Charitable Trust Buxton Festival Education Fund Derbyshire County Council High Peak Borough Council Arts Council England
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Opera
Gaetano Donizetti (1797–1848) A tragic melodrama in three acts Libretto by Salvatore Cammarano, sung in Italian with English side-titles, visible from all seats A Buxton Festival production, with the Northern Chamber Orchestra and Festival Chorus Masked balls, secret liaisons, duels, machinations of state and the shadow of Cardinal Richelieu – this melodrama set in the court of Louis XIII has all the ingredients of high romance. With the Cardinal deposed for just 24 hours, the opera unfolds as a race against time, as the protagonists trapped in a tragic love triangle attempt to resist the inevitable.
Conductor Andrew Greenwood
Riccardo John Bellemer
Director Stephen Medcalf
Armando Mirouslava Yordanova
Designer Francis O’Connor
Enrico David Kempster
Lighting designer John Bishop
De Fiesque Andrew Slater Visconte di Suze Mark Holland
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This Festival production shows the composer at the height of his powers, presented by the award winning team behind Luisa Miller and Lucrezia Borgia, an outstanding international cast led by Mary Plazas, and the stunning Festival chorus.
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Donizetti’s music of depth and maturity brings an extraordinary dramatic intensity to the story of characters motivated entirely by love and jealousy.
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FESTIVAL OPERA
Maria Mary Plazas
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MARIA DI ROHAN
9, 12, 15, 20, 23, 27 July 7.15pm £10–£57 2 hours 20 minutes
This production is generously supported by the Old Hall Hotel and the Buxton Crescent Hotel and Thermal Spa partnership.
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Jonathan Robert Murray
Director Olivia Fuchs
David Anne Marie Gibbons
Designer Yannis Thavoris
Paranoia and envy threaten to take over society as Handel’s classic oratorio is skilfully brought up to date when a nation establishes itself as a superpower, with terrifying results…
Merab Elizabeth Atherton
Choreographer Clare Whistler
Michal Ruby Hughes
Lighting designer John Bishop
The heady celebrations of World War II victory welcome the returning hero David, but joy quickly fades as Saul’s presidential power gives way to persecution and injustice in this darkly dramatic production.
Witch of Endor Andrew Mackenzie-Wicks
Libretto by Charles Jennens, sung in English A Buxton Festival production, with the Orchestra of the Sixteen and Festival Chorus
A witty and surprising opéra-comique by one of the most gifted French melodists, Mignon is based on Goethe’s novel Wilhelm Meister’s Apprenticeship. Ambiguous characters inhabit a mysterious setting full of theatrical artifice, as extremes of emotion and explosive jealousy lead to a dramatic showdown, revealing a staggering truth.
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Mignon Wendy Dawn Thompson Philine Gillian Keith Wilhelm Ryan MacPherson Lothario Russell Smythe
Conductor Andrew Greenwood Director Annilese Miskimmon Designer Nicky Shaw Lighting designer John Bishop
Laerte Andrew Mackenzie-Wicks Jarno Mark Holland Frederick Amar Muchhala
We celebrate Thomas’s bicentenary with the opera which brought his first great international acclaim. Many will recall one of the Festival’s earliest successes – Hamlet – by the same composer. O R E OP
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Performance sponsor:
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Annilese Miskimmon’s productions in Buxton (The Coronation of Poppea, Alcina, Bluebeard) have won her many admirers. Her cast includes several Festival favourites, conducted by our Artistic Director.
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In a theatrical world of self-obsession, disguise and illusion, nothing and no-one is quite as it seems…
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This production is generously supported by:
A Buxton Festival production, with the Northern Chamber Orchestra and Festival Chorus
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Olivia Fuchs and Harry Christophers lead a superb Festival cast and chorus with the acclaimed Orchestra of the Sixteen.
An opéra comique in three acts Libretto by Michel Carré and Jules Barbier, sung in a new English translation by Hugh Macdonald
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Keeping true to the composer’s original telling of moral and political dilemmas, this production shows how relevant Handel’s work still is, moving away from the tumultuous and politically charged events in Ancient Israel to create a universal story relevant to all.
Ghost of Samuel Andrew Slater
Ambroise Thomas (1811–96)
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Conductor Harry Christophers
11, 16, 19, 22, 26 July 7.15pm £10–£57 3 hours
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Saul Jonathan Best
A dramatic oratorio in two acts
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George Frideric Handel (1685–1759)
MIGNON
10, 13, 17, 21, 24 July 7.15pm £10–£57 2 hours 30 minutes
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A tale of Monteverdi’s final years, intertwined with the most remarkable music from his three operas Text by Kit Hesketh-Harvey, sung in English and Italian A production by the Armonico Consort Venice 1638, and the people are hungry for entertainment. Opera is in its infancy but its creator, Monteverdi, is approaching old age with fury and trepidation, his hankering for a prosperous retirement thwarted by dogmatic clergy, the inquisition, an overactive imagination, a prodigal son and his own crippling writer’s block.
Cast includes Anthony Pedley Eliot Giuralarocca Anna Sandström Elizabeth Atkinson Philip Jones Gordon Adams John Furlong Alex Ashworth Océane Peillet José Triguero
Mark-Anthony Turnage (b. 1960)
Musical Director Christopher Monks
An opera in two acts
Director Anna Tolputt
Libretto by the composer and Jonathan Moore, based on the play by Steven Berkoff, sung in English
Designer Helen Stewart
A production by Music Theatre Wales
Lighting designer Tom White
Greek catapults us into the seedy, boozy East End world of Eddy and his family. Stuck in a rut, Eddy longs for more. When his Dad tells him that a fortune teller once predicted that he would kill his father and marry his mother, Eddy decides he’s had enough and leaves home to find love in the unlikely form of the wife of a man he kicks to death. Little does he know that ten years later he will discover his true identity, with tragic consequences…
Highly-entertaining, Monteverdi’s Flying Circus delves into the psyche of this all-too-human yet extraordinary composer as he confronts his demons to create some of the most divine music ever written.
Wife Louise Winter
Director Michael McCarthy
Eddy Marcus Farnsworth
Designer Simon Banham
Dad Richard Suart
Lighting designer Ace McCarron
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Note: Contains strong language
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Conductor Michael Rafferty
Acknowledged as one of the most successful contemporary opera companies in Europe, Music Theatre Wales’s many Buxton Festival visits have earned them an enviable reputation.
Superb A glorious production
Mum Sally Silver
Swinging from demotic energy to soulful intensity, Turnage’s jazz-influenced score vividly conveys the overt theatricality of the larger than life characters, throwing this human tragedy into sharp relief. Greek is a contemporary classic – a work that will move audiences to tears and back again, sharing a tale of searing emotion and brazen vitality.
By turn profoundly moving and hilarious, the production draws on music from all three of Monteverdi’s operas (L’Orfeo, Ulysses and Poppea) in a powerful and emotional re-telling of Monteverdi’s final years, magically crafted with a spectacular combination of music, circus, comedy and dance. The Times
14, 25 July 7.15pm £10–£47 1 hour 45 minutes
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Featuring works by Claudio Monteverdi (1567–1643)
GREEK
13, 21 July 2pm £10–£37 2 hours
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MONTEVERDI’S FLYING CIRCUS
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THE ITALIAN GIRL IN LONDON Domenico Cimarosa (1749–1801) An opera buffa in two acts Libretto by Giuseppe Petrosellini, sung in a new English translation by Gilly French and Jeremy Gray A production by Bampton Classical Opera with the Northern Chamber Orchestra What do you get when you cross an Englishman, an Italian and a Dutchman? And when all are vying for the attention of a beautiful French girl, who in fact turns out to be Livia from Genoa…?
Chamber opera 15
THE LOVELY LADIES
18 July: 7.15pm 23 July: 1.45pm £10–£47 2 hours 15 minutes
Livia Kim Sheehan
Conductor Thomas Blunt
Madama Brillante Caryl Hughes
Director Jeremy Gray
Milord Arespingh Robert Winslade Anderson
Set designer Nigel Hook
Don Polidoro Nicholas Merryweather Sumers Thomas Herford
Peter Cowdrey (b. 1963) A comic opera Libretto by Hamish Robinson, sung in English A production by Opera Unlimited A delightful divertissement based on the wine tasting diaries of Christie’s auctioneer and celebrated critic Michael Broadbent, in which the wines themselves do the singing. There’s a rumour that their champion has given up the wine trade – who can entice him to celebrate their virtues once more? Pompous, bombastic Bordeaux or urbane, girl-mad Champagne? Chateau d’Yquem knew him first, but who can compete with the sultry, full-bodied Côtes du Rhône?
Costume designer Fiona Hodges Lighting designer John Bishop
Set in a decidedly downmarket London hotel, Cimarosa’s scintillating comedy of European misunderstanding pitches the Age of Enlightenment headlong into Fawlty Towers. With a score replete with wit and sparkle, L’italiana in Londra was the first major triumph of this great master of Italian opera in the generation before Rossini, and in 1780 was the first of Cimarosa’s operas to be given at La Scala in Milan.
With a heady cast including Gail Pearson and Richard Suart, prepare to be intoxicated by this comedy spritzer. The evening fizzed and sparkled like the finest champagne. Lilly Papaioannou sent temperatures and eyebrows soaring with her beautiful dancing and rich mezzo. Conducted by the composer and directed with verve and imagination – all in all, a vintage performance.
Bampton Classical Opera has an unrivalled reputation for revitalising rarities from the late eighteenthcentury with intelligence and humour, and this lively production is no exception.
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Opera Today
Opera Now
Chateau d’Yquem Gail Pearson
Conductor Peter Cowdrey
Bordeaux Richard Suart
Director Rosie Johnston
Alsace Merrin Lazyan
Designer Piera Lizzeri
Mas de Daumas Gassac James Edwards Champagne Toby Stafford-Allen Burgundy Red John Pumphrey Burgundy White Faustine de Monès Côtes du Rhône Lilly Papaioannou George Saintsbury Ben Williamson
Musical opinion
Bampton left this listener amazed that such works are not more frequently performed Bampton Classical Opera is one of England’s most adventurous, engaging and inventive ensembles
10, 14 July: 3.30pm Pavilion Arts Centre £20 1 hour
Don’t miss Michael Broadbent’s talk in the literary series, 10 July at 2.15pm, see page 20
16 Community opera
TARKA THE OTTER Stephen McNeff (b. 1951) A community opera Libretto by Richard Williams, sung in English A Buxton Festival community production, with the Northern Chamber Orchestra Based on Henry Williamson’s classic novel, Tarka the Otter, this powerful and moving opera depicts the fierce struggle for survival in the wild, while celebrating life and the eternal rhythms of nature. We meet the otter cub Tarka in summer, learning to swim, fish and play. But this peaceful existence is shattered when his home is attacked by hunters and Tarka has to learn to live alone, surviving the hardship of winter, the farmer’s guns and the poacher’s traps. When he meets a partner in Greymuzzle the cycle of life continues, but Tarka has yet to face his old enemy, the Huntsman’s dog – Deadlock.
Chamber opera 17
11, 13 July: 4pm Pavilion Arts Centre £10, children £5 1 hour
Conductor Ewa Strusinska Director Robin Tebbutt Designer Richard Aylwin with performers from: Buxton Junior School Whaley Bridge Primary School Glossopdale Community College Madhatters Youth Choir Buxton Festival Community Chorus The Royal Northern College of Music
PIMPINONE (OR THE UNEQUAL MARRIAGE)
Georg Philipp Telemann (1681–1767) A comic opera Libretto by Pietro Pariati, sung in English A Buxton Festival production, with the Northern Chamber Orchestra Pimpinone’s ambitious servant Vespetta schemes to trick the rich old fool into marriage. Will the charms of the humble but devious chambermaid work their magic on her wealthy master? Telemann’s jolly score proves an ideal match for the comedy on stage. A spectacle that will charm and delight, providing enjoyment for all, in this eighteenthcentury version of women’s rights, with plenty of opportunity for Donald Maxwell to show his comic prowess! This delightful production is pure joy Manchester Evening News
The Festival’s community productions have become a firm fixture in the calendar – and rightly so, as they engage many young people in opera for the first time, working alongside our inspirational Festival team. Not to be missed!
Rebecca Rudge, bright and sexy as Vespetta, and Donald Maxwell as the bumbling bachelor, bounce their farce off each other with aplomb Stoke Sentinel
This production is generously supported by The Chestnut Centre, Buxton Natural Mineral Water and donors to the Festival’s Education Fund.
17, 25 July: 3pm Pavilion Arts Centre £20 1 hour
Vespetta Rebecca Rudge
Conductor Julian Perkins
Pimpinone Donald Maxwell
Director Donald Maxwell Designer Nigel Hook Lighting designer John Bishop
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OPERA TALKS Enjoy these informative introductions to the opera, given by Andrew Greenwood, the Festival’s Artistic Director, either solo or in conversation with friends.
LITERARY SERIES
Devonshire Dome (except 9 July) 6.15pm Admission free 30 minutes 9 July Opera House stalls
Stephen Medcalf, director of Maria di Rohan
10 July
Olivia Fuchs, director of Saul
11 July
Annilese Miskimmon, director of Mignon
12 July
20 July
Andrew Greenwood, conductor of Maria di Rohan
Andrew Greenwood, conductor of Maria di Rohan
13 July
21 July
Harry Christophers, conductor of Saul
Harry Christophers, conductor of Saul
14 July
22 July
Michael McCarthy, director of Greek
Andrew Greenwood, conductor of Mignon
15 July
23 July
Andrew Greenwood, conductor of Maria di Rohan
Andrew Greenwood, conductor of Maria di Rohan
16 July
24 July
Andrew Greenwood, conductor of Mignon
Harry Christophers, conductor of Saul
17 July
25 July
Harry Christophers, conductor of Saul
Michael McCarthy, director of Greek
18 July
26 July
Jeremy Gray, director of The Italian Girl in London
Andrew Greenwood, conductor of Mignon
19 July
27 July
Annilese Miskimmon, director of Mignon
Supported by:
Andrew Greenwood, conductor of Maria di Rohan
DAME ELLEN MACARTHUR Full Circle
9 July, 10.30am Pavilion Arts Centre £10 Dame Ellen MacArthur was one of the greatest sportswomen in the world until her retirement from competitive sailing in 2009. Ellen talks here of the challenges of the last ten years: the trials of fame, her frustrations in missing the record for the transatlantic crossing by just 75 minutes, her dramatic capsizes and near-disasters, and the ultimate triumph of her spectacular, record-breaking, non-stop solo circumnavigation of the globe. Ellen’s story of triumph over adversity will surely inspire others to follow in this remarkable woman’s wake.
Series Sponsor
Supported by: Bookstore Brierlow Bar Best Western Lee Wood Hotel
20 Literary series
Literary series 21
ROBIN HANBURY-TENISON The Great Explorers 10 July, 10.30am Pavilion Arts Centre £10
MICHAEL BROADBENT Tasting Notes
10 July, 2.15pm Palace Hotel £6
CHRISTOPHER ANDREW & KEITH JEFFREY
ROBERT SACKVILLE-WEST
The Secret Histories of MI5 and MI6
Aristocracy: The Story of Knole and the Sackvilles
12 July, 10.30am Opera House £10
12 July, 3pm Lee Wood Hotel £6
Please note start time Celebrated author, conservationist, broadcaster, filmmaker, campaigner and farmer, Robin HanburyTenison has been described as the greatest explorer of his generation. No one could be better qualified to discuss the exploits of those – from Columbus to Livingstone and Yuri Gagarin – who have opened our eyes to our amazing planet’s natural wealth. Their escapades reveal not just the dogged ambition that drove them to go the extra distance, but also their tremendous courage and individuality, and above all, their spirit of enquiry. Robin talks of his own experiences and those of the extraordinary men and women about whom he writes in The Great Explorers.
Michael Broadbent, best known as a wine writer and international wine auctioneer, founded the first Wine Department at Christie’s auctioneers. Former Director and International Head of the Wine Department, Michael is now a multi-award winning author, but was surprised to hear that his Tasting Notes were the inspiration for an opera, first performed at Christie’s in 2010: The Lovely Ladies. Broadbent’s passion for wine has brought worldwide recognition and awards but his long and varied career has not been without controversy and we can expect a fruity taste of the rich world of wine.
In 2002 the Security Service MI5 asked Professor Christopher Andrew to write an ‘open’ history of the Service. In 2005 Professor Keith Jeffrey was given unparalleled access to the records of the Secret Intelligence Service, MI6. Both authors discuss their discoveries among those previously unpublished documents, shining a light not only on the courage and dedication of those who served in the secret services, but on their accountability to government both in peace and war. Expect an interesting debate on many different aspects of British, colonial and international history over the past 100 years.
Since its purchase in 1604 by the First Earl of Dorset, the house at Knole, in Kent, has been occupied by 13 generations of a single family, the Sackvilles. Drawing on a wealth of unpublished letters, archives and images, the current incumbent of the seat, Robert Sackville-West, paints a vivid and intimate portrait of the vast, labyrinthine house and the close relationships his colourful ancestors formed with it. Every detail holds a story, all loaded with an emotional significance handed down through the generations.
The Lovely Ladies follows this talk – see page 15.
FROM SCORE TO STAGE
MIRANDA SEYMOUR
RUPERT CHRISTIANSEN
11 July, 3pm Lee Wood Hotel £6
chaired by
Being a Biographer
11 July, 10.30am Palace Hotel £10 Two talented directors of Buxton Festival productions, Annilese Miskimmon and Olivia Fuchs, together with Artistic Director Andrew Greenwood, discuss with The Daily Telegraph’s opera critic Rupert Christiansen just how they make the magical leap from a dusty score to a moving and entertaining opera staging. Where do they start? Who is involved and where does the paying public fit in? Expect new insights into a world few of us know, with plenty of opportunity for audience involvement. Supported by:
Acclaimed biographer Miranda Seymour has written lives of Henry James, Robert Graves, Mary Shelley, Hellé Nice (The Bugatti Queen) and Charlie Chaplin’s muse Virginia Cherrill. Her most recent book is her controversial family memoir, In My Father’s House, exploring the role that Thrumpton Hall, on the Derbyshire borders, has played in her recent family history. Miranda talks about the discoveries, decisions, dilemmas and the whole fascinating business of being a biographer.
ORWELL DEBATE
Politics and the English Language: Is politics corrupted by a corrupted language? 13 July, 10.30am Palace Hotel £10
One of George Orwell’s most famous essays, Politics and the English Language, criticises the ‘staleness of imagery’ and ‘lack of precision’, particularly in political writing, where muddled language masks insincerity. ‘If thought corrupts language, language can also corrupt thought’. 65 years on, is it still ‘broadly true that political writing is bad writing’? What corruptions of language have appeared in the age of the internet and breaking news? What can be done to reverse the process? Jean Seaton, Director of The Orwell Prize, chairs a lively debate with leading authors including Nick Cohen and Linda Grant.
VIRGINIA NICHOLSON
Millions like Us – Women’s Lives in War and Peace 1939–1949 13 July, 3pm Lee Wood Hotel £6 Virginia Nicholson, great-niece of Virginia Woolf and granddaughter of Vanessa Bell, has stepped away from the Bloomsbury background that informed her early books to write her most ambitious work to date. Following the success of Singled Out – an account of the ‘surplus women’ who found themselves spinsters after World War I – Virginia now explores and celebrates a generation of women whose deeds and values are quickly passing into history. The book tracks a momentous decade through a host of personal stories illuminating the role our mothers and grandmothers played in our national story.
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Literary series 23
RICHARD MILES
BETSY TOBIN
14 July, 10.30am Pavilion Arts Centre £10
14 July, 3pm Lee Wood Hotel £6
Ancient Worlds
Across the Middle East, the Mediterranean and Nile Delta, awe-inspiring ruins are scattered across the landscape – vast palaces, temples, fortresses, shattered statues of ancient gods and carvings of long-forgotten dynasties. These ruins – the remainder of thousands of years of human civilization – are both inspirational in their grandeur and terrible in their demise: these once teeming centres of population were all ultimately destroyed and abandoned. Richard Miles, presenter of the recent BBC series Ancient Worlds, examines these lost cities, helping us to appreciate their culture, religion and former glory.
CHRISTOPHER LLOYD
Crimson China
On a freezing night in February, a woman wades into the waters of Morecambe Bay in a drunken bid to commit suicide. Braced for death, she finds herself instead saving a man’s life – a young Chinese cockle picker, one of the only survivors of a tragic mass drowning. Betsy Tobin’s novel Crimson China has been widely acclaimed and was recently serialised on Radio 4. Betsy speaks about the circumstances that led her to write this gripping tale of illegal Chinese migrant workers in Britain, a novel that illuminates a tragic, hidden world that runs in parallel to our own.
ANTONY PENROSE
In Search of a Masterpiece
The Boy who Bit Picasso – The story behind the bite
15 July, 10.30am Pavilion Arts Centre £10
15 July, 3pm Lee Wood Hotel £6
In Search of a Masterpiece is an anthology of paintings in public collections throughout the British Isles, selected by Christopher Lloyd, former Surveyor of The Queen’s Pictures. The 250 chosen works span the fourteenth century to the present day, and include the well-known alongside a host of rare surprises. No one is ever far from a masterpiece, we discover. In ‘an art lover’s guide to Great Britain and Ireland’, Christopher shares with us the criteria for his selection and the excitement he feels on encountering a masterpiece.
When Antony Penrose was three he was lucky enough to meet Picasso and become his friend. Tony, the son of the American photographer Lee Miller and the British surrealist Roland Penrose, recalls the many happy hours he spent with Picasso at their farm in Sussex and in Picasso’s own house in France. His memories include pretend bullfights, playing in Picasso’s ‘messy’ studio, the time he bit Picasso – and what the artist did in return! This charming memoir is a wonderful introduction to the spirit of Picasso, who was as much a magician as an artist to the young Tony Penrose, now himself a charismatic author.
SALLEY VICKERS
WILL HUTTON
16 July, 10.30am Opera House £10
17 July, 10.30am Opera House £10
Aphrodite’s Hat and other stories
Salley Vickers is the author of six novels, including the international best-sellers Miss Garnet’s Angel, Mr Golightly’s Holiday and The Other Side of You. Her fiction spans many themes – art, religion, ancient history and psychology among them. She will speak about novel-writing past and present, and in particular about Aphrodite’s Hat, her recent collection of offbeat stories about love. It has been said of her, ‘Vickers is a novelist in the great English tradition of moral seriousness. Her characters suffer, they struggle to be true to both themselves and the promptings of the human heart.’
COLIN THUBRON To a Mountain in Tibet
18 July, 10.30am Pavilion Arts Centre £10
Mount Kailas in Tibet is one of the world’s most sacred mountains, holy to one fifth of the earth’s people. Its summit has never been scaled, but for centuries the mountain has been ritually circled by Hindu and Buddhist pilgrims. Colin Thubron, one of our finest travel writers, joins these pilgrims on an arduous trek from Nepal, through the high passes of Tibet, to the magical lakes beneath Kailas. Beginning after his mother’s death, his journey becomes profoundly personal as the memories of his family travel with him. Admired for his panoramic prose, historical insight and personal observation, Thubron has won awards for both his travel narratives and novels.
Them and Us: Politics, Greed and Inequality
Will Hutton’s latest book shows how our society has fragmented into inequality and sets out a powerful and brilliantly argued call for a fair society. His heartfelt campaign is for no less than a radical transformation of Britain, from its political system, media, and its over-reliance on big finance to the very values we live by. Writer, columnist and former editor of The Observer, Will Hutton musters convincing arguments for political change based on a firm moral framework, and his book is certain to inform the current affairs agenda for some time to come.
PATRICK FRENCH
in conversation with
KATHERINE FRANK
Why is India changing so fast? 18 July, 3pm Lee Wood Hotel £6
Around the world, India’s recent economic rise has caused puzzlement. How can a country produce at once so many billionaires, such chronic poverty and a new, dynamic middle class? Why do Indians so excel in business, medicine, finance and electronics? Patrick French discusses his most wide-ranging and collaborative book to date, India: A Portrait, with Katherine Frank, author of a best-selling biography of Indira Gandhi. The result is a richly stimulating enquiry into modern India, one that will no doubt raise as many new questions as it answers.
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SIMON SEBAG MONTEFIORE Jerusalem
19 July, 10.30am Opera House £10
Jerusalem is the universal city, the capital of two peoples, the shrine of three faiths, the prize of countless conquerors, the site of Judgement Day and the battlefield of today’s clash of civilizations. But until now it has lacked a biography. Bestselling historian Simon Sebag Montefiore has written an epic account of the city’s 3,000 years of history, drawing on new archives, current scholarship, family papers and a lifetime’s study. Montefiore illuminates the essence of sanctity and mysticism, identity and empire in a thrilling chronicle of the city at the centre of the world.
GENERAL LORD DANNATT
Leading from the Front 20 July, 10.30am Opera House £10
As Chief of the General Staff, Sir Richard Dannatt was in overall command of the British army from 2006–9, using his position to argue forcefully for improved pay and conditions and earning himself the reputation as the ‘Soldiers’ General’. This period saw some of the fiercest fighting yet in Iraq and Afghanistan, and new and increased pressures placed on the armed forces. Leading from the Front is a fascinating reflection on military service and offers a frank analysis of whether Britain’s defence strategy is fit to respond to the threats we face in the twentyfirst century.
KATHERINE SWIFT The Morville Year 19 July, 3pm Lee Wood Hotel £6
Katherine Swift, gardening columnist for The Times and one of the most admired gardening writers of her generation, describes a year in the life of her garden at the Dower House, Morville. From the new beginnings and green shoots of March as the weather teeters between winter and spring, Swift takes her audience on a journey through the surprises and seasonal pleasures of a beloved and imaginatively tended garden in a talk that will appeal to anyone who has – or would like to have – green fingers.
JANE BROWN
The Omnipotent Magician: Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown 21 July, 10.30am Pavilion Arts Centre £10
‘Capability’ Brown changed the face of eighteenthcentury England, designing country estates and mansions, moving hills, and creating flowing lakes and serpentine rivers, meadows, woodlands and follies. He stands behind our vision, and fantasy, of arcadian England. Jane Brown, author of acclaimed biographies of Gertrude Jekyll and Vita SackvilleWest, now paints a lively portrait of the busy life and times of Capability Brown, whose friends and clients ranged from statesmen like the elder Pitt to the actor David Garrick. Who better to bring this innovative, engaging man vividly to life than a writer so deeply immersed in garden history?
ESTHER FREUD
MELVYN BRAGG
20 July, 3pm Lee Wood Hotel £6
22 July, 10.30am Opera House £10
Lucky Break
Novelist Esther Freud trained as an actress before writing her first novel, Hideous Kinky, which was shortlisted for the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize and made into a feature film starring Kate Winslet. Several successful books later, her stunning new novel draws upon her time at drama school to present a modern-day Cinderella story with a twist. Esther will talk about creating fiction out of a period in her own life and why she was drawn to write about the modern bubble of celebrity and stardom.
The Book of Books
The King James Bible has often been called The Book of Books, both for its own qualities and in what it stands for. Since its publication in 1611 it has sold more copies than any other book in the world, and has had a profound impact on the English language and its literature, and on attitudes to everything from ethics to education. Author and broadcaster Melvyn Bragg returns to the Festival to revel in the rich language of the Bible and reveals the political, linguistic, and religious influences it has had through four centuries. See also the concert which follows: The Bible in Voice and Verse, page 45.
ALEXANDRA HARRIS
Romantic Moderns 21 July, 3pm Lee Wood Hotel £6
In Romantic Moderns Alexandra Harris, winner of the 2010 Guardian first book award, investigates one of the richest periods of the arts in England. She describes how writers, artists, architects and photographers, after a flirtation with the modernist movement, were united in their passionate, exuberant return to English traditions during the inter-war years. Harris’s lively re-evaluation of the arts in Britain between the wars argues that some of the key battles of modernism were fought in England’s teashops and churchyards rather than at the coalface of the avant-garde.
MARTIN GAYFORD
Man with a Blue Scarf: Sitting for a portrait by Lucian Freud 22 July, 3pm Lee Wood Hotel £6
Lucian Freud, one of the world’s leading painters, spent seven months executing a portrait of the art critic Martin Gayford. Gayford describes the whole fascinating process, from the day he arrived for the first sitting through to his meeting with the couple who bought the finished painting. As Freud creates a portrait of Gayford, so the critic produces his own portrait of the notoriously private artist, recounting their wide-ranging conversations and giving a rare insight into Freud’s working practice.
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DAVID GILMOUR
ROY HATTERSLEY
In the Pursuit of Italy
Lloyd George – The Great Outsider
23 July, 10.30am Pavilion Arts Centre £10
David Gilmour is one of Britain’s most admired and accomplished historical writers and biographers. Whilst visiting a villa built by Lorenzo de Medici, David fell into conversation about the unification of Italy with a distinguished former minister. This conversation led to him writing In the Pursuit of Italy, tracing the history of the Italian peninsula since the Romans in a wonderfully engaging style, full of well-chosen stories and observations from personal experience, and peopled by many of the great figures of the Italian past.
KATHERINE FRANK
26 July, 10.30am Opera House £10
26 July, 3pm Lee Wood Hotel £6
The Good Book
24 July, 10.30am Opera House £10
Lloyd George was an MP for 50 years, a member of the cabinet for 16 and Prime Minister for six. As Chancellor of the Exchequer he introduced the legislation that gave birth to the welfare state and in 1918 was acknowledged as ‘The Man Who Won the War’. Yet two years later he fell from power and spent 20 years in the political wilderness. Lloyd George’s lurid private life and dubious financial dealings were either forgiven or forgotten. So why was his fall so sudden and so final? Who better to answer than author, politician and ex-Festival Chairman Roy Hattersley?
A.C. GRAYLING
Drawing on the wisdom of 2,500 years of contemplative non-religious writing on all that it means to be human – from the origins of the universe to small matters of courtesy and kindness in everyday life – A.C. Grayling, Britain’s most popular and widely read philosopher, has created a secular bible, The Good Book. Here Grayling discusses the ideas that have contributed to his thoughtful, secular alternative for the many people who do not follow one of the world’s great religions.
The Crusoe Myth
If Daniel Defoe had died in 1718, the year before he wrote Robinson Crusoe, few of us would have heard of him. He is principally remembered for this book and its hero. They have a life of their own: Crusoe has been imitated, parodied, dramatised, made into a string of films and adapted for reality television. Where did Crusoe come from? And what is the secret of his endurance? Katherine Frank explores the intertwined lives of two real men: Daniel Defoe and the stranded sea captain Robert Knox, who was Crusoe, giving us a colourful insight into the early eighteenth century.
Supported by:
MATTHEW PARRIS in conversation with
ANDREW BRYSON
Parting Shots: The Ambassadors’ letters you were never meant to see 25 July, 10.30am Opera House £10 Until 2006 a British Ambassador leaving his post was encouraged to write a valedictory despatch, to be circulated to a small number of influential people in government. This was the Parting Shot. Combining gems from the archives with more recent despatches, Matthew Parris offers us a treasure trove of wit and venom from the world of diplomacy. Astute and often gloriously politically incorrect, these final words shed light on Britain’s perceived place in the world, and reveal the curious cocktail of privilege and privation that make up the life of an ambassador.
RICHARD TAMES England’s Forgotten Past
THE DOWAGER DUCHESS OF DEVONSHIRE
MATTHEW RICE
ALAN TITCHMARSH
27 July, 3pm Lee Wood Hotel £6
in conversation with
25 July, 3pm Lee Wood Hotel £6
Wait for Me!
The Lost City of Stoke on Trent
27 July, 10.30am Opera House £10 Popular historian Richard Tames explores the bits of English history that have been sidelined, lost or somehow overlooked. With engaging humour he brings to life the various colourful characters, famous in their day, who have now unaccountably sunk into obscurity. Richard delves into the annals of abandoned sports, lost villages, forgotten war heroes and obscure inventors to present us with a rich feast of amusing anecdote about our island’s history.
Wait for Me! is a misleading title for the memoirs of a woman who has since her Mitford childhood always set a cracking pace, while others vainly try to catch up. Deborah Devonshire, the most stylish and chic of nonagenarians, returns to Buxton to reminisce with her old friend Alan Titchmarsh, revelling in the family stories and friendships that framed a long and colourful life and took her from Swinbrook to Chatsworth and Edensor, via Graceland and Washington DC.
Supported by:
Matthew Rice, husband of designer and entrepreneur Emma Bridgewater, talks about his latest book The Lost City of Stoke on Trent – a fanfare for one of the great cities of the world’s first industrial revolution, a lament for the bottle-kilns and pot banks, the terraces and mansions that were thrown up or carefully planned to house a global industry and then torn down in the 1960s. Matthew Rice gives us a ballad of a remarkable city – how she was born, grew into great wealth and prominence, and how she crumbled in old age but, surprisingly, has never died.
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10 July 1pm Palace Hotel
£12 1 hour
11 July 1pm Palace Hotel
£12 1 hour
TATIANA DARDYKINA SUSANNAH PIANO GLANVILLE SOPRANO Schumann Romance, opus 28, no.2 Schumann Novellette, opus 21, no.8 Rachmaninov Two Musical Moments Liszt Two Petrarch Sonnets Fantasia quasi Sonata Après une Lecture de Dante
We so enjoyed Tatiana’s recital here two years ago, we are delighted to welcome back this captivating young Russian pianist who has already been a prize-winner in international competitions in Athens and Paris, and given recitals in France, the USA and throughout Russia. Tatiana’s recital explores Schumann rarities and delves into Liszt’s sublime reminiscences of Italy. A formidably gifted dazzling soloist Birmingham Post
MAINLY MUSIC
with Fiona MacSherry piano R. Strauss Six Songs Schoenberg Four Songs, opus 2 Rachmaninov Seven Songs Star of Luisa Miller in 2010, we welcome Susannah Glanville, one of the UK’s leading sopranos, to the recital stage in a romantic programme incorporating the genius of Strauss, the lush beauty of Rachmaninov and early Schoenberg’s originality of idea and form. In the title role, Susannah Glanville spins a fine line, responsive to the chaste Luisa’s terrible situation. Conveying both warmth and vulnerability she remains, even in ensembles, distinctive in style and texture. The Independent
Susannah Glanville is in resplendently confident voice, relishing the grand sweep of the Verdian line and presenting a touching portrait of the betrayed village maiden
Miki-Andalucia www.artmiki.com
The Daily Telegraph
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12 July 1pm Palace Hotel
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£12 1 hour
12 July 10pm Palace Hotel
£10 1 hour
NEW BUDAPEST CAFÉ CHRIS GARRICK’S ORCHESTRA HOMAGE TO GRAPPELLI The New Budapest Café Orchestra plays powerful and driving folk-based music, inspired by Eastern European gypsies. The four fabulous players of violin, guitar, accordion, bass, saz and balalaika conjure an impassioned but often tender mixture of Hungarian Czardas, Russian and Ukrainian folk songs, dances from Romania and Moldavia and their own electrifying compositions, evoking vivid images of fiddle maestros, Budapest café life and gypsy campfires. Good enough to make you want to book a holiday in Budapest! The awe-inspiring musicianship of the finest purveyors of Eastern European gypsy music this side of a Lada scrapheap leaves you with a grin on your face and rhythm in your feet… a happy Warwickshire audience member
THE PAVILION ARTS CENTRE: A NEW FESTIVAL VENUE!
with Alec Dankworth bass John Horler piano Tom Hooper drums Chris Garrick’s sparkling swinging band, with four of the world’s top jazz musicians, celebrates the late great jazz violinist Stéphane Grappelli, focusing on the well-known partnerships with George Shearing and Django Reinhardt. Favourites like Sweet Georgia Brown, Strike Up the Band and Ain’t Misbehavin’ rub shoulders with beautiful ballads like Flamingo, Nuages and The Folks Who Live on the Hill. Chris Garrick is the best young violinist in jazz today The Observer 1
Garrick plays marvellously bringing his own stamp to Grappelli’s relaxed lyricism, without losing the maestro’s sense of vibrancy…
2
The Guardian
Chris could easily emerge as one of the great jazz violinists of all time Sir John Dankworth
3
St John’s Road, Buxton, behind the Opera House 1 The £2.5million restoration of the Paxton Suite 2 Up to 350 tiered and numbered seats available in variable formations 3 The restored art-deco foyer 4 The balcony, exposed for the first time in 30 years 4
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12, 24 July 3pm Pavilion Arts Centre
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£12 1 hour 10 minutes
THE GIRL I LEFT BEHIND ME with Jessica Walker mezzo-soprano James Holmes piano Directed by Neil Bartlett
Playful and knowing in the best cabaret style, this show teases with its ideas of illusion and possibility. Deftly blurring the boundaries between opera and music hall, high and low culture, masculine and feminine, it is also a wittily beguiling entertainment. Walker’s rich mezzo soprano was equally suited to snippets of Mozart and Strauss as it was to risqué music hall numbers as she evoked cross-dressers from opera to vaudeville. bbbb The Yorkshire Post
13, 20, 22 July 10.30am Pavilion Arts Centre
£8 1 hour
A supremely well-sung and coolly contemporary look at one of the most intriguing questions of musical theatre – just what makes a woman in trousers so appealing? A provocative, flirtatious and deliciously personal one-woman guide to a whole forgotten chapter of female performance. With just a piano and a few well-chosen items of male attire, Jessica Walker and Neil Bartlett conjure up in this Opera North production an entire world, from the swaggering cross-dressers of the Victorian Music Hall, to the ambiguous boy-heroes of Mozart and Strauss.
£12 1 hour
OPERA SCENES:
ANNEKE SCOTT
SAUL
Kathryn Cok fortepiano
13 July
Devised by Neil Bartlett and Jessica Walker Commissioned and produced by Opera North Projects
13 July 12.30pm Pavilion Arts Centre
MIGNON 20 July
MARIA DI ROHAN 22 July
An excellent introduction to the Festival operas, as members of the Festival Company understudying main roles enjoy their own performance of scenes with piano accompaniment, introduced by Andrew Greenwood.
NATURAL HORN
Kuhlau Andante et Polacca Beethoven Sonata for horn and fortepiano, opus 17 Mozart Ten Variations on a theme of Gluck Puzzi Air Varié on Là ci darem la mano from Don Giovanni The horn is a most noble instrument and many mourned the death of the colourful hand horn as its modern cousin took over. But in recent times modern virtuosi have restored the valveless instrument to rude health, as its leading exponent Anneke Scott demonstrates in music from Beethoven and Mozart and lesser-known contemporaries. Anneke is a familiar visitor to the Festival, regularly rising to the challenge of our baroque operas horn parts! A remarkable musician, authority and expert on a notoriously tricky instrument. Concerts with Anneke are always a musical adventure! Andrew Manze
Have valveless horns ever sounded so trouble-free? The New York Times
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13 July 2.30pm Palace Hotel
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£12 1 hour
13 July 10pm Palace Hotel
£10 1 hour
CHIU-YU CHEN PIANO TANGO 5 Bach, arr. Busoni Chaconne Scriabin Fantaisie, opus 28 Beethoven, arr. Liszt Symphony no.5 Chiu-Yu Chen studied at the Moscow Conservatory and was the first Taiwanese pianist to graduate from the Russian Gnessin Academy of Music with doctoral diplomas in piano and chamber ensemble performance. His busy schedule has taken him to France, Italy, Finland and Spain, alongside regular performances in Moscow. Chiu-Yu offers transcriptions of two very different masterpieces with Busoni’s individual approach to Bach’s imposing violin Chaconne and Liszt’s adaptation of the most famous symphony of them all. My aim has been attained if I stand on a level with the intelligent engraver, the conscious translator, who comprehends the spirit of a work and thus contributes to the knowledge of the great masters and to the formation of the sense for the beautiful. Franz Liszt, Rome 1865
A rare chance to hear the thrilling sound of the true tango quintet (violin, bass, guitar, piano and bandoneon) with Tango 5, whose collective experience of performing to the highest level and a passion for Tango creates a freshness and spontaneity to bring the music alive. Argentine bandoneon player Santiago Cimadevilla joins top UK musicians for a passionate programme of music from the great periods of Tango. Traditional Osvaldo Pugliese and Anibal Troilo tangos exude charm and rhythm alongside the sinuous sounds of Astor Piazzolla’s controversial Tango Nuevo.
14 July 12.30pm Pavilion Arts Centre
£12 1 hour
SECKOU KEITA
A SENEGAL MASTER OF THE KORA WITH SURAHATA SUSSO African virtuoso kora player Seckou Keita is not to be confined to any one genre, dipping comfortably in and out of jazz, classical and Flamenco, with the occasional hint of rock. Join his musical journey of imagination and emotion – his superb musicianship, dexterity and diversity have transported audiences to places they had never imagined they would go. For this special performance, Seckou is joined on a second kora by his charismatic young brother Surahata Susso. Adding their voices and percussion, the brothers bring Senegal to Buxton. An inspired exponent of the kora The Guardian
Breathtaking finger-work and musicianship The New Statesman
14 July 2pm St John’s Church
£12 1 hour
LONDON CONCERTANTE Mozart Divertimento, K138 David Gordon Suspended Animation Albinoni Oboe Concerto Bach Concerto for Violin and Oboe Currently celebrating its 20th anniversary, London Concertante is one of the finest chamber ensembles in the country, its players brought together through a shared passion for chamber music. With an enviable array of critical acclaim, a stunning selection of recordings and performances throughout Europe, their reputation is second to none. Heady stuff... thrilling virtuoso playing Gramophone
to be relished... all the light and shade you could wish The Financial Times
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14 July 9.30pm St John’s Church
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£10 1 hour
PERUNIKA TRIO
Perunika shows that you don’t have to be a vast choir to create that haunting, keening sound. Their pure voices interweave in an extraordinary range of vocal effects as they pitch into songs of Bulgarian forests and plains. Rustic, without being overly romantic, combining a madrigal-like delicacy with a brooding Eastern Orthodox spirituality. The Daily Telegraph
Once upon a time, when Slavic tribes were not yet Christian, a mighty pagan god of thunder, Perun, lived in a mountain with his young bride. To celebrate her stunning loveliness, the Slavs named after her the enigmatic iris – perunika…
£12 1 hour
‘TOUCHES OF SWEET HARMONY’ with the Festival Chorus and Buxton Festival Ensemble Andrew Greenwood conductor
The three singers of Perunika share a love of the dramatic beauty of Bulgarian folk music, where pagan past, church slavonic tradition and five centuries of Ottoman rule fuse. Adding songs from Russia and Macedonia, Perunika lead an exciting journey into Slavic spirituality.
WORLD MUSIC AT BUXTON
15, 21 July 12.30pm Pavilion Arts Centre
Holst Choral Hymns from the Rig Veda Vaughan Williams How cold the wind doth blow Holst Four Songs for voice and violin Vaughan Williams Drinking Song Holst Vedic Hymns, opus 24 Vaughan Williams Serenade to Music
Hungary
BUDAPEST CAFÉ ORCHESTRA page 30
The Festival chorus concerts have become a firm Festival favourite and here our intrepid singers enjoy a lovely varied English programme culminating in Vaughan Williams’ atmospheric and sensuous Serenade to Music, for 16 solo voices.
Senegal
The Festival Chorus – vital, disciplined and sensitive
SECKOU KEITA
The Independent
Page 35
Bulgaria
PERUNIKA page 36 Iran
PERSIAN IMPROVISATION page 41 Japan
MUGENKYO DRUMMERS page 50
China et al
RHYTHM OF THE WORLD page 51 India
PURBAYAN CHATERJEE page 51 Brazil
CARATINGA Page 53
15 July 3pm Pavilion Arts Centre
£12 1 hour
SHROPSHIRE AND OTHER LADS
A.E. HOUSMAN IN WORDS AND MUSIC with Andrew Mackenzie-Wicks tenor Ian Buckle piano Philip Holland reader A.E. Housman’s poetry remains among the most popular and accessible in the English language, and there is special affection for his cycle A Shropshire Lad. These and other Housman poems, set in the English countryside and evoking with Romantic melancholy the wistfulness of a lost youth, have inspired settings by some of England’s finest song composers. Ian Buckle’s programme combines songs by Ireland, Butterworth and Gurney with readings of the poems and piano music inspired by the texts.
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16 July 12.30pm Opera House
£6 1 hour
16 July 2.30pm Tideswell Church
£18 1 hour 40 minutes
OPERA WORKSHOP – NEW ZEALAND FROM PAGE TO STAGE STRING QUARTET An unravelling of the technical, physical and emotional journey from score to performance. Mary Plazas, one of the country’s most charismatic sopranos and star of Maria di Rohan, helps members of our chorus find the truth in character, body and voice.
15 July 2pm Opera House
£10 stalls, £16 circle Children half price 2 hours
The New Zealand String Quartet is an outstanding ensemble with an international reputation for polished and committed performances. Here they present mature Beethoven and Smetana’s masterly autobiographical quartet, framing their compatriot’s catchy music, showing the strong influence of Indonesia. All one could ask for, a splendid mixture of charm and nervous excitement The Daily Post, New Zealand
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
The New Zealanders injected the music with a youthful sense of abandon and moody aggressiveness – it was thrilling to hear The Washington Post, USA Please allow plenty of time if travelling from Buxton. We suggest leaving Buxton at 1pm as the Carnival closes some roads and the town centre becomes virtually impassable for some hours.
A ruined merchant, lost and desperate in a deep forest; an exquisite garden by a magical palace; an enchanted Beast, furious and lonely; a promise to the merchant’s youngest daughter, Beauty: a perfect red rose – the scene is set for the greatest love story ever told. Now Ballet Cymru brings to life this timeless story using the company’s unique blend of classical technique and storytelling. Beauty and the Beast is a brand new ballet featuring choreography by Creative Wales Award-winner Darius James, sets and costumes by some of the most creative artists in Wales and David Westcott’s new score.
Peter Teigen
Prepare for a world of myth, magic and beasts, with stunning costumes, breathtaking choreography and heartbreaking passion in a thrilling telling of the eternal fairy tale. Please note: this performance uses recorded music
Smetana Quartet no.1, From my Life Jack Body Two Transcriptions Beethoven Quartet, opus 59, no.1
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17 July 1pm Pavilion Arts Centre
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£12 1 hour
18 July 1pm Pavilion Arts Centre
£12 1 hour
HANDEL: PASTORAL MIGNON IN SONG PLEASURES Gillian Keith soprano with members of the Orchestra of the Sixteen Six German Arias Trio Sonata no.5, HWV 384 Cantata: Mi palpita il cor Gillian Keith is well-known to Festival audiences and here she takes time off from her Mignon role to sing her other love – the glorious music of the Baroque. Her programme contrasts Handel’s German Arias, a gentle and personal tribute to God and nature, with a sparky cantata of unrequited love. The Canadian Gillian Keith’s bell-like tone projected with apparent ease shows her complete mastery of the Baroque style Opernglas
Gillian Keith made absolutely the most of the role of Sylvia (in Buxton’s Ascanio in Alba)‚ singing with a kind of angelic accuracy of note and sentiment The Times
with Elizabeth Atherton soprano Robert Murray tenor Andrew Greenwood piano
The romance of Mignon, a child of mystery and yearning, an angel personified, old with grief but destined to die young. Such an image has captured the imaginations of Wolf, Schubert and Schumann and here two star members of our casts, accompanied by Andrew Greenwood, delve into music inspired by Goethe’s character. Elizabeth Atherton shows consummate intelligence while Robert Murray sang with confidence and elegance The Daily Telegraph
18 July 3pm Pavilion Arts Centre
£18 1 hour 40 minutes
18 July 10pm Palace Hotel
£10 1 hour
KATHRYN STOTT PIANO PERSIAN A PARISIAN JOURNEY IMPROVISATION Fauré Nocturne no.4 Ravel Jeux d’eau Satie Gnossienne no.1 Debussy L’isle joyeuse Franck Prelude, Choral and Fugue Ginastera Sonata no.1 Chopin Nocturnes and Scherzo
Kathryn Stott is recognised internationally as one of the most versatile and imaginative musicians and one of today’s most engaging pianists. Her curiosity and wide-ranging interests have taken her in many directions and established a rare reputation. French music has special attractions for her and she takes us on a tour of Paris to be remembered: ‘It’s no secret that I have a great love of the French repertoire throughout my career. In this programme, I’ve added one further ingredient – an exciting Sonata by the Argentinian Ginastera, who like many other South Americans was hugely influenced by his studies in Paris.’ She plays wonderfully, allowing her music fluidity and space; her virtuoso outpourings are formidable The Daily Telegraph
with Mahdi Rostami setar Adib Rostami tombak The Agrin ensemble began to make improvised traditional Persian music five years ago in Tehran. Since then they have given many concerts in Iran, Spain and India and recorded several discs. Improvisation is a special aspect of Persian traditional music, here played on the setar, a fourstringed instrument that can be traced to the ancient tanbur of pre-Islamic Persia, and the tombak, a drum made of a hollowed-out trunk with stretched goat skin. In performance, musicians choose from many different paths learned by the conscious mind. Through years of practice and repetition, the artist is usually comfortable with such paths, but all the selections are made without any awareness, making every performance different.
42 Mainly music
19 July 12.30pm Pavilion Arts Centre
Mainly music 43
£12 1 hour
19 July 2pm St John’s Church
£6 45 minutes
19 July 3pm Pavilion Arts Centre
£18 1 hour 45 minutes
20 July 1pm Pavilion Arts Centre
£12 1 hour
FRITH PIANO QUARTET
MAHLER IN MINIATURE
INNOVATION IN SEARCH OF DUENDE CHAMBER ENSEMBLE THE SPIRIT OF SPAIN
Dvorˇák F ive Bagatelles, opus 47 Piano Quartet no.2, opus 87
In 1918 Schoenberg founded the Society for Private Musical Performances in Vienna, championing the works of Stravinsky, Bartók, Debussy, Ravel, Berg and many others. Hostile critics were forbidden entry to the weekly concerts, and applause or booing banned, so as to give the audience a better understanding of the work.
with Claire Prewer soprano Richard Jenkinson director
Led by award-winning pianist Benjamin Frith, the Frith Quartet enjoys great success all over the country but have a special relationship with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, where violinist Robert Heard and cellist Richard Jenkinson have been senior members. Joined by Louise Williams, a founder member of the Endellion Quartet, they offer an intriguing Dvorˇák programme including his endearing Bagatelles for strings and harmonium.
Andrew Lamb explores this fascinating chapter of Viennese musical life, with reference to the forthcoming concert.
The Frith’s powerfully sonorous playing was marked by the utmost precision; I don’t think I’ve ever heard such utterly unanimous pizzicatos
Dohnányi Sextet Mahler, arr. Stein Symphony no.4 Stein’s arrangement for chamber ensemble of Mahler’s Fourth Symphony is much more than a curiosity. In this reduced form Mahler’s textures and counterpoint take on a startling clarity, instrumental details project with unusual freshness, charm and presence. ICE, soloists from the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, couples it with the sweeping romanticism of Dohnányi’s Sextet, sporting influences from Brahms to popular 1920s jazz elements! Amazingly rich and well-articulated sound quality ... the superb interaction between the ICE players allows them to capture every mood they choose
Derby Press
Birmingham Post
Buddug Verona James mezzo-soprano Caradog Williams piano
Turina Saeta en forma de Salve Granados Three Tonadillas Rodrigo Two songs Lorca Canciones españolas antiguas Jonathan Dove Lorca Dreams de Falla Siete Canciones populares Españolas Since I was first introduced to Falla’s songs I was smitten by the extreme emotions they conveyed and began my journey discovering the voice of the Spanish composers, and their intense emotions – sensuality, hatred, anger, loss, adoration, excitement, humour, love and death. Music that goes straight to the heart. Add a première by renowned British Composer Jonathan Dove and you have the perfect evocation of Spain. Buddug Verona James
Buxton Festival has commissioned Jonathan Dove’s new song cycle in partnership with Swaledale Festival and Trinity Arts St David Festival. Generously supported by the PRS for Music Foundation.
The Mahler in Miniature and Innovation Chamber Ensemble events are generously supported by the Anglo-Austrian Society.
44 Mainly music
20 July 3pm Pavilion Arts Centre
Mainly music 45
£18 1 hour 40 minutes
ŠKAMPA QUARTET Schubert Quartettsatz D703 Shostakovich Quartet no.3 Dvorˇák Quartet, opus 105 The Škampa Quartet is among the very finest of an outstanding group of current Czech string quartets that has represented their country around the world for 20 years. Shostakovich’s Third Quartet is among his best and a favourite of the composer himself, showing his full powers to express his utterly distinctive musical personality. The Dvorˇák is simply a masterpiece. The highlight of the whole festival was the Škampa Quartet, playing the music of its Czech homeland. No other quartet can play this music quite like the Škampas, whose interest in Czech folk music underpins a high-octane style of delivery. The Guardian
21 July 3pm Pavilion Arts Centre
£12 1 hour
MARCUS FARNSWORTH BARITONE
Elizabeth Burgess piano Brahms Seven Songs Barber Three Songs, opus 10 arr. Britten S ally in our alley Greensleeves Lord! I married me a wife O waly waly Marcus Farnsworth was awarded first prize in the 2009 Wigmore Hall International Song Competition. He has already worked with such major artists as Sir Colin Davis, Sir David Willcocks, Graham Johnson, Iain Burnside and the Academy of Ancient Music. With recitals from the Wigmore Hall to the Lake District, Marcus is forging an outstanding reputation. His opera plans include Der Freischütz with the LSO and the title role in Owen Wingrave in Nuremberg. Prize-winning baritone Marcus Farnsworth brought a rich, varied programme of works which somehow seemed totally unified in mood. A huge success in a golden afternoon. Birmingham Post Supported by the Countess of Munster Musical Trust.
21 July 10pm St John’s Church
£10 1 hour
22 July 12.30pm St John’s Church
£12 1 hour
CLASSIC BUSKERS AT THE OPERA
THE BIBLE IN VOICE AND VERSE
Michael Copley too many wind instruments to count Ian Moore accordion
Belinda Yates soprano Heather Chamberlain piano Lance Pierson reader
The Classic Buskers delight audiences from Macclesfield to Malaysia. Their new opera programme includes virtuosic delivery of overtures and arias by Mozart, Verdi and Rossini, played at unlikely speeds on ridiculous instruments. Borodin’s cheery Polovtsians rub shoulders with Wagner’s fierce Valkyries, Gluck meets Vaughan Williams, on instruments ranging from flutes of various sizes, panpipes, buzzy renaissance things, multiple ocarinas to an electric saxophone – all accompanied by a small but perfectly formed piano accordion, and delivered with the Classic Buskers’ famously dry British humour. Mix technical virtuosity, musical seriousness and madcap humour – the perfect recipe for high entertainment
The King James Authorized Version of the Bible is one of the treasures of the English language. It has left its mark on our daily speech in many turns of phrase we use, and as the handbook for Christian worship in the English-speaking world, has inspired vast amounts of music, in hymns, anthems, spirituals and oratorios. 2011 is the 400th anniversary of publication and we celebrate its impact in words and music, with key passages from the Bible and music it inspired by Haydn, Handel, Mendelssohn, Wesley and others. In Voice and Verse has delighted audiences at the National Gallery, St Paul’s Cathedral and Westminster Abbey.
City of London Festival See also Melvyn Bragg’s talk (page 25).
46 Mainly music
22 July 12.30pm Pavilion Arts Centre
Mainly music 47
£18 1 hour
22 July 1.45pm Palace Hotel
£12 1 hour
22 July 3pm Pavilion Arts Centre
£18 1 hour 40 minutes
THE NAKED VIOLIN WITH TASMIN LITTLE
MANY STRINGS ATTACHED
ST PETERSBURG STRING QUARTET
Telemann Allegro Patterson Luslawice Variations Bach Partita no.3 Bartók Melodia Ysaÿe Ballade
Frances Kelly triple harp David Miller baroque lute, guitar and theorbo
Bach, arr. Vayner Chaconne in D minor Glazunov Four Novelettes, opus 15 Schubert Quartet no.14, Death and the Maiden
One of the UK’s leading artists, Tasmin Little has played with the world’s greatest orchestras in a career that has taken her to every continent. Her passion for the violin has inspired her Naked Violin project, introducing her instrument to many thousands in concerts and a free downloadable recital. A true enthusiast and communicator. With performances such as this, Little can justly be regarded as Britain’s finest violinist The Independent
Little makes the lines speak with warmth and great clarity. The Bartók is captivating and the Ballade from Ysaÿe’s Sonata an ideal vehicle for displaying virtuosity and expressive tone. The Guardian
The ravishing colours of harp and lute combine in a rich brocade of textures to stir the emotions and soothe the spirit. Glimpse the private worlds of Charles I and Louis XIV as we explore Continental influences on music- making in England in the seventeenth century, with music by William Lawes, John Blow, Godfrey Finger and lively dances from Playford’s Dancing Master. Frances and David are two of the country’s leading exponents of their delicate instruments, regularly forming, as here in Saul, part of a continuo group. Here is a rare opportunity to hear them centre stage, bringing their vast experience to delightful and intimate music. Miller is a model of good taste and sound judgement International Record Review
Frances Kelly invested the harp part with a variety of subtle colours that I have not heard surpassed Financial Times
One of the world’s great string quartets, the St Petersburg’s glittering career has included a Grammy nomination, the opening concert at Mostly Mozart at Lincoln Center, and hundreds of concerts in North America, Europe and Asia’s most prestigious venues and festivals. Recent international tours include Germany, the Netherlands, Mexico and Venezuela. They return to Buxton, following their sell-out in 2008, to play one of Schubert’s finest works and the charming miniatures of their unjustly neglected compatriot Glazunov. … a velvety, unified sound… and a sumptuous account of Tchaikovsky’s Quartet The New York Times
Russian players have an unanswerable trump card when interpreting Russian music: self-evidently, they know what it’s all about; the exceptional quality of these musicians makes this a recording to treasure Classic FM Magazine
48 Mainly music
22 July 3.30pm Palace Hotel
Mainly music 49
£12 1 hour
23 July 12.30pm Pavilion Arts Centre
£12 1 hour
THE WELL-TEMPERED NJABULO MADLALA BARITONE CLAVICHORD Used throughout the Baroque and Classical eras as a private tool for composing and practice, the clavichord – the Cinderella of the keyboard world – lived on into the nineteenth century. Its intimate charms have mesmerised musicians from the Bach family to Oscar Peterson. Julian Perkins celebrates its long overdue recognition as a concert instrument in a programme based on book two of JS Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier, where contrapuntal lines project with crystalline clarity and robust dances attain surprising verve. Perkins’s riveting performance of the Wohltemperirte Clavier was a sell-out, and with good reason! If you were one of those turned away, don’t miss this opportunity to hear the astonishing clavichord in the hands of a master. Cambridge Early Music
Simon Lepper piano
Winner of the 2010 Kathleen Ferrier Competition, South African born Njabubo Madlala has already sung for Glyndebourne on Tour, the Royal Opera and at Sadler’s Wells, and festivals from Hawaii to Montepulciano. Njabulo performs Mahler’s first song cycle Songs of a Wayfarer, and songs by Vaughan Williams, Schumann and Strauss, adding some South African folksongs. That moment of rapt silence and attention, when an audience is entirely transfixed, is rare at the best of times – let alone in the middle of a competition. But it happened in this year’s Kathleen Ferrier Awards, when Njabulo Madlala riveted every listener with his musical storytelling in Schumann’s dramatic ballad Belsatzar. The Times The Kathleen Ferrier Memorial Scholarship Fund kindly sponsors the artists for this recital.
23 July 3pm Pavilion Arts Centre
£12 1 hour
PERCHANCE TO DREAM
THE WORLD OF IVOR NOVELLO with Alison Barton mezzo-soprano James Clark violin Ian Buckle piano ‘I am not a highbrow. I am an entertainer. Empty seats and good opinions mean nothing to me.’ One of the most popular stage composers of the last century, Ivor Novello’s musicals were among the last to be written in the ‘operetta’ style. His music has lasted because of its very high quality, lush melody and a sense of nostalgia that has only increased in the years since his death. Ian Buckle’s programme comprises best-loved numbers from four shows: Glamorous Night, The Dancing Years, Perchance to Dream and King’s Rhapsody.
24 July 1pm Pavilion Arts Centre
£12 1 hour
A GOOD REED? Like a bad penny, the four madcap exponents of woodwind lowlife that are A Good Reed? keep turning up hoping to find an audience willing to experience the aural assault course of their concerts. And which ‘proper’ Festival artists will be able to resist the lure of performing with the infamous bassoon quartet? You’ll have to come to find out, but we expect the answer is ‘most’. The presence of musical talent is no assurance of innocence. As a matter of fact, Professor Moriarty was a virtuoso on the bassoon. Sherlock Holmes
50 Mainly music
25 July 1pm Pavilion Arts Centre
Mainly music 51
£12 1 hour
25 July 5pm Devonshire Dome
£8 1 hour
MARK BEBBINGTON MUGENKYO TAIKO PIANO DRUMMERS John Ireland Three London Pieces Schubert Impromptu, D899 Chopin Sonata in B minor, opus 58
The critical plaudits which have greeted Mark Bebbington’s performances and recordings have singled him out as a British pianist of rare refinement and maturity. Increasingly recognised as a champion of British music, Mark’s numerous recordings have gained unanimous critical acclaim, with BBC Music Magazine awarding the coveted five stars for his solo Ireland disc. Bebbington has almost single-handedly demonstrated that 20th-century British piano scores have an exciting role to play in the concert hall
Thundering rhythms on huge taiko drums in a spellbinding display of fluid grace, precise choreography and sheer athleticism, brought to you by Europe’s foremost exponents of this ancient art-form. Through their 17 years of rigorous touring, Mugenkyo have developed a gritty passionate style, uniquely their own. Retaining the traditional spirit of taiko, yet creating a thoroughly contemporary sound, Mugenkyo are forging a new path with their innovative approach. A highly focused, perfectly synchronised, thrilling spectacle – unforgettable. Manifest skill and awesome relentless energy!
International Piano
The Stage
Truly a remarkable pianist
This latest show is something else. It is unashamedly drumming as theatre, but also drumming as an almost religious experience… exhilarating to behold. You’ll be gobsmacked.
The Times
One would be unlikely to find better performances than Bebbington’s The Independent
The Glasgow Herald
25 July 8pm Pavilion Arts Centre
£6 30 minutes
25 July 9.30pm Pavilion Arts Centre
£10 1 hour
RHYTHM OF THE WORLD
PURBAYAN CHATTERJEE SITAR
Rhythm of the World is a new commissioned piece by Surtal Asian Arts, bringing continents together. Directed by Sandeep Raval, one of the country’s most versatile and accomplished multi-percussionists, this enchanting and exciting contemporary fusion piece draws together percussion instruments from India, Africa, China and the West, creating an extraordinary new sound world. This music promises to get your foot tapping and ignite your imagination.
Shahbaz Khan tabla Few sounds are as evocative as the music of the sitar. A renowned master of the instrument, Purbayan Chatterjee is recognised as one of the great exponents of Indian classical music. He has represented India in all the major Indian festivals and at venues from London’s South Bank to Sydney Opera House, including concerts in Europe, the Middle East and America, and we welcome him for a return visit to the Festival. He is dazzling audiences around the world with his astonishing virtuosity BBC Music Magazine
52 Mainly music
26 July 1pm Palace Hotel
Mainly music 53
£12 1 hour
BOULT QUARTET WITH COSIMA YU CLARINET
Shostakovich Quartet no.7 Bliss Clarinet Quintet The Boult Quartet came together in 2008 and has already established a reputation as a very promising and exciting ensemble, performing extensively throughout England and especially in their ‘home town’ of Birmingham. They are proud to have been awarded the accolade of Junior Fellowship Quartet of the Birmingham Conservatoire. They are joined by the charismatic clarinettist Cosima Yu in the colourful and engaging masterpiece by Arthur Bliss, whose music combines romanticism, unquenchable energy and optimism. The stunner was Shostakovich no.7... displaying superb control of timbre and dynamics The Birmingham Post
26 July 3pm St John’s Church
£18 1 hour 40 minutes
NORTHERN CHAMBER ORCHESTRA WITH RAPHAEL WALLFISCH CELLO
directed by Nicholas Ward Beck Symphony in E Sibelius Suite mignonne Schumann Cello Concerto Danzi V ariations on Là ci darem la mano Grainger Shepherds Hey; Tune from County Derry Mozart Symphony no.27 The Festival’s resident orchestra enjoys two classical symphonies and a delightful rarity from Sibelius for strings and flutes. They are joined by one of the world’s leading cellists in works by Schumann and Danzi, the latter a distinguished cellist and contemporary of Beethoven. The string orchestra version of Schumann’s Cello Concerto is rarely heard and provides a unique balance and texture for the solo cello’s soaring voice.
27 July 1pm Palace Hotel
£12 1 hour
CARATINGA Brazil’s greatest gift to the world – apart from footballers and beaches – has to be the samba. Its great melodies and its instrumental ‘twin’ the choro form a tradition of acoustic music stretching back more than a century. Choro is one of Brazil’s most beautiful and enduring forms and remains a vibrant part of Brazilian musical life. Caratinga’s stunning Anglo-Brazilian line-up brings the irresistible rhythms and beautiful melodies of this tradition to life in wonderful acoustic music and song. The mandolin, cavaquinho, 7-stringed guitar, voices and percussion of Caratinga have thrilled and delighted audiences all over the UK, from the Royal Albert Hall to village halls. We owe our undying gratitude to Caratinga… a concert to set the pulse racing Eastern Daily Press
27 July 3pm Palace Hotel
£18 1 hour 40 minutes
THE FIBONACCI SEQUENCE Dvorˇák Four Miniatures, for violins and viola Fokkens Tracing Lines Rossini Duetto for cello and bass Dvorˇák Quintet, opus 77 Named after the great medieval mathematician, the Fibonacci number sequence occurs throughout the natural world, appearing as if by magic in petals of flowers, branches of trees and many more complex ways, and determining the most harmonious proportions in art and music. Thus inspired, The Fibonacci Sequence is one of our foremost chamber ensembles, noted for the zest and enthusiasm the players communicate to their audience. This fitting finale to our music series features two of Dvorˇák’s sunniest chamber works – full of melody, craftsmanship and rhythmic vitality. The quintet adds a bass to the usual string foursome, and he gets a chance to shine in the ingenious warm humour of Rossini’s duet with cello.
Raphael Wallfisch showed breathtaking dexterity… an extraordinary soloist
… dazzlingly good chamber ensemble… exuberantly expressive… gorgeously idiomatic
Leipziger Vokszeitung
The Times
Consistently stylish playing from the Northern Chamber Orchestra
Staggeringly brilliant ensemble playing
The Financial Times
Aachener Zeitung
54 Enjoy Buxton
Enjoy Buxton 55
11, 21 July: 12pm £6, including coffee 1 hour 30 minutes Old Hall Hotel
12, 26 July: 12pm £6, including coffee 1 hour 30 minutes Old Hall Hotel
14, 25 July: 12pm £6, including coffee 1 hour 30 minutes Old Hall Hotel
10, 18, 26 July: 3pm £6 1 hour 15 minutes Devonshire Dome
17 July: 3pm £6 1 hour Devonshire Dome
10 July 12.30pm £20 Old Hall Hotel
ENTERTAINING BUXTON
THE FUTURE OF BUXTON’S HERITAGE
THE DEVONSHIRES IN BUXTON
A TASTE OF THE PEAKS
FLOWERS WITH FRIENDS
FESTIVAL LUNCH
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 heritage-led regeneration. Conservation expert Richard Tuffrey leads 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.
Jennie Ainsworth’s walk takes as its source Gilpin’s description of the town as ‘surrounded by dreary barren hills’, before the building of the Crescent. It explores the involvement of ‘The Devonshires’ in higher Buxton, the Georgian spa around the Crescent and the Victorian expansion in the lower part of the town. We see the architecture and life of a fashionable spa town highlighted by anecdotal accounts from diaries and letters of visitors and travel writers.
Interactive cookery demonstrations led by three of the Peak District’s best chefs. Meet Michelin starred Max Fischer from the beautiful Baslow Hall (26 July), AA rosette holders Simon Bradley from East Lodge Country House Hotel (18 July) and Todd Carroll from Buxton’s Nat’s Kitchen (10 July).
Following last year’s sell-out demonstration, Sally Page and Claire Foster return with their illuminating ideas. Sally will discuss her Flower Shop series of illustrated books, while Claire demonstrates how to translate these ideas into beautiful displays for your home.
The perfect way to spend a Sunday. The Festival Lunch is a great opportunity to enjoy a delicious meal in the Old Hall Hotel’s restaurant in the company of other Festival-goers. Book through the Box Office as usual. Please note that seating is allocated.
This short walk takes in two concert halls, three bandstands and four theatres, with performers ranging from Paganini to Grappelli, from brass bands to the Beatles. Having worked on the design or refurbishment of some of the venues Trevor Gilman explains how they mirrored Buxton’s fortunes in the last quarter of the nineteenth century. The story continues to the present day with the opening of the Pavilion Arts Centre.
The talented chefs will show you how to use our region’s top quality produce to create delicious meals in the high-tech cookery demonstration suite at the University of Derby’s Devonshire Dome. You’ll also have the chance to taste some of their mouth-watering creations.
24 July 5pm £30 Old Hall Hotel
FRIENDS’ AND PATRONS’ DINNER A long-established Festival tradition to share experiences with Friends switches to an early evening slot so that you don’t have to miss any Festival events! All are welcome. Book through the Box Office as usual. Please note that seating is allocated.
Supported by:
56 Masses, Organ recitals and Fringe
Booking information 57
FESTIVAL MASSES As these are church services, no tickets are required
St John’s Church 10 July 10.45am Haydn Mass no.7, Little Organ Mass
17 July 11.15am Haydn Mass no.10, Paukenmesse
Buxton Madrigal Singers and Orchestra. This service will be broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on 17 July.
Buxton Musical Society Chorus and Orchestra, with soloists from the Festival Company
24 July 11.15am Victoria Mass: O magnum mysterium Buxton Madrigal Singers
BOOK EARLY!
Promoted by St John’s Church Two recitals by Ben Sheen, Christchurch, Oxford (12 July) and Robert Dixon, Jesus College, Cambridge (21 July) on the four manual Hill organ in the glorious acoustic of St John’s Church.
12, 21 July 4.30pm St John’s Church £8, concessions £6.50
BUXTON FESTIVAL FRINGE 6–24 July The 2011 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 500 events including a free afternoon sampler at the Pavilion Gardens on July 10. 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 printed programme and find out how to become a Fringe Friend. For other queries call 01298 79351.
PATRONS’ & GOLD FRIENDS’ Priority booking: 7–13 March
FRIENDS’ Priority booking: 14 March–3 April
PRIORITY BOOKING
GENERAL BOOKING
N.B. Priority booking is by post only
from 4 April
Patrons & Gold Friends
Telephone
Friends
Box Office opening hours:
Between 7–13 March
ORGAN RECITALS
JOIN THE FRIENDS
Between 14 March–3 April
FRIENDS’ MEMBERSHIP You can secure your seats up to four weeks earlier if you join the Friends – many events do sell out quickly. Join the Friends now and take advantage of this facility. Simply contact us on 01298 70395 or friends@buxtonfestival.co.uk and we will quickly send you a Priority booking form. Or download a form from the website.
Single membership
£25 per annum Book up to two tickets per event during the priority period
Joint membership
£35 per annum Book up to four tickets per event during the priority period
0845 12 72190 (from 4 April)
Pre-Festival:
Monday to Saturday, 10am–8pm Sunday, 4pm–8pm
Please Note There is no postal booking after 4 April
During the Festival: Every day 10am–8pm
Please do not call the Box Office before 4 April unless enquiring about tickets purchased during the priority period.
Online
www.buxtonfestival.co.uk (from 4 April)
In person
Buxton Opera House Water Street, Buxton, SK17 6XN Tickets can also 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 re-sell tickets – a 10% administration fee will be charged.
General information 01298 70395
58 Prices and seating plan
Booking information 59
SPECIAL OFFERS
ACCESS INFORMATION
Only one offer per ticket. All offers are subject to availability.
Wheelchair users
Stalls K–N Stalls O–Q
Groups of ten or more
Stalls A–J
Dress Circle
Boxes
Upper Circle Boxes
Boxes
Receive a 10% discount for all performances except Saturday evenings.
See four or more operas and save!
Book tickets for four operas and deduct £3 from the cost of each ticket (excludes Gallery, Upper Circle Side seats and boxes). Valid only for Opera House performances.
The Italian Girl in London
Monterverdi’s Flying Circus
Greek Mignon Stalls A–J K–N O–Q Dress Circle Boxes* Upper Circle, A–D Boxes* Side seats* Gallery
£ 47 39 29 57 27 39 19 10 19
£ 39 35 27 47 27 35 19 10 19
* Some seats have restricted view
Other performances (Tickets from the Opera House box office) Opera talks & Masses free Concerts £6 –£18 (see individual entries) Beauty and the Beast £10 stalls, £16 circle Literary events £6 , £10 Enjoy Buxton Events £6 Festival Lunch £20 Friends’ Dinner £30
59
£ 30 26 19 37 19 26 15 10
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Performances at the Opera House Maria di Rohan
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Stage
Opera House Standby
Students, under 18s, the unwaged and senior citizens 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, proof of status required.
We are pleased to welcome people with disabilities to the Festival. At the Opera House there are four spaces for wheelchair users in the stalls and two seats designed for easy transfer from a wheelchair. There are also four spaces for wheelchair users at the Pavilion Arts Centre. Toilet facilities for the disabled are available in both venues.
Help with hearing
There are passive infra-red (PIR) systems in both the Opera House and Arts Centre for people with hearing impairments. This works through a special headset (rather than your hearing aid), which is available from the theatre – please reserve one when you book your 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.
Under 16s
Go half price to all performances.
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 over the internet. The offer excludes Festival Lunch. 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.
Box Office 0845 12 72190 from 4 April
2011 Programme Book
The indispensable guide to the Festival, with more than 180 pages of details of all performances and artists, and also articles and background information on the operas and their composers. Order in advance and collect at the Festival. Price £12
On-line booking via www.buxtonfestival.co.uk from 4 April
THE BEST OF BUXTON AND BEYOND
This section is a guide to services in and around Buxton – where to stay, eat and what to do, to make your Festival visit even more enjoyable.
Affordable Luxury Where you’re always welcome
Hotel of the Year
Outstanding Customer Service
East Lodge Hotel and Restaurant Rowsley Matlock Derbyshire DE4 2EF Telephone +44(0) 1629 734474 Email info@eastlodge.com
visit www.eastlodge.com
For more information contact the Tourist Information Centre on 01298 25106 or www.visitpeakdistrict.com www.visitbuxton.co.uk
Where to stay 61
62 Where to stay
Where to stay 63
B&BS, GUEST-HOUSES & SMALL HOTELS
Buxton Victorian Guest-House
Lakenham Guest-House
9 Green Lane B&B
3a Broad Walk Buxton SK17 6JE 01298 78759 buxtonvictorian@btconnect.com www.buxtonvictorian.co.uk AA & ETCfffffSilver Award
11 Burlington Road Buxton SK17 9AL 01298 79209 enquiries@lakenhambuxton.co.uk www.lakenhambuxton.co.uk ETCffff
Somewhere special! A warm welcome is assured at our 5-star rated non-smoking guest-house. Relax in one of 7 beautifully decorated en suite bedrooms, many overlooking the Pavilion Gardens and magnificent Opera House. Private car park. B&B from £38 per person based on 2 people sharing
Sample Victorian elegance in one of Buxton’s finest guesthouses. Lakenham offers all modern facilities, yet retains its Victorian character. Furnished with period furniture and antiques. Superb central location overlooking the Pavilion Gardens, just 5 minutes’ walk from the Opera House. B&B from £40 per person
Devonshire Lodge Guest-House
Westminster Hotel
9 Green Lane Buxton SK17 9DP 01298 73731 book@9greenlane.co.uk www.9greenlane.co.uk ETCffffSilver Award Edwardian house, quietly located but within a ten minute walk of the Opera House. All rooms are fully en suite, each equipped with TV and hospitality tray to provide very comfortable accommodation. Ground floor rooms available. Private parking. B&B from £35 per person
Oldfield Guest-House 8 Macclesfield Road Buxton SK17 9AH 01298 78264 avril@oldfieldhousebuxton.co.uk www.oldfieldhousebuxton.co.uk AA bbbb Spacious en suite rooms, comfortable beds, delicious breakfasts, friendly atmosphere, non-smoking, off-street car parking and within easy walking distance of the Opera House, restaurants and pubs. B&B £40 per person per night
2 Manchester Road Buxton SK17 6SB 01298 71487 enquiries@devonshirelodgeguesthouse.co.uk www.devonshirelodgeguesthouse.co.uk ETCffffSilver Award A friendly family-run guest-house. This fine Victorian house, located in the best area of Buxton, is just a 3 minute walk from the Opera House, Pavilion Gardens and main shopping precinct. B&B from £30 per person, based on 2 people sharing a double or twin room
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 nonsmoking. TV, tea and coffee making facilities. Large car park. Great food and warm welcome. B&B from £34 per person
SELF-CATERING ACCOMMODATION
Grendon Guest-House
a hotel for all seasons
Bishops Lane Buxton SK17 6UN 01298 78831 www.grendonguesthouse.co.uk VB bbbbb Gold Award
Intimate private dining, cosy atmospheric bar serving food, a fine restaurant overlooking the garden and 16 very well appointed bedrooms. Do come and visit, we would love to welcome you to The Peacock at Rowsley.
Situated a 15 minute stroll from the Pavilion Gardens and Opera House, Grendon offers the warmest of welcomes and top notch hospitality. Spacious and luxurious en suite rooms with the most comfortable beds will ensure an excellent night’s rest. Award winning breakfasts and on site parking. B&B £40–£50 per person for double occupancy, £65–£80 single occupancy
Ian and Jenni MacKenzie General Managers.
High Croft Guest-House High Croft, Manchester Road Chapel-en-le-Frith SK23 9UH 01298 814843 www.highcroft-guesthouse.co.uk bbbbb Gold Award, Breakfast Award, Michelin Recommended Just 10 minutes from Buxton, a Five Star graded, Gold Award winning country house in 2 acres of peaceful, mature gardens adjoining golf course and Combs Reservoir with magnificent views. Prices from £40 per person
w w w. t h e p e a c o c k a t r o w s e l y. c o m
The perfect place to relax, unwind and explore the Peak District, just 10 minutes from Buxton Opera House
& MARTIN ON 01298 83219 www.WheeldonTreesFarm.co.uk
CALL DEBORAH WEB
64 Where to stay / Where to eat
SELF-CATERING ACCOMMODATION cont. 1 Marlborough Mansions Central Buxton 07792 281908 jeanedawson@hotmail.com www.22buxton.co.uk VB bbb
Where to eat 65
No.6 The Square Tearooms
Old Hall Hotel
01298 213541 louise@no6tearooms.co.uk www.no6tearooms.co.uk
The Square Buxton 01298 22841 info@oldhallhotelbuxton.co.uk www.oldhallhotelbuxton.co.uk
Traditional English tearooms situated opposite the Opera House. Special Festival fare pre-opera with Champagne. Booking advisable. Open 10am–7pm. Festival fare available 5.30–7pm.
Spacious Ground floor 2 bedroom apartment in a substantial Edwardian stone building. Sleeps 4. The Opera House, Pavilion gardens and main shopping area are all within 5 minutes’ walking distance. Allocated parking space
WHERE TO EAT
Kwei Lin Chinese Restaurant 1 Lower Hardwick Street Buxton 01299 77822 Kwei Lin Chinese Restaurant has been open since 1994. A wide and varied vegetarian menu is available. Children and families are always welcome. Open from 5pm (closed on Tuesdays). Service and quality is our motto.
The Café @ The Green Pavilion
Nat’s Kitchen
4 Terrace Road Buxton 01298 77480 www.greenpavilion.co.uk A stylish, fully licensed, café adjacent to the highly acclaimed Green Pavilion florists. Friendly relaxed atmosphere. Fresh food cooked daily. Enjoy lunch, brunch or a light snack made from wonderful local produce. Pre-theatre suppers available – see our daily specials boards for details.
9–11 Market Street Buxton SK17 6JY 01298 214642 www.natskitchen.co.uk Set in the heart of Buxton, serving a full à la carte menu which utilises the wealth of good quality produce available locally. We also serve an extensive breakfast & lunch menu, and Sunday lunch is definitely not to be missed.
Experience authentic Thai Cuisine with genuine Thai hospitality Lunch: 12-2.30, Afternoon Tea: 2.30-5.00, Dinner: 5-11
Tel 01298 24471 Web:www.simplythaibuxton.co.uk 2-3 Cavendish Circus, Buxton
Old Hall Hotel, Restaurant and Wine Bar across the square from the Opera House – the perfect venue for preand post-theatre meals. Restaurant open from 12pm– 2pm and then 5.30pm–11pm. Wine Bar open all day from 10am. Advanced bookings are advisable.
Rowley’s Restaurant & Bar Church Lane, Baslow Derbyshire DE45 1RY 01246 583880 info@rowleysrestaurant.co.uk www.rowleysrestaurant.co.uk Baslow’s “Buzzing Brasserie” (Good Food Guide 2010). Exciting seasonal dishes, local ales and a cracking wine list. Booking advisable. Complimentary glass of wine served with lunch or dinner – just quote “Buxton Festival” at the time of booking. Lunch: Mon–Fri 12–2pm, Sat 12– 2pm, Sun 12–3pm. Dinner: Mon–Thurs 6–8.30pm, Fri–Sat 6–9.30pm. Closed sunday evening.
Open for dinner Monday — Saturday
(Sunday 10 and 17 July open for pre-theatre supper only)
Pre- and post-theatre suppers by reservation Fresh food, locally sourced prepared and cooked to order Classically based cuisine with a modern edge 7 Hall Bank, Buxton SK17 6EW 01298 78752 columbine1@btinternet.com www.buxtononline.net/columbine
66 What to do
What to do 67
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Terrace Road Buxton SK17 6DA 01298 24658
Explore the geology, archaeology and creative spirit of the Peak District. The annual Derbyshire Open Art Exhibition showcases works by professional and amateur artists. Also showing are exhibitions: Protection by Emma Lance and Strictly Ballpoint by Andrea Joseph.
ARTÂ FAIR
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Crich Tramway Village
23 th & 24 th July 10am-4.30pm
Crich Matlock DE4 5DP 01773 854321
The Great Dome at The Royal Devonshire Campus, 1 Devonshire Road, Buxton SK17 6RY.
enquiry@tramway.co.uk www.tramway.co.uk Step aboard a vintage tram and travel back in time along a recreated village street complete with working pub. Explore fascinating exhibitions and watch trams being restored from the Workshop Viewing Gallery. Children’s playground, tearooms, shops, Woodland Walk and Sculpture Trail.
Buxton Festival
MIXED MEDIA
THE GREATÂ DOME
buxton.museum@derbyshire.gov.uk www.derbyshire.gov.uk/leisure/buxton_museum
Pleased to be associated with the
ROB WILSON
AD
Buxton Museum and Art Gallery
F M RE IS E SI O N
WHAT TO DO
OPEN all year round
20TH
ANNIVERSARY w w w . p e a k d i s t r i c t a r t i s a n s . c o . u k
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#FBVUJGVM /BUVSF USBJM IJTUPSJD EFFS QBSL UFBSPPN HJGU TIPQ 0QFO 'FCSVBSZ UP %FDFNCFS The Chestnut Centre
Otter, Owl & Wildlife Park
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EXHIBITIONS Front cover artist Rob Wilson will be exhibiting new work this year at the following venues; Jarva Gallery - Whaley Bridge, 12th-26th March Derbyshire Open Studios - 28th-30th May Great Dome Art Fair - Buxton, 23th-24th July Please see website for more details
www.robwilsonart.co.uk
68 What to do
What to do 69
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DAVID MELLOR
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Design Museum, CafĂŠ & Country Shop
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Come to the David Mellor Country Shop for the best of modern tableware and kitchenware, including the world famous David Mellor cutlery. Visit the new Design Museum showing the full historic collection of Mellor designs from tea spoons to traffic lights, and try our beautiful new cafĂŠ.
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On the B6001 outside Hathersage. The Round Building, Hathersage, Sheffield S32 1BA Tel: 01433 650220 Open Mon to Sat 10am – 5pm Sun 11am – 5pm
davidmellordesign.co.uk
“We wander for distraction, but we travel for fulfillment.� - Hilaire Belloc When you enjoy luxuries such as Wi-Fi internet, an onboard walk-in shop and First Class with free food and drinks, we’re sure you’ll arrive fulfilled, and ready for your next wander.
Book online at virgintrains.com Virgin Trains is proud to support the
Please check timetables before your travel. Charges may apply for Wi-Fi Internet onboard trains. Food and drinks free when travelling in First Class. Subject to availability. Visit virgintrains.com for fares, times and full details.
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HOW TO GET TO BUXTON 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.
Car parking
There are 1001 car park spaces in Buxton including:
Opera House
By rail
Regular inter-city trains from Euston to Macclesfield, Stockport and Manchester (journey time approx. three hours) with connecting services to Buxton. The last train from Buxton to Manchester leaves at 10.56pm.
For more information
National Rail Pay and display parking for 50 cars, including www.nationalrail.co.uk / 08457 48 49 50 2 disabled spaces. Charges: 1 hour 70p, 2 hours ÂŁ1.20, 4 hours ÂŁ2.50, By bus free after 6pm. Direct buses to Buxton operate from Chesterfield, Derby, Glossop, Huddersfield, Macclesfield, Pavilion Gardens Sheffield, Stockport and Stoke. Parking for 262 cars including 15 disabled spaces. Charges: 1 hour ÂŁ1, 2 hours ÂŁ1.60, 4 hours ÂŁ3, For more information over 4 hours ÂŁ5, free after 6pm. www.derbysbus.info www.traveline.org.uk / 0871 200 22 33 Palace Hotel www.nationalexpress.com / 08717 81 81 81 For non-residents: ÂŁ4.50 for 3 hours and then ÂŁ1 per hour. ÂŁ7.50 spent on refreshments gives By air 3 hours free parking. Regular national and international flights to Please allow extra time if travelling by car on Manchester (44 [0] 161 489 3000) and Nottingham Carnival Day (16 July) East Midlands airports (44 [0] 871 919 9000)
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FESTIVAL SPONSORS & SUPPORTERS Buxton Festival appreciates important financial assistance from:
The Festival gratefully acknowledges further support of many sponsors and donors including: Barceló Palace Hotel Best Western Lee Wood Hotel Brooke-Taylors Solicitors The Charles Cotton Hotel Columbine Restaurant East Lodge Country House Hotel Going Digital The Green Pavilion The Grove Hotel Hewson & Howson Chartered Accountants The Moorside Grange Hotel and Spa Nat’s Kitchen Waitrose Simon Watkinson Photo Training Local media partners: Buxton Advertiser High Peak Radio Pure Buxton
The Bingham Trust The Buxton Festival Education Fund The Buxton Hall Bank Trust The John S Cohen Foundation The Countess of Munster Trust The Kathleen Ferrier Memorial Scholarship Fund The Joyce Fletcher Charitable Trust The Rotary Club of Buxton The Zochonis Charitable Trust
Registered Charity No.276957 Design: Glorious Creative