1-16 July 2017 Box Office 01242 850270 cheltenhamfestivals.com #cheltmusicfest
THANK YOU to our Partners and Supporters National Radio Partner
Principal Partner
Major Partners
Festival Partners
Media Partners
In-Kind Partners
MAGAZINE
Strategic Partner
The Oldham Foundation Marketing Partner
Individual Supporters Aquarius Group Celia and Andrew Curran Elizabeth Jacobs Graham and Eileen Lockwood Mary Mackenzie, Richard Walton and Friends Sir Michael and Lady McWilliam John Mumford and Penny McCracken Neil and Ann Parrack
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Trusts and Societies The Chairman’s Friends Lawrence Wallace and Richard Linenthal Diana Woolley Penny Wright and Andrew Neubauer 70th Festival Appeal Donors We would also like to thank our individual supporters who have chosen to remain anonymous.
The Adams Youth Trust The Alan Cadbury Charitable Trust The Big Lottery Fund The John S Cohen Foundation Colwinston Charitable Trust The Gandel Trust The John Armitage Charitable Trust The Leverhulme Trust
The Michael Tippett Musical Foundation The Radcliffe Trust The Reed Foundation RPS Duet Prize for Young Instrumentalists The Williams Church Music Trust
WELCOME It feels like I’ve only been here a short while, but this programme for the 2017 Cheltenham Music Festival is actually my 10th! Time flies when you’re enjoying yourself… Clearly, I wanted to make sure there are some big treats in store at each of our main venues. So in Cheltenham Town Hall we have Bryn Terfel, the CBSO with Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla, I Fagiolini’s semi-staged L’Orfeo and The Hallé – 70 years on from their first Festival appearance here. In the Pittville Pump Room, we welcome back regulars such as the Nash Ensemble and Pavel Haas Quartet alongside newcomers such as the Chineke! Orchestra. There are lots of enticing things in Gloucester Cathedral and Tewkesbury Abbey – from Monteverdi’s Vespers to Vaughan Williams’ A Sea Symphony. And then there’s a brand new venue for us; a renovated 1820s Baptist Chapel, where exciting new talents such as Sheku Kanneh-Mason will be celebrated. Meurig Bowen Director
£5 TICKETS FOR UNDER 25s 25 or under? Try the Festival at a great price: a limited number of good seats available at £5 for every concert! See cheltenhamfestivals.com/under25 for details.
Cheltenham Firsts Over 20 Premieres including Daniel Kidane and David Matthews p.15 John Casken p.19 Elena Kats-Chernin p.20 Ryan Wigglesworth p.34 The Philharmonia’s Virtual Orchestra p.5 BBC Young Musician series p.4 Chineke! Orchestra p.21
Pittville Chamber Encounters Nash Ensemble p.8 Chiaroscuro and Pavel Haas Quartets p.12 & 22 Tasmin Little p.30 Jean-Efflam Bavouzet p.36 Radio 3 New Generation Artists p.14, 26 & 28 Florilegium p.32
Greats at the Town Hall CBSO/Gražinytė-Tyla p.8 Bryn Terfel p.11 Richard Rodgers celebration p.12 I Fagiolini L’Orfeo p.20 The Hallé p.34
Special Spaces A Sea Symphony/Gloucester Cathedral p.16 Classical Mixtape/Tewkesbury Abbey p.23 Tenebrae/Tewkesbury Abbey p.27 Monteverdi Vespers/Gloucester Cathedral p.30 New English Ballet Theatre/Everyman p.37 3
NEW FOR 2017 An exciting new venue...
The best young talent...
With such an embarrassment of choice in Cheltenham for wonderful venues, we rarely find a new space that we are this excited about! Chapel Arts is a newly-restored 1820s Baptist Chapel in the heart of Town. The Music Festival is thrilled to be using this new venue as a hub for a wide range of events throughout the fortnight. As the Chapel’s restoration has developed – with a large mezzanine floor creating a clean-lined gallery and cosy cafe – we have been coming up with innovative ways to use the space. The building will play host to evening cabaret, concerts, exhibitions and family events.
Events at Chapel Arts A Scott Joplin Cabaret (5 July, p.9) Rush Hour I: Martin James Bartlett (6 July, p.10) The Bear and the Piano (9 July, p.19) Lilliput Concert (10 July, p.6) Rush Hour II: Sheku Kanneh-Mason (11 July, p.22) Rush Hour III: Jess Gillam (13 July, p.28) Gloucestershire Young Musicians (14 July, p.30) 21st Century String Quartet (15 July, p.33) Composer Academy Showcase I (15 July, p.33) Composer Academy Showcase II (16 July, p.37)
BBC Young Musician Rush Hour series It has been Festival Director, Meurig Bowen’s privilege to be a judge in the last two BBC Young Musician competitions. This inspiring showcase of young talent, now nearly 40 years old, has repeatedly brought to the fore some of the country’s finest musicians. This Rush Hour series presents 2014 winner Martin James Bartlett (piano), 2016 winner Sheku Kanneh-Mason (cello) and 2016 finalist Jess Gillam (saxophone). Rush Hour series supported by Neil and Ann Parrack
A concert with a difference… Imagine an event that defies preconceptions of what a classical concert can be. Classical Mixtape in Tewkesbury Abbey on Tuesday 11 July will be a new way to listen, look and experience. See page 23 for details.
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NEW FOR 2017
…around town Drop in Monday–Friday: 3–6pm Saturday–Sunday: 11am–5pm
The Virtual Orchestra
1–16 July 2017
We bring the Philharmonia Orchestra – with a difference! – to the heart of Cheltenham for the entire Festival.
FREE
Put on a virtual reality headset and be transported to centre stage of London’s Royal Festival Hall.
Cheltenham High Street Experience lasts 6 minutes. FREE Children must be accompanied by an adult. Recommended ages 7+
World-famous conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen and the Philharmonia Orchestra surround you in this unique encounter, where the 3D audio and video envelop you in a remarkable 360-degree experience! The Virtual Orchestra is produced by Philharmonia Orchestra, Inition and Southbank Centre.
‘An extraordinary glimpse inside the sights and sounds of a symphony orchestra’ The Guardian 5
FAMILY EVENTS Sunday 9 July 10–10.45am 11.30am–12.15pm
Saturday 15 July
Sunday 16 July
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The Bear and the Piano Chapel Arts, Knapp Street £6 adults £4 children * Ages 3-7
2–3pm
Best Illustrated Book winner at 2016 Waterstones Children’s Book awards is brought to life by the author in this specially-devised concert (see page 19).
Dr Dee’s Daughter and the Philosopher’s Stone
Monday 10 July 10.30–11.30am
Lilliput Concerts – 11am–12noon MF03 Music for Tiny People The School of Music Chapel Arts, Knapp Street £6 per adult/child pair £4 for additional family members * Ideal for ages 0-4 but older siblings are welcome too Lilliput concerts are back, with live music from a2 Horn Duo in a relaxed environment for babies and toddlers and their adults. 40 minutes of music followed by an opportunity to socialise in the lovely cafe. Tickets are not available through the Festival Box Office. Visit buytickets.at/lilliputconcerts from 20th June. 6
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Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre £8 adults £5 children *
Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre £8 adults £5 children * Ages 7-12 Dr Dee’s daughter searches for the Elixir of Life in this exciting story of adventure and magic told with beautiful puppets by Rust and Bone, and music from dynamic recorder consort, Palisander (See page 36).
Ages 7-11 A fun and fast-paced sequence of sketches and interactive musical games, inspired by Meurig and Rachel Bowen’s new children’s book, The School of Music (see page 32).
* Plus transaction fee: charged per order, not per ticket. £2.50 for online and telephone sales, and £1.50 for in person bookings with credit/debit cards. No fee for cash bookings.
A great value festival for all! Young people are welcome to attend all other festival events too! A special allocation of £5 tickets is available for all Music Festival events for people aged 25 and under. Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult.
SATURDAY 1 / SUNDAY 2 JULY
cheltenhamfestivals.com
10am–6pm
M01
Mendelssohn at Syde
Saturday programme
Sunday programme
3pm: Gardens open / pre-concert drinks
10am: Gardens open
4pm: Concert I Lieder ohne Worte (selection) Cello Sonata No 2 in D, Op. 58 String Quartet No 2 in A minor, Op. 13
11am: Concert III Lieder ohne Worte (selection) String Quartet No 6 in F minor, Op. 80 Piano Trio No 2 in C minor, Op. 66
6pm: Dinner
1pm: Lunch
7.30pm: Concert II Lieder (selection) Piano Trio No 1 in D minor, Op. 49 String Quintet No 2 in B flat, Op. 87
3pm: Concert IV Variations sérieuses, Op. 54 Lieder (selection) String Octet in E flat, Op. 20
Tithe Barn, Syde Manor Full weekend: £190 Day Tickets: £110 Limited availability (on sale since Dec 2016)
Performers include: Carducci Quartet Giovanni Guzzo violin Guy Johnston cello Charles Owen piano Marcus Farnsworth baritone Stephen Johnson concert introductions A rare and special opportunity to explore Mendelssohn’s magnificent body of chamber works performed in four adjacent concerts, all in the intimate and beautiful surroundings of Syde Manor near Cheltenham. Tickets include dining, drinks, concert introductions and the chance to enjoy the gardens and sweeping views of an unspoilt Cotswold valley.
‘The Tithe Barn at Syde Manor, nestling deep in the Cotswolds between Birdlip Hill and Cirencester, is a gem of a venue. It is comfortable, airy, and has a fabulous acoustic… and the catering was top-class.’ Birmingham Post, Shostakovich at Syde, July 2015
Supported by Celia and Andrew Curran 7
WEDNESDAY 5 JULY 11am–12.45pm
Box Office 01242 850270
M02 7–9pm
The Nash Ensemble Pittville Pump Room £28 £23 £16 *
CBSO and Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla Recorded for broadcast on BBC Radio 3
Festival Proms in association with
The Nash Ensemble
Cheltenham Town Hall £40 £35 £30 £18 £12 *
Schubert String Trio in B flat, D 471 9’ Berwald Grand Septet in B flat 23’ Beethoven Septet in E flat, Op. 20 38’
Jan Lisiecki piano City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla conductor
In this welcome return to Cheltenham, the ‘chamber music royalty’ of The Nash Ensemble (The Sunday Times) present three early 19th century works – two from Vienna and one from much farther north.
Debussy Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune 10’ Chopin Piano Concerto No 2 32’ Valentyn Silvestrov The Messenger, 1996 8’ Stravinsky Petrushka 35’
The fact that Franz Berwald was only a part-time composer – he made his living more as an orthopaedic surgeon in Berlin and manager of a glass works in his native Sweden – should not prejudice the inclusion of his Grand Septet, from 1828, in this programme. Full of charm and invention, his work for the unusual line-up of clarinet, horn, bassoon, violin, viola, cello and double bass is an appropriate warm-up for the weightier, earlier work by Beethoven.
An opening night of exhilarating and colourful orchestral music from one of classical music’s hottest new partnerships – the CBSO with their celebrated Music Director, 30-year old Lithuanian Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla. The equally exciting 20 year-old Canadian, Jan Lisiecki, dazzles with Chopin, Valentyn Silvestrov’s The Messenger, 1996 lays a dreamy, stringsand-piano veil over Mozart, while the creative genius of Diaghilev’s Ballet Russes comes alive through the music of two thrilling, iconic ballet scores.
Supported by Mary Mackenzie, Richard Walton and Friends
25 OR UNDER? Get £5 tickets for every concert! See cheltenhamfestivals.com/under25 for details 8
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* Plus transaction fee: charged per order, not per ticket. £2.50 for online and telephone sales, and £1.50 for in person bookings with credit/debit cards. No fee for cash bookings.
cheltenhamfestivals.com
WEDNESDAY 5 JULY
M05
9.30–10.30pm
A Scott Joplin Cabaret Chapel Arts £12 *
THE CLIFFORD TAYLOR
Young Artist Series
Ashok Gupta piano Alexander Kirk piano Sylvia Klemz, Theo Perry singers 100 years after the death of the ‘King of Ragtime’, Scott Joplin’s legacy and influence is celebrated in this wide-ranging cabaret performance. Polkas from Smetana and Sousa’s Stars and Stripes set the scene for some of Joplin’s best-known piano rags, made famous in the 1973 film The Sting, as well as numbers from his opera Treemonisha. Gloucestershire-raised pianists Ashok Gupta and Alexander Kirk also perform ragtime-influenced works by Debussy, Satie, Stravinsky, Gershwin, Grainger and Brubeck. 9
THURSDAY 6 JULY
Box Office 01242 850270
‘Expressive detail and impressive insight’ The Guardian
M07
5.45–6.45pm
BBC Young Musician Rush Hour I Chapel Arts £12.50 *
THE CLIFFORD TAYLOR
Young Artist Series
(includes a glass of wine)
Martin James Bartlett piano Bach Toccata in C minor BWV 911 12’ Schumann Kinderszenen 18’ Ginastera Danzas Argentinas 8’ Chopin Ballade No 1, Op. 23 10’
11am–1pm
M06
Gould Piano Trio Pittville Pump Room £26 £21 £15 * Gould Piano Trio Mark Simpson After Avedon 18’ Beethoven Piano Trio in E flat, Op. 1 No 1 27’ Rachmaninov Trio élégiaque No 2 in D minor, Op. 9 48’ 10
In their 25th anniversary year, the Gould Piano Trio perform a complete survey of Beethoven’s piano trios at Wigmore Hall. They bring the earliest of these to Cheltenham – its light classical style the perfect foil to Rachmaninov’s lusciously romantic second Trio élégiaque. A new work by exceptional young clarinettist and composer Mark Simpson, supported by PRS Beyond Borders and premiered in Hull for its City of Culture celebrations, completes the programme. Supported by The Gandel Trust
* Plus transaction fee: charged per order, not per ticket. £2.50 for online and telephone sales, and £1.50 for in person bookings with credit/debit cards. No fee for cash bookings.
Our new series of Rush Hour concerts at Chapel Arts, featuring BBC Young Musicians, begins with 2014 winner, pianist Martin James Bartlett. Returning to Cheltenham after his rapturously-received performance of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue opening the 2015 Music Festival, he shows off the breadth of his talent in a programme that ranges from Bach’s precise counterpoint to the intense virtuosity of Chopin.
‘The wit and colour in pianist Martin James Bartlett’s playing was thrilling’ The Times
THURSDAY 6 JULY
cheltenhamfestivals.com 7.30–9.30pm
M08
Bryn Terfel Recital Festival Proms in association with Cheltenham Town Hall £75 £60 £50 £35 £30 £15 * Limited availability (on sale since Dec 2016)
Bryn Terfel bass-baritone Caradog Williams piano Bryn Terfel’s charismatic presence is in huge demand on the world’s leading opera stages. He is equally compelling in recital, communicating with audiences in the most direct and intimate way. His recital at Cheltenham Town Hall with Caradog Williams is sure to be one of the standout performances in the Music Festival’s long history. Supported by Diana Woolley
25 OR UNDER? Get £5 tickets for every concert! See cheltenhamfestivals.com/under25 for details
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FRIDAY 7 JULY
Box Office 01242 850270 7–9pm
M10
The Sound of His Music: A Celebration of Richard Rodgers Festival Proms in association with Cheltenham Town Hall £28 £25 £20 £15 £10 * Chetham’s Concert Orchestra A cast of West End performers and opera singers Stephen Threlfall conductor Devised and directed by Damian Thantrey
‘...a trailblazer for the authentic performance of High Classical chamber music.’ Gramophone 11am–12.45pm
M09
Chiaroscuro Quartet Pittville Pump Room £28 £23 £16 * Chiaroscuro Quartet
Star violinist Alina Ibragimova and her Chiaroscuro Quartet’s historically-informed performances shed new light on well-known works. We welcome them back to the Pump Room to perform Schubert’s dramatic ‘Death and the Maiden’ quartet (so called for the slow movement, which features the melody of Schubert’s song of the same name), the clean lines of late Haydn, and a selection from Bach’s shimmering Art of Fugue; a programme ideally suited to the clarity and purity of their ensemble.
Bach Art of Fugue (selection) 15’ Haydn String Quartet in E flat, Op. 76 No 6 24’ Schubert String Quartet No 14 in D minor, D 810 ‘Death and the Maiden’ 40’ 12
* Plus transaction fee: charged per order, not per ticket. £2.50 for online and telephone sales, and £1.50 for in person bookings with credit/debit cards. No fee for cash bookings.
Join us for a journey into the world of Broadway legend Richard Rodgers and his internationally renowned collaborations with Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein II. Leading West End performers and singers from the world’s great opera houses join the brilliant young musicians of Chetham’s School of Music in Manchester for classic songs and sequences – from beloved numbers such as Blue Moon and The Lady is a Tramp, to the brilliance of Oklahoma!, South Pacific and The Sound of Music.
cheltenhamfestivals.com
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FRIDAY 7 JULY
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9.30–10.30pm
M11
E STuudio Chamber Choir St Matthew’s Church, Clarence Street £12 *
THE CLIFFORD TAYLOR
Young Artist Series
E STuudio Chamber Choir Külli Lokko & Eliisa Sakarias conductors Programme to include pieces by Arvo Pärt, Veljo Tormis, Cyrillus Kreek, Eric Whitacre and Morten Lauridsen
25 OR UNDER? Get £5 tickets for every concert! See cheltenhamfestivals.com/under25 for details
With the rolling EU Presidency handing over to Estonia in July, we celebrate the rich choral tradition of this small, but intensely music Baltic country. The dynamic young singers of E STuudio Chamber Choir perform atmospheric choral music steeped in the Orthodox tradition by Estonia’s most famous musical export, Arvo Pärt, and his contemporaries, alongside luscious American vocal music. 13
SATURDAY 8 JULY
Box Office 01242 850270 12noon–1pm M12
11am–1pm
BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artists I Pittville Pump Room £24 £18 £12 *
Recorded for broadcast on BBC Radio 3
Fatma Said soprano Annelien Van Wauwe clarinet Simon Lepper piano Saint-Saëns Clarinet Sonata in E flat, Op. 167 16’ Manfred Trojahn Sonata V for clarinet and piano (UK premiere) 10’ Schubert Der Hirt auf dem Felsen D 965 11’ Selected songs by Debussy, Fauré, Spohr, Brahms and Schumann BBC Radio 3’s New Generation Artist scheme has always been a wonderfully cosmopolitan affair, and the artists featured in Cheltenham this year are no exception. Alongside musicians from France, Norway and Italy in the other two NGA concerts (see p.26 & p.28), this performance features Belgian clarinettist Annelien Van Wauwe and Egyptian soprano Fatma Said. Their wide-ranging programme of French and German songs and sonatas culminates with Schubert’s ever-popular ‘The Shepherd on the Rock.’ Supported by an anonymous donor
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* Plus transaction fee: charged per order, not per ticket. £2.50 for online and telephone sales, and £1.50 for in person bookings with credit/debit cards. No fee for cash bookings.
M13
How We Talk Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre £5 * Kerry Andrew voice K’antu Ensemble How we Talk, by composer and performer Kerry Andrew, is the outcome of a year-long residency at 18 care homes in Shropshire, Gloucestershire and Lincolnshire. The resulting piece, written in collaboration with care home residents and presented with accompaniment from early music ensemble K’antu, is complemented by a selection of lively folk and world music from across the ages.
1-16 July
The Virtual Orchestra …around town Experience Virtual Reality, and sit in the centre of a huge symphony orchestra! See page 5
SATURDAY 8 JULY
cheltenhamfestivals.com
12noon–1pm
M14
Gloucester Magnificat Gloucester Cathedral £10 adults £5 children *
THE CLIFFORD TAYLOR
Young Artist Series
Gloucester Cathedral Choir (including boy and girl choristers) Gloucester Cathedral Youth Choir Gloucester Cathedral Junior Choir Adrian Partington conductor The choirs of Gloucester Cathedral come together for the first time to perform a varied programme of music centred around a stunning new commission, The Gloucester Magnificat, by multi-genre composer John O’Hara. The programme will also include a variety of Magnificats from Blues to Stanford, new arrangements of Spirituals, a multichoir arrangement of Byrd’s Ave Verum by baritone Roderick Williams and a spectacular Psalm setting in Portuguese. John O’Hara commissioned by
2.30–3.45pm
M16
Piano 4 Hands Cheltenham Town Hall Pillar Room £12 * Waka Hasegawa & Joseph Tong piano Mozart Andante with Variations in G K 501 7’ Schubert Fantasie in F minor D 940 19’ David Matthews Variations on a Theme by Haydn, Op. 144 (premiere) 17’ Daniel Kidane new work (premiere) 10’ Prokoviev Classical Symphony (arr. Piano 4 Hands) 15’ This ‘mixed bill’ of music for piano duet – four hands at one keyboard – has a certain neo-classical flavour, with a new arrangement of Prokofiev’s exuberant ‘Classical Symphony’ and David Matthews’ new Haydn variations. The other commission in this concert is from Daniel Kidane, a rising star alumnus of our first Cheltenham Composer Academy in 2013.
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SATURDAY 8 JULY
Box Office 01242 850270
7–9pm
M17
A Sea Symphony & The Hymn of Jesus Gloucester Cathedral £35 £28 £22 £15 £10 * Cheltenham Festival Chorus Huddersfield Choral Society Salomon Orchestra Martyn Brabbins conductor Elizabeth Watts soprano Marcus Farnsworth baritone Vaughan Williams Stricken Peninsula: An Italian Rhapsody (premiere) 8’ Holst The Hymn of Jesus 22’ Vaughan Williams A Sea Symphony 65’ 6–6.45pm Talk
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Stephen Johnson Talk Gloucester Cathedral Chapter House £5 * With his unique combination of enthusiasm, insight and erudition, Stephen Johnson discusses the friendship of Vaughan Williams and Holst and, with musical illustrations, illuminates the two main works in tonight’s concert. 16
250 performers from around the UK come together in Gloucester’s majestic Cathedral to celebrate a great friendship between two locally-born composers. The Hymn of Jesus, 100 years old this year, was Holst’s next work after finishing The Planets, and was dedicated to Ralph Vaughan Williams. VW’s mighty setting of Walt Whitman poems brings an equally large chorus to the fore throughout its hour-plus span, alongside expansive roles for two soloists and orchestral writing of blazing colour and energy.
* Plus transaction fee: charged per order, not per ticket. £2.50 for online and telephone sales, and £1.50 for in person bookings with credit/debit cards. No fee for cash bookings.
The concert begins with a Vaughan Williams concert premiere – a reconstruction by Cheltenham composer Philip Lane of music VW wrote for a 1945 propaganda film, Stricken Peninsula, about life and reconstruction in post-war Italy. Supported by The Oldham Foundation and The Vaughan Williams Charitable Trust
SATURDAY 8 JULY
cheltenhamfestivals.com
8–10pm
M15
Alex Mendham and his Orchestra Festival Proms in association with Cheltenham Town Hall £20† £35†† * † includes drink †† includes drink, dance class and cabaret seating
Hot jazz and sweet dance band music from the Art Deco era. Alex Mendham and his Orchestra are the last word in 1930s dance music. From their original instruments to the pomade that slicks their hair, no corner is cut when it comes to preserving the sound and clean-cut image of vintage Hollywood. Learn some moves in an afternoon dance class, get dolled up in your flapper finest and dance the night away.
2.30pm
Dance Class Cheltenham Town Hall Get ready for a night of dancing! JazzJiveSwing teach you the hottest 20s and 30s moves, to Alex Mendham recordings (included in £35 tickets only). 25 OR UNDER? Get £5 tickets for every concert! See cheltenhamfestivals.com/under25 for details
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SUNDAY 9 JULY
Box Office 01242 850270 11.30am–12.45pm 10–11am Talk
MT02
Orlando Figes Talk Pittville Pump Room £10 * (see M19 for combined concert & talk ticket price)
Flight, compromise and resistance: composers and the revolution The great chronicler of Russian history Orlando Figes – author of Natasha’s Dance and A People’s Tragedy, and Professor at Birkbeck, University of London – discusses the varying responses of composers such as Rachmaninov, Prokofiev and Stravinsky to the 1917 Russian Revolution.
M19
Rachmaninov – A Heart in Exile Pittville Pump Room Concert & Talk: £30 £24 £18 * Concert only: £24 £18 £12 * Lucy Parham piano Henry Goodman actor Programme includes: Rachmaninov A selection of Elégies, Preludes and Moments Musicaux Tchaikovsky Troika Scriabin Etude in C sharp minor, Op. 42 No 5 John Stafford Smith (arr. Rachmaninov) The Star-Spangled Banner Kreisler/Rachmaninov Liebesleid Though exiled from Russia during the Revolution of 1917, nostalgia for his homeland shines through Rachmaninov’s music, particularly in the many works he wrote for his own instrument, the piano. Pianist Lucy Parham and renowned actor Henry Goodman bring the story of this longing to life with words taken directly from Rachmaninov’s letters and diaries, and many of his best-loved works for solo piano, alongside music by Tchaikovsky and Scriabin. Supported by The Alan Cadbury Charitable Trust
25 OR UNDER? Get £5 tickets for every concert! See cheltenhamfestivals.com/under25 for details
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‘Lucy Parham’s trailblazing concerts in which she fuses music and words with the help of some of our most distinguished thespians, have become one of the must-see events on the musical calendar’ BBC Music Magazine
* Plus transaction fee: charged per order, not per ticket. £2.50 for online and telephone sales, and £1.50 for in person bookings with credit/debit cards. No fee for cash bookings.
SUNDAY 9 JULY
cheltenhamfestivals.com 3–4.45pm
M20
Kokoschka’s Doll Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre £20 * Rozanna Madylus mezzo-soprano John Tomlinson bass Counterpoise The Art of Love: Alma Mahler’s Life and Music Text by Barry Millington Music by Alma and Gustav Mahler (arr. David Matthews), Zemlinsky, Webern and Wagner 40’ John Casken Kokoschka’s Doll (premiere) 35’
Chapel Arts £6 adults £4 children * Ages 3-7
2–2.40pm Talk
MT03
Composers in Conversation Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre Free ticket required
With the help of live piano music, authorillustrator David Litchfield brings this bestselling tale to life through words, live illustration and a draw-along session for everyone.
Journalist and musicologist Barry Millington discusses The Art of Love/ Kokoschka’s Doll with composers David Matthews and John Casken.
As seen through the eyes of Kokoschka as an older man, world-renowned bass John Tomlinson evokes the passions unleashed by the affair against the background of the physical and psychological traumas the artist suffered in the First World War. C USI FEST M
AL SOCIE IV
One day, a young bear stumbles upon something he has never seen before in the forest. As time passes, he teaches himself how to play the strange instrument, but what will happen when his talent is discovered?
TENHAM EL
The Bear and the Piano
For Alma Mahler, the painter Oskar Kokoschka (1886–1980) was just one of a string of eminent lovers, but for Kokoschka his brief affair with the widow of Mahler was to haunt the rest of his life. Shortly after the liaison ended, in 1914, he commissioned a life-size doll of Alma, which he took to concerts and other public events, finally destroying it at a party to which all his friends were invited. The Counterpoise ensemble explores their tempestuous affair and subsequent obsession through a sequence of music and text featuring the work of Gustav and Alma Mahler, Wagner, Webern and Zemlinsky, followed by the premiere of John Casken’s Kokoschka’s Doll.
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10–10.45am 11.30am–12.15pm
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SUNDAY 9 JULY
Box Office 01242 850270 7–9.15pm
6–6.30pm Talk
MT04
Pre-performance Talk Cheltenham Town Hall Pillar Room Free ticket required I Fagiolini’s Director, Robert Hollingworth, introduces tonight’s performance.
M18
Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo Festival Proms in association with Cheltenham Town Hall £35 £28 £23 £15 £10 * I Fagiolini English Cornett & Sackbut Ensemble Robert Hollingworth director Matthew Long Orfeo Rachel Ambrose-Evans Euridice Clare Wilkinson Proserpina Ciara Hendrick Messenger William Purefoy Speranza Nicholas Hurndall Smith Apollo Greg Skidmore Shepherd Charles Gibbs Pluto Christopher Adams Caronte Semi-staging by Thomas Guthrie I Fagiolini’s celebrated project The Full Monteverdi, a worldwide success, premiered in Cheltenham in 2004. In the 450th anniversary year of the great composer’s birth, they return with a semi-staged performance of Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo, acknowledged as the first great opera. Written in 1607, Monteverdi’s use of orchestral colour and expert vocal writing animates the story of Orpheus’ search for his love in the underworld. Supported by Diana Woolley
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* Plus transaction fee: charged per order, not per ticket. £2.50 for online and telephone sales, and £1.50 for in person bookings with credit/debit cards. No fee for cash bookings.
9.30–10.40pm
M21
Love Songs Cheltenham Town Hall Pillar Room £12 * William Howard piano Schubert Ständchen (arr. Liszt) Josef Suk Love Song Granados The Maiden and the Nightingale and new love songs by Cheryl Frances-Hoad, Piers Hellawell*, Elena Kats-Chernin*, David Matthews, Nico Muhly*, Richard Reed Parry, Howard Skempton, Joby Talbot, Judith Weir, Michael Zev Gordon* *premieres
Pianist William Howard’s 2016 recording of sixteen love songs of the romantic era for solo piano inspired him to commission ‘companion’ pieces to these appealing and accessible works. We hear a selection of new and old love songs, including premieres by Nico Muhly, Elena Kats-Chernin and our Composer Academy Director, Michael Zev Gordon.
MONDAY 10 JULY
cheltenhamfestivals.com
6–7.45pm
M22
Chineke! Orchestra Pittville Pump Room £30 £25 £20 £15 * 8–8.45pm Talk
Chineke! Orchestra Adam Heron piano Jonathon Heyward conductor Chevalier de Saint-Georges Overture from L’Amant anonyme 10’ Mozart Piano Concerto No 9 in E flat K 271 ‘Jeunehomme’ 25’ James Wilson new work (premiere) 12’ Mozart Symphony No 29 in A, K 201 21’ Chineke! Orchestra is less than two years old, but its impact as a catalyst for change has already been immense. The brainchild of double-bassist Chi-chi Nwanoku, the orchestra’s mission is to ‘to create a space where Black and Minority Ethnic musicians can walk on stage and know that they belong’.
MT05
Class, Race and Classical Music This programme features Mozart alongside ‘The Black Mozart’, Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges – champion fencer, virtuoso violinist, composer and man-about-town in late 18th century Paris. There is a new work from London-based composer James Wilson, participant in the 2015 Cheltenham Composer Academy. And the soloist in Mozart’s K 271 piano concerto is the hugely talented Cheltenham pianist Adam Heron – 2016’s Gloucestershire Young Musician.
Pittville Pump Room Free no ticket required In collaboration with London Music Masters, we present this post-performance discussion on a subject which Chineke! Orchestra’s existence courageously aims to address. The panel will include composer Hannah Kendall, conductor Jonathon Heyward and BBC Radio 3 editor Edwina Wolstencroft.
Supported by The Steel Charitable Trust 21
TUESDAY 11 JULY
Box Office 01242 850270
M24
5.45–6.45pm
BBC Young Musician Rush Hour II Chapel Arts £12.50 * (includes a glass of wine)
THE CLIFFORD TAYLOR
Young Artist Series
Sheku Kanneh-Mason cello Isata Kanneh-Mason piano Beethoven Sonata Op. 5 No 2 in G minor 26’ Shostakovich Sonata Op. 40 in D minor 30’
‘At times it’s hard to believe that you are in the presence of only four players, so intense is the sound’ Gramophone 11am–12.40pm
M23
Pavel Haas Quartet Pittville Pump Room £28 £23 £16 *
Recorded for broadcast on BBC Radio 3
Pavel Haas Quartet Beethoven String Quartet No 12 in E flat, Op. 127 35’ Martinů String Quartet No 3 H 183 14’ Smetana String Quartet No 1 in E minor ‘From My Life’ 27’ 22
Named after Czech composer Pavel Haas, who perished in Auschwitz aged 45, the Pavel Haas Quartet are renowned internationally, as much for their spirited live performance as for their four-time Gramophone Award-winning recordings. We are thrilled to welcome them back to the Pump Room, this time with the first of Beethoven’s sophisticated late quartets, alongside gloriously rich quartets by fellow countrymen Martinů and Smetana. Supported by Elizabeth Jacobs
* Plus transaction fee: charged per order, not per ticket. £2.50 for online and telephone sales, and £1.50 for in person bookings with credit/debit cards. No fee for cash bookings.
Cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason’s star rose in 2016, not only winning BBC Young Musician of the Year for his spirited performance of Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto, but also featuring in a BBC Four documentary about him and his fantastically musical family. He is joined in our second rush-hour concert by his pianist sister, Isata, currently an Elton John Scholar at London’s Royal Academy of Music. Sheku Kanneh-Mason’s Cheltenham residency is supported by the RPS Duet Prize for Young Instrumentalists
TUESDAY 11 JULY
cheltenhamfestivals.com
8–10pm Bar open from 7.15pm
e p a t x i M l a c i C l ass
M25
Pay what you can from just
£1
8–10pm uests Abbey,ial Music Festival g y r u b s e ec Tewk erformed by sp
T wo 40
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Imagine magine an event that defies preconceptions ns of what a classical concert is. Get a drink from the bar, stand, sit or lie where you like, relax and enjoy as each piece ce of music comes to you from a different stage ge in sequenced, uninterrupted bliss. A new way to listen, look and experience. 25 OR UNDER? Get £5 tickets for every concert! See cheltenhamfestivals.com/under25 for details
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WHAT’S ON GUIDE 10am
11am
12noon 1pm
2pm
3pm
4pm
5pm
6pm
7pm
8pm
9pm
10pm
11am
12noon 1pm
M04 CBSO, MIRGA GRAZNITYE-TYLA & JAN LISIECKI
TH
TH
M02 NASH ENSEMBLE
PPR
PAC
3pm
4pm
MF01 THE BEAR AND THE PIANO MT02 M19 ORLANDO RACHMANINOV – A LIFE IN EXILE FIGES MT03 TALK
PAC M05 A SCOTT JOPLIN CABARET (CA)
Other
M20 KOKOSCHKA’ DOLL
Other
THURSDAY 6 JULY
MONDAY 10 JULY M08 BRYN TERFEL RECITAL
TH
TH
M06 GOULD PIANO TRIO
PPR
2pm
SUNDAY 9 JULY
WEDNESDAY 5 JULY PPR
10am
11pm
PPR
PAC
PAC M07 RUSH HOUR I (CA)
Other
FRIDAY 7 JULY
TUESDAY 11 JULY M10 THE SOUND OF HIS MUSIC: A CELEBRATION OF RICHARD RODGERS
TH
TH
M09 CHIAROSCURO QUARTET
PPR
LILLIPUT CONCERT (CA)
Other
M23 PAVEL HAAS QUARTET
PPR
PAC
PAC M11 E STUUDIO CHAMBER CHOIR (SM)
Other
Other
SATURDAY 8 JULY
WEDNESDAY 12 JULY M16 PIANO 4 HANDS (PR)
TH
M15 ALEX MENDHAM AND HIS ORCHESTRA
TH
M12 BBC RADIO 3 NGA 1
PPR PAC
M13 “HOW WE TALK”
Other
M14 GLOUCESTER MAGNIFICAT
10am
11am
12noon 1pm
M26 BBC RADIO 3 NGA 2
PPR PAC MT01 STEPHEN JOHNSON
2pm
3pm
4pm
5pm
6pm
M17 ‘A SEA SYMPHONY / HYMN OF JESUS’ (GC)
7pm
8pm
M27 QUENINGTON
Other 9pm
10pm
11pm
10am
11am
12noon 1pm
2pm
3pm
4pm
24 KEY TH = TOWN HALL PPR = PITTVILLE PUMP ROOM PAC = CHELTENHAM LADIES’ COLLEGE, PARABOLA ARTS CENTRE Q CONCERT Q TALK/FILM Q FAMILY OTHER VENUES PR - Cheltenham Tow
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WHAT’S ON GUIDE 5pm
6pm
7pm
8pm
9pm
10pm
11pm
11am
12noon 1pm
2pm
3pm
4pm
5pm
6pm
7pm
8pm
9pm
10pm
11pm
THURSDAY 13 JULY M18 MONTEVERDI – L’ORFEO
MT04 TALK
M21 LOVE SONGS (PR)
TH M29 BBC RADIO 3 NGA 3
PPR
S
m
10am
PAC M30 RUSH HOUR III (CA)
Other
M31 BREAKING THE RULES (AS)
FRIDAY 14 JULY TH M22 CHINEKE!
MT05 TALK
M32 TASMIN LITTLE & MARTIN ROSCOE RECITAL
PPR
M35 ENSEMBLE COURTCIRCUIT
PAC M33 GLOS YOUNG MUSICIANS (CA)
Other
M34 MONTEVERDI – VESPERS OF 1610 (GC)
SATURDAY 15 JULY MT07 TALK (PR)
TH M36 FLORILEGIUM
PPR
MF02 THE SCHOOL OF MUSIC
PAC M24 RUSH HOUR II (CA)
M25 MIXTAPE (TA)
M40 ORPHEUS CALEDONIUS (PR)
M39 THE HALLÉ
M37 C21 STRING QUARTET (CA)
Other
M38 COMPOSER ACADEMY SHOWCASE 1 (CA)
SUNDAY 16 JULY TH M41 JEAN-EFFLAM BAVOUZET
PPR
MF03 DR DEE’S DAUGHTER M42 COMPOSER ACADEMY SHOWCASE 2 (CA)
PAC MT06 TALK
5pm
6pm
7pm
M28 TENEBRAE (TA)
8pm
9pm
Other 10pm
11pm
10am
11am
12noon 1pm
2pm
3pm
M43 NEW ENGLISH BALLET THEATRE (ET)
4pm
5pm
6pm
7pm
8pm
9pm
10pm
11pm
wn Hall Pillar Room SQ - St Swithin's, Quenington TA - Tewkesbury Abbey GC - Gloucester Cathedral CA - Chapel Arts SM - St Matthew’s Church AS - All Saints’ Church, Pittville ET - Everyman Theatre 25
WEDNESDAY 12 JULY 11am–12.50pm
M26
BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artists II Pittville Pump Room £24 £18 £12 *
Recorded for broadcast on BBC Radio 3
Box Office 01242 850270
Beatrice Rana piano Van Kuijk Quartet Bach Partita in C minor, BWV 826 20’ Beethoven String Quartet in F, Op. 135 25’ Webern Langsamer Satz 10’ Schumann Piano Quintet in E flat, Op. 44 30’ Our BBC New Generation Artists series continues, this time with exceptionally talented Italian pianist Beatrice Rana, who made her professional concert debut at just 9 years old. She is joined by the Van Kuijk Quartet, returning to Cheltenham after their rousing 2016 renditions of Ravel and Mendelssohn. They present Beethoven’s last major work, Webern’s standalone ‘slow movement’ – written by the 21-year-old composer to commemorate a romantic hiking trip with his future wife – and Schumann’s exuberant Piano Quintet.
M27
3–4pm
Quenington Duo St Swithin’s Church, Quenington £12 *
THE CLIFFORD TAYLOR
Young Artist Series
Andrey Lebedev guitar Lotte Betts-Dean mezzo-soprano Dowland selection including Flow My Tears & Come Again, Sweet Love Doth Now Invite 15’ Britten Folk song selection 9’ Brett Dean Gertrude Fragments; Three Caprichos after Goya 11’ De Falla Siete canciones populares Españolas 12’ From soulful Dowland, through the spirited gypsy folk songs of De Falla to Britten and Brett Dean, Australian duo, mezzo-soprano Lotte Betts-Dean and guitarist Andrey Lebedev – a member of the Countess of Munster Musical Trust’s young artist scheme – showcase the perfect pairing of voice and guitar in this afternoon recital.
25 OR UNDER? Get £5 tickets for every concert! See cheltenhamfestivals.com/under25 for details
26
* Plus transaction fee: charged per order, not per ticket. £2.50 for online and telephone sales, and £1.50 for in person bookings with credit/debit cards. No fee for cash bookings.
WEDNESDAY 12 JULY
cheltenhamfestivals.com
7–7.40pm Talk
MT06
Joby Talbot in Conversation Tewkesbury Abbey Lady Chapel Free ticket required Joby Talbot discusses his work Path of Miracles with fellow composer Michael Zev Gordon.
8–9.30pm
M28
Tenebrae Tewkesbury Abbey £28 £24 £18 £15 * Tenebrae Nigel Short director † with Cheltenham Youth Chamber Choir Owain Park Footsteps † 14’ Joby Talbot Path of Miracles 63’ In their 15th anniversary year, celebrated vocal ensemble Tenebrae revive their major commission from 2005, Joby Talbot’s Path of Miracles. Admired in The Times as ‘an evocative odyssey’, this celebrated work evokes the great European pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela. Candlelight, singing from memory and an imaginative use of space guarantees Tenebrae at its dramatic best.
Joby Talbot is one of the world’s most distinctive and versatile composers. Starting out as keyboardist in The Divine Comedy, he has written for film and TV (including 2016 animation Sing), for the Royal Ballet (Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland), and many performers including Alison Balsom and The King’s Singers. Supported by The Williams Church Music Trust 27
THURSDAY 13 JULY 11am–1pm
Box Office 01242 850270
M29
BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artists III Pittville Pump Room £24 £18 £12 *
Recorded for broadcast on BBC Radio 3
Eivind Holtsmark Ringstad viola Van Kuijk Quartet M30
5.45–6.45pm Brahms String Quintet No 2, Op. 111 30’ Mozart String Quintet No 3 in C, K 515 35’ And music for solo viola by Vieuxtemps, Paganini and Ysaÿe The addition of a second viola to the standard string quartet formation adds a wonderfully rich sonority to the two major works in the Van Kuijk Quartet’s second Cheltenham outing (see page 26). Mozart’s ambitious opening movement inspired Schubert’s great two-cello Quintet, while the piece that Brahms intended to be his final work features the composer’s favourite stringed instrument in a glorious viola duet slow movement. The viola’s versatility is further demonstrated in three exhilarating solo miniatures by Norwegian violist Eivind Holtsmark Ringstad. Supported by the Aquarius Group
25 OR UNDER? Get £5 tickets for every concert! See cheltenhamfestivals.com/under25 for details
28
* Plus transaction fee: charged per order, not per ticket. £2.50 for online and telephone sales, and £1.50 for in person bookings with credit/debit cards. No fee for cash bookings.
BBC Young Musician Rush Hour III Chapel Arts £12.50 * (includes a glass of wine)
THE CLIFFORD TAYLOR
Young Artist Series
Jess Gillam saxophone Steve Lodder piano Programme to include works by Bartok, Debussy, Pedro Itturalde, Phil Woods, Chick Corea and Dave Heath 18 year-old saxophonist Jess Gillam is a force of nature, whose free-flowing musicianship and verve in performance are irresistible. Although Sheku Kanneh-Mason (see page 22) won the 2016 BBC Young Musician competition, Jess was a hugely popular finalist, and this wide-ranging programme will show off her extraordinary talent beautifully.
THURSDAY 13 JULY
cheltenhamfestivals.com 8–9.45pm
M31
Breaking the Rules All Saints’ Church, Pittville £20 * The Marian Consort Gerald Kyd actor Clare Norburn writer Nicholas Renton director
Carlo Gesualdo, Prince of Venosa and Count of Conza, composed some of the most intense and glorious music of the Renaissance. He was also a brutal killer. As the obsessive composer relives the past and makes his final confession, the full horror of his crimes stands in stark contrast to his astonishing music. The Marian Consort perform works by Gesualdo to Clare Norburn’s dramatic monologue, creating a spellbinding fusion of drama and music.
‘...fluid, vivid and, crucially, daring...’ The Guardian 29
FRIDAY 14 JULY 11am–12.45pm
Box Office 01242 850270 M32
Tasmin Little & Martin Roscoe Pittville Pump Room £28 £23 £16 *
7–9pm
Monteverdi — Vespers of 1610
Recorded for broadcast on BBC Radio 3
Gloucester Cathedral £35 £28 £22 £15 £10 *
Tasmin Little violin Martin Roscoe piano
Academy of Ancient Music Academy of Ancient Music Chorus Soloists to include Rowan Pierce soprano Gwilym Bowen tenor Richard Latham bass Robert Howarth director
Brahms Sonatensatz 5’ Beethoven Sonata No 8 in G, Op. 30 No 3 29’ Bliss Sonata for Piano and Violin 12’ Franck Sonata in A 28’ Tasmin Little’s ranking as one of the world’s finest violinists is firmly secured, with numerous awards and rapturous reviews. Equally at home as a concerto soloist or in recital, the full range of her stylish musicianship and artistry will be on show in today’s performance with pianist Martin Roscoe – from Bliss’s lusciously pastoral single-movement work, to Cesar Franck’s thrillingly virtuosic sonata, written as a wedding present for violinist and composer Eugène Ysaÿe. Supported by The Chairman’s Friends
M33
5–6pm
Gloucestershire Young Musicians Chapel Arts £6 *
THE CLIFFORD TAYLOR
Young Artist Series
Clarinettist Hannah Green, winner of the 2016 Keith Nutland Award, is joined in this double recital by the winner (tba) of 2017’s Gloucestershire Young Musician competition. 30
M34
* Plus transaction fee: charged per order, not per ticket. £2.50 for online and telephone sales, and £1.50 for in person bookings with credit/debit cards. No fee for cash bookings.
Monteverdi’s great Vespers of 1610 were written as an ‘audition’ for the job of Maestro di Capella at St Mark’s, Venice, and it’s little wonder that he got the job; the piece is a dazzling demonstration of the great Italian composer’s genius, juxtaposing intimate, prayerful moments with rich, virtuosic music. From the opening cornett and sackbut fanfares filling the rafters of Gloucester Cathedral, The Academy of Ancient Music bring exuberance and flair to evoke the golden grandeur of Monteverdi’s Venice. Supported by The Williams Church Music Trust
FRIDAY 14 JULY
cheltenhamfestivals.com
10–11.10pm
M35
Ensemble Court-Circuit Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre £10 * Ensemble Court-Circuit Students from Birmingham Conservatoire and Lyon Conservatoire Harvey Song offerings 17’ George Benjamin At first light 20’ Adrien Trybucki Magma 8’ Bertrand Madrigal 9’ Patrick Giguère Le sel de la terre 12’ and 4 premieres by students from Birmingham Conservatoire and Lyon Conservatoire for ensemble and electronics
25 OR UNDER? Get £5 tickets for every concert! See cheltenhamfestivals.com/under25 for details
Students of performance and composition at Birmingham and Lyon conservatoires show their passion for some of the most demanding works in the contemporary music repertoire, alongside premieres of student compositions. This concert is the culmination of a year-long project with new music experts Ensemble Court-Circuit. Works by some of the most inventive British and French contemporary composers celebrating microtonality and the physicality of sound will make for an intriguing late-night musical encounter.
31
SATURDAY 15 JULY 11am–12.40pm
Box Office 01242 850270 M36
Florilegium Pittville Pump Room £26 £21 £15 * Florilegium Rowan Pierce soprano Telemann Paris Quartet in D 9’ Vivaldi Cantata: All’ombra di sospetto RV678 11’ Bach Trio Sonata in G, BWV 525 (arr. Florilegium) 12’ Telemann Cantata: Seele, lerne dich erkennen 11’ Bach Trio Sonata, BWV 526 (arr. Florilegium) 12’ Handel Cantatas: Susse stille, sanfte Quelle; Meine Seele hort im Sehen 12’ Florilegium’s last visit to the Festival in 2012 was a celebration of their Brazilian Baroque project. Another repertoire they have championed with great success is the music of J.S. Bach’s less performed, but even more prolific North German contemporary, Georg Philipp Telemann – who died 250 years ago in 1767. This programme sets two of Telemann’s typically engaging works in the context of other works by the Baroque’s ‘big three’, Bach, Handel and Vivaldi. With the pristine clarity of her voice, and directness of expression, rising star soprano Rowan Pierce is the ideal singer to join the instrumentalists of Florilegium in a range of Italian and German cantatas. Supported by Sir Michael and Lady McWilliam
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11am–12noon
MF03
The School of Music – Live! Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre £8 adults £5 children * Ages 7-11 Meurig and Rachel Bowen’s new book for children comes alive in this specially devised event, directed by Lynne Lawrence and featuring actor-musicians Amy Porter and Laurence Kilsby. In this fun and fast-paced sequence of sketches and interactive musical games, meet the book’s characters, including composer-guitarist Ronny ‘Beethoven’ O’Reilly, drummer-percussionist Roxy Mojo, star-singer Diva Venus and cellist Rufus Vibrato.
SATURDAY 15 JULY
cheltenhamfestivals.com 2–3pm
M37
21st Century String Quartet Chapel Arts £12 * Piatti Quartet Joseph Phibbs String Quartet No 1 24’ Darren Bloom new work (premiere) 10’ Mark-Anthony Turnage Contusion 20’ Taking its name from Alfredo Piatti, the great 19th century cellist, and with mentoring currently from the Belcea Quartet, the Piatti Quartet is ‘a signally impressive young ensemble’ (The Sunday Times). A brand new work from Darren Bloom, 2016 RPS Composition Prizewinner, joins two other recent works the Piattis have a close relationship with. Phibbs’ first quartet was a Piatti commission in 2014, and Turnage’s Contusion gained a prizewinning performance from them at the 2015 Wigmore Hall International String Quartet Competition.
4–5pm
M38
Composer Academy Showcase I Chapel Arts Free ticket required Joby Burgess percussion
Your souvenir event-by-event companion to Cheltenham Music Festival: nearly 150 pages packed with feature articles, notes on the music and Q&A-style biographical profiles of all the artists and composers at this year’s Festival. Only £5!
The annual showcase concerts for our Composer Academy invariably feature intriguing and energetic ‘hot-off-the-press’ works by our course participants. The first will be given by virtuoso percussionist Joby Burgess. Hearing the vast differences in approach to writing for the same line-up is always fascinating, and shows the breadth of talent of these young composers.
Add to your basket when booking your tickets, and collect at your first Festival event.
Supported by John Mumford and Penny McCracken
The Festival Guide
33
SATURDAY 15 JULY 5–5.45pm Talk
Box Office 01242 850270
MT07
70 Years of The Hallé at Cheltenham Music Festival Cheltenham Town Hall Pillar Room £5 *
The Hallé Cheltenham Town Hall £40 £35 £30 £18 £12 * The Hallé Roderick Williams baritone Jonathon Heyward conductor
Hailed by Mark Elder as ‘a bright rising star’, American conductor Jonathon Heyward takes to the Town Hall stage with one of the Music Festival’s long-standing favourites, The Hallé. Alongside one of the most beloved of romantic symphonies, and Mahler’s ‘songs of a wayfarer’ performed by captivating baritone Roderick Williams, Ryan Wigglesworth’s new work is inspired by themes from his 2017 opera for ENO, The Winter’s Tale, and is a co-commission with The Hallé, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and Bergen Philharmonic. Ryan Wigglesworth commission and concert supported by C USI FEST M
CH
34
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AL SOCIE IV
Ryan Wigglesworth Clocks from a Winter’s Tale (UK premiere) 20’ Mahler Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen 16’ Tchaikovsky Symphony No 4 46’
M39
TENHAM EL
6–8pm
TY
Manchester’s Hallé Orchestra first came to Cheltenham Music Festival 70 years ago in 1947. Their annual residencies with the great John Barbirolli characterised the Festival’s early decades and resulted in dozens of premieres – many of them taking on the subsequently uncoveted, if occasionally inaccurate, title of ‘Cheltenham Symphony’. With archive photographs and selected recordings, Festival Director Meurig Bowen charts The Hallé’s history in Cheltenham, right up until Edward Gardner’s appearance with them in 2009.
SATURDAY 15 JULY
cheltenhamfestivals.com 8.30–10pm
M40
Orpheus Caledonius: C18th meets contemporary Scottish folk Cheltenham Town Hall Pillar Room £18 * L’Avventura London The Old Blind Dogs Siobhan Miller singer The 18th-century fascination with Scottish tunes was kindled with the publication of William Thomson’s Orpheus Caledonius (1725): the very first collection of Scottish songs to be printed with their melodies. Many of the airs to which Robert Burns later set his own words came from Orpheus Caledonius, but despite its importance, this collection has been nearly forgotten. Period instrument ensemble L’Avventura London pair up with Scotland’s roots revival champions, folk band Old Blind Dogs, and special guest singer Siobhan Miller – two-time winner of the ‘Scots Singer of the Year’ award – to bring to life these hauntingly beautiful melodies and lively, toe-tapping dances. The sounds of eighteenthcentury art music and contemporary folk have never been so engagingly brought together.
25 OR UNDER? Get £5 tickets for every concert! See cheltenhamfestivals.com/under25 for details
35
SUNDAY 16 JULY 11am–12.50pm
Box Office 01242 850270 M41
Jean-Efflam Bavouzet Pittville Pump Room £28 £23 £16 * Jean-Efflam Bavouzet piano Haydn Sonata No 46 in A flat 20’ Beethoven Sonata in C minor, Op. 10 No 1 20’ Beethoven Sonata in F, Op. 10 No 2 14’ Ravel Miroirs 27’ Debussy L’isle joyeuse 6’
2–3pm
Dr Dee’s Daughter and the Philosopher’s Stone Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre £8 adults £5 children * Ages 7–12
Jean-Efflam Bavouzet’s previous two Cheltenham appearances – one of which was an extraordinary three hour Debussy marathon – elicited admiring swoons and a torrent of enthusiasm. Praised in The Observer, after a recent Wigmore Hall recital, for his ‘precision, finesse and fiery elegance,’ this mightily charming and engaging French piano master makes a welcome return with this enticing programme.
Palisander recorders Rust and Stardust puppets Join us for magic, music and mischief in a new family-friendly show, featuring an exciting blend of puppetry, captivating storytelling and recorders like you’ve never heard them before. In 1595, Dr John Dee, alchemist, astronomer and magician, relocates to draughty Manchester College. While he is immersed in study, his daughter Katherine reawakens his abandoned quest to discover the Philosopher’s Stone, the Elixir of Life…
Alongside all the plaudits for his performances of French repertoire, Bavouzet’s recentlycompleted Beethoven sonata cycle for Chandos has also received high praise: his cycle ‘has not been surpassed in the last 30 years,’ wrote the reviewer in Gramophone magazine. ‘Yes, it’s that good.’ Supported by Graham and Eileen Lockwood 36
MF04
Created and performed in collaboration with theatre and puppetry company, Rust and Stardust Productions. 25 OR UNDER? Get £5 tickets for every concert! See cheltenhamfestivals.com/under25 for details
* Plus transaction fee: charged per order, not per ticket. £2.50 for online and telephone sales, and £1.50 for in person bookings with credit/debit cards. No fee for cash bookings.
Supported by Arts Council England
SUNDAY 16 JULY
cheltenhamfestivals.com
2–3.30pm
7.30–9.30pm
M42
New English Ballet Theatre
Composer Academy Showcase II
Everyman Theatre £30 £25 £18 £15 *
Chapel Arts Free ticket required
New English Ballet Theatre with Gildas Quartet Anne Lovett piano
Ligeti Quartet Whether performing on the concert platform, on a fishing boat or on top of iceberg sculptures, the Ligeti Quartet are gaining an unrivalled reputation for their intelligent and energetic interpretation of contemporary music. They conclude their weeklong residency at our Composer Academy (see page 39) with this premiere performance of six brand-new works created by our student composers. Supported by John Mumford and Penny McCracken
M43
A welcome return from the New English Ballet Theatre after its 2015 Music Festival performance at The Everyman. With four acclaimed seasons in London’s West End, NEBT is a fabulous melting pot of new choreography, live music, design and the visual arts.
‘It’s like Ballet Russes all over again!’ Darcey Bussell
Tonight’s mixed bill features the premiere of Jenna Lee’s choreography for The Four Seasons, to Max Richter’s stunningly recomposed Vivaldi score, together with work by choreographers Daniela Cardim and Valentino Zucchetti, and music by Rachmaninov and Brazilian composer Camargo Guarnieri. 37
MORE EVENTS Exhibitions
Box Office 01242 850270 Open Tuesday–Sunday, 10am–4pm
Chapel Arts Exhibitions Free Elizabeth Jacobs 5–16 July Photographer Elizabeth Jacobs visits the festival each year, taking behind-the-scenes pictures of musicians in rehearsal. She presents her favourites from the 2016 Festival in this display.
Wood Block Prints 5–23 July Dramatic, large-scale Wood Block prints by a variety of British artists. Each artist shows a selection of printed works. www.thechapelarts.com
11 June – 2 July 2017 Gardens are open 10am–5pm daily
Fresh Air 2017 Quenington Old Rectory, Cirencester, GL7 5BN £4 U17 Free refreshments available The 13th biennial sculpture exhibition in the glorious gardens of the Old Rectory in Quenington. Beautiful and thought-provoking sculptures from a wide range of international artists and fresh new talent, available to purchase for as little as £50. www.freshairsculpture.com 38
Friday 7 July, 4pm
St Matthew’s Church Free (no ticket required) Friday Afternoons Schools Singing Project Singing leader Rachel Bowen has been working with a number of local primary schools on Jonathan Dove’s newly written songs for Snape Maltings’ Friday Afternoons project. In this culminatory event, they come together to perform Dove’s Friday Afternoons set with Cheltenham Youth Choir.
* Plus transaction fee: charged per order, not per ticket. £2.50 for online and telephone sales, and £1.50 for in person bookings with credit/debit cards. No fee for cash bookings.
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COMPOSER ACADEMY
cheltenhamfestivals.com
Sunday 9 – Sunday 16 July
5th Cheltenham Composer Academy Hundreds of applicants from across the world apply each year to our Composer Academy for early-career composers. The 12 most outstanding of these come to Cheltenham for an intensive week of coaching, attending Festival concerts, hearing their pieces workshopped and performed, and receiving advice on their craft from visiting composers and other industry experts. The Composer Academy is a wonderful springboard for talented young composers, with previous students going on to forge high-profile careers. We feature premieres by two former students in this year’s Festival, Daniel Kidane (2013 Academy, see page 15) and James Wilson (2015 Academy, see page 21). Madara Petersone, 2015 Participant
Joby Burgess
Participants will work with Joby Burgess, The Ligeti Quartet and composer Michael Zev Gordon – in his second year of his Guest Directorship, generously supported by University of Birmingham – to finesse each participant’s compositions and showcase the finished compositions in two showcase concerts (see pages 33 & 37).
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James Wilson, 2015 participant, commissioned 2017
Course Director, Michael Zev Gordon
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For more details, or to apply (before 18 April 2017), see cheltenhamfestivals.com/composer-academy
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Supported by: John Mumford and Penny McCracken, The Marychurch Fellowship and The Michael Tippett Musical Foundation 39
MUSIC FOR SCHOOLS 2017
Box Office 01242 850270
June 2017
Gamelan Workshop
Music Workshops For Schools
with Jonathan Roberts At Gloucester Academy of Music, Barbican House, Gloucester
£30 administration fee per workshop Most suitable for Key Stage 2 and 3
Don’t miss this opportunity for your pupils to enjoy an inspirational musical and cultural experience with gamelan expert Jonathan Roberts. Have fun, hone your listening skills, and enhance your awareness of pitch, tempo and rhythm while you play. Travel subsidies are available.
Percussion Workshop with Owen Gunnell and George Kirkham
Piano Workshop
In school
In school
Explore pulse, rhythm and tempo, and try your hand at composition in these fast-paced, fully interactive percussion workshops. All equipment will be provided, and everyone will play an instrument – all you have to supply is the children!
Everyone knows how a piano works – you press a key and a note sounds. But what really goes on beneath the lid? Make a date with Anne and find out. Explore your school piano; discover great music; and find out what it’s like to be a composer today.
With thanks to all the supporters of Music for Schools 2017 TENHAM EL
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with Anne Lovett
For full details, including how to book, go to cheltenhamfestivals.com/music-for-schools
Supported by funding from Make Music Gloucestershire, the county’s music education hub
MUSIC FOR SCHOOLS 2017
cheltenhamfestivals.com
Musicate: School Outreach Programme Numeracy? No problem! Literacy? Bring it on! Music? No thanks!
Friday 7 July
Concert for Schools and Music Explorers Cheltenham Town Hall Concert 10.30–11.30am Music Explorers 11.45am–12.40pm and 12.45–1.40pm Only £1 per pupil Suitable for Key Stage 2 Featuring live music, live composition, and masses of audience participation, this concert will keep you and your pupils on the edge of your seats. Enjoy the thrilling sound of big brass with the Flowers Band, find your voice with the fantastic E STuudio Chamber Choir from Estonia, and join musicians from Birmingham Conservatoire to create and perform a unique piece of music. Following the concert, become a Music Explorer and have a go on a range of different instruments.
Do you dread planning and teaching music? Or do you wish you had more time for music in class? Would you like the joy of music to spread through your school? Then you need to sign your school up for Musicate. Musicate is an outreach programme for primary school teachers, devised and produced by Cheltenham Festivals. The project offers bespoke CPD sessions along with the support and input of a conservatoire musician linked to each school. You will develop skills and confidence, and you and your pupils will learn to really listen to, appreciate, and enjoy a broad range of music. Musicate is fully-funded, so the costs to schools are minimal. Apply for your place, and increase the profile and enjoyment of music in your school. ‘The children now listen to both classical music and jazz with more focus and purpose; they enjoy music much more and can concentrate on a piece of music for longer because they are listening in a different way. They are also developing the language and confidence to talk about music, and are confident in their own interpretation.’ Alex Brown, Linden Primary School, Gloucester
To find out more, visit cheltenhamfestivals.com/musicate
The Adams Youth Trust Colwinston Charitable Trust The John Armitage Charitable Trust The Reed Foundation We would also like to thank all of our generous individual supporters, including the 70th Festival Appeal Donors. 41
This is the story of human ambition
HSBC is proud to support Cheltenham Festivals.
www.hsbc.co.uk
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Issued by HSBC Bank plc AC32447
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Cheltenham Music Festival is presented by Cheltenham Festivals, a company limited by guarantee. Cheltenham Festivals Board of Trustees Dominic Collier (Chair) Diane Savory OBE (Vice Chair) Edward Gillespie OBE (Chair of Cheltenham Music Festival) Susan Blanchfield Lewis Carnie Prof Mark Lythgoe Prof Averil Macdonald OBE Chief Executive Louise Emerson Company Secretary Theresa Grech Registered Office 28 Imperial Square, Cheltenham, GL50 1RH
Company No. 456573 Charity No. 251765 VAT Registration No. 100114013 Main Switchboard No. 01242 511211
Music Festival Director Meurig Bowen Music Festival Managers Laura Ashby, Tamsyn Hamilton CF Productions and Box Office Andrew Bate, Samantha Bonnes, Cathie Harris-Hawkins, Elaine Holt, Silvia Loi, Jo Marsh Development John Creedon, Sue Dudley, Malcolm Dunn, Lisa Garrett, Arlene McGlynn, Jenna Marks, Martin Perks, Laura Popperwell, Helen Roe, Hollie Smith-Charles Marketing and Press Alex Booth, James Davis, David Drakeley, Hanna Goldschmidt, Bairbre Lloyd, Pete Riley
Festival Advisory Group Rob Adediran, Jonathan Freeman-Attwood, Christopher Cook, Kate Johnson, Rosemary Johnson, Mark Kilfoyle, Judith Serota OBE, David Sigall, Harriet Smith With many thanks to the staff and volunteers who provide invaluable support and help make the Festival a success. Contact If you have specific comments about any aspect of the Festival, please email boxoffice@cheltenhamfestivals.com Artwork Credits Main programme illustration © 2017 Michelle Thompson Printed by Orchard Press Cheltenham Ltd.
Education Philippa Claridge, Ali Mawle, Sharron Pearson, Rose Wood
Photography Credits Visit cheltenhamfestivals.com/photos for a full photo credit list.
Administration, Executive and Finance Helena Bibby, Adrian Farnell, Angie Hawkins, Lucie Howkins, Aline Imray
A number of events at the 2017 Cheltenham Music Festival are co-productions with New Build Productions.
Operations Adrian Hensley, Anna Jukes, Jessica Taylor, Megan Watt
If you require this brochure in large format please call 01242 850270. 43
PATRONS
Get closer to the Festivals with Patronage Join this exclusive group of supporters and make a real difference to our work as a charity. • Dedicated ticket line with advance booking • Access to hospitality areas at the Literature and Jazz Festivals • Invitations to special events and parties throughout the year From £75 per month, your Patronage covers all four Festivals.
To find out more please contact Arlene McGlynn, Patrons Manager on 01242 537252 arlene.mcglynn@ cheltenhamfestivals.com or visit cheltenhamfestivals.com/ patrons 44
We would like to thank all our Patrons for their generous support, including those who have chosen to remain anonymous. Life Patrons Mark and Sue Blanchfield Peter and Anne Bond Dominic and Jannene Collier Michael and Felicia Crystal Colin and Suzanne Doak The Eaton Family Charles Fisher David and John Hall Margaret Headen Diane and Mark Hill Jeremy and Germaine Hitchins Family Jonathan and Cassinha Hitchins Family Stephen and Tania Hitchins Family Jeff and Keren Iliffe Elizabeth and Michael Jones and Family Rick and Lisa Jones Steven and Linda Jones Hugh and Sue Koch The Kwintner Family Robert and Moira Leechman Hazel and Jeremy Lewis Graham and Eileen Lockwood The McKelvie Family Fiona McLeod The McWilliam family in loving memory of Ruth McWilliam Keith Norton and Piers Norton Mark and Elizabeth Philip-Sørensen John and Susan Singer
Simon Skinner and Jean Gouldsmith Skinner Andrew Smith Phil and Jennifer Stapleton Liz and Neil Stewart Sharon Studer and Graham Beckett Chris and Bridgette Sunman Fiona and David Symondson Ludmila and Hodson Thornber The Walker Family Michael and Jacqueline Woof
Directors’ Circle Dr Lynda Albertyn and Pat Gallasch Mike and Kerry Alcock Heather Barrett Jack and Dora Black Andrew Chard Michael and Angela Cronk Nigel and Sally Dimmer Paul and Caroline Feinson Jeremy and Alison Halliday Stephen Hodge Andrew and Caroline Hope Simon and Emma Keswick Andrew and Susanne Malim Sir Peter and Lady Marychurch Hayden and Tracy McKinnes Des and ChiChi Mills Chris Morgan The Oldham Foundation Michele Rodriguez-Wise and Dustin Wise Dr Gill Samuels CBE Peter Stormonth Darling Charitable Trust
Gold Patron David and Hayley Ashley Geraldine and Jim Beaty Christopher Bence Stephen and Victoria Bond Charlie Chan Stuart and Gillian Corbyn Wallace and Morag Dobbin Peter and Sue Elliott Maurice Gran and Carol James Lord and Lady Hoffmann Anthony Hoffman and Dr Christine Facer Hoffman Elizabeth Jacobs Jocelyn and Dave McNulty Sir Michael and Lady McWilliam Janet and Charles Middleton Paul and Kathy Mottershead Martin and Susan Pickard Shelley and Paul Roberts Sharon and Toby Roberts Khal and Zoe Rudin Brenda Salters and Harold Longmate Elizabeth Saunders Esther and Peter Smedvig Andy and Ali Stalsberg Giles and Michelle Thorley Ian and Liz Topping Michael and Rosie Warner Anne Wood CBE Stephen Wood William Wyman We would also like to thank all our Silver Patrons who are listed at cheltenhamfestivals.com/ patron-acknowledgements
SUPPORT US
Safeguard the future of Cheltenham Music Festival Please consider a gift in your Will
By remembering Cheltenham Music Festival in your will you can make a lasting difference to our work. Every year we depend on donations and gifts in wills to create an outstanding programme which premieres new music and fosters the next generation of musicians. We understand that your loved ones will come first, but a gift of any size would be greatly appreciated and can help to safeguard the future of this magnificent Festival. To talk in confidence about gifts in wills please contact Arlene McGlynn, Patrons Manager on 01242 537252, or email arlene.mcglynn@cheltenhamfestivals.com
Charity No. 251765
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PRINCIPAL VENUES ‘The Festival’s morning recitals at the Pump Room are its continuing glory.’ The Sunday Times
GL52 3JE
Pittville Pump Room 1820s Regency elegance — a crystal-clear acoustic, the wow factor of a high central cupola, a lovely colonnade and stunning park views.
‘One of the best acoustic spaces anywhere.’ The Sunday Times
Cheltenham Town Hall Early 20th century Edwardian elegance — the classic ‘shoebox’ concert hall.
Seating capacity: 400
Seating capacity: 950
Perfect for: the world’s finest pianists, singers and chamber ensembles.
Perfect for: symphony orchestras at full throttle — thrilling clarity and impact.
GL50 1QA
Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre
Everyman Theatre A beautifully restored gem of a late 19th century theatre. Designed by Frank Matcham (London Coliseum, London Palladium, Buxton Opera House et al.)
State-of-the-art 21st century theatre meets 19th century foyer and gallery space. Intimate, versatile and classy. Seating capacity: 300
GL50 3AA 46
Perfect for: everything from cabaret and opera to talks, film and family events.
Seating capacity: 700 GL50 1HQ
Perfect for: theatre, opera and dance.
PRINCIPAL VENUES Tewkesbury Abbey
Gloucester Cathedral
A stunning Abbey church, consecrated in 1121. Elementally huge pillars supporting Norman arches in the nave, beautifully located on the edge of town.
Begun in 1089 and remodelled over four centuries, its architectural magnificence encompasses Norman and English Gothic styles. Steeped in history — from royal coronations and burials to Harry Potter film sets.
Seating capacity: 750
GL20 5RZ
Perfect for: roof-raising, bliss-inducing choral and organ music.
Seating capacity: 1000 GL1 2LX
Perfect for: grand musical events featuring choirs and orchestras.
All Saints’ Church, Pittville
Chapel Arts An intimate Georgian chapel in the heart of Cheltenham, recently converted into a stylish gallery and arts space.
A colourful and richly decorated Neo-Gothic church, with a fabulous acoustic and beautiful stained glass – some by Burne-Jones. Gustav Holst’s father, Adolph, was All Saints’ first organist.
Seating capacity: 100
GL50 3QQ
Perfect for: relaxed daytime events, evening encounters, chamber music and family events.
Seating capacity: 300 GL52 2HG
Perfect for: choirs and vocal ensembles. 47
HOW TO BOOK Booking Dates
Getting to Cheltenham Music Festival
Members’ Priority Booking: From 1pm, Wednesday 29 March 2017 Public Booking: From 1pm, Wednesday 5 April 2017
Most events take place in central Cheltenham, which is easily accessible from all over the UK, by road and rail.
cheltenhamfestivals.com 29 March–16 July 2017 Please help us reduce our environmental impact by choosing e-tickets, which can be shown on a mobile device
+44 (0)1242 850270 29 March–7 April 2017 and 12–21 April 2017 Tuesday–Friday, 10am–5pm
Before the Festival: CF Ticketing, 15 Suffolk Parade, Cheltenham, GL50 2AE 29 March–7 April 2017 and 12–21 April 2017 Tuesday–Friday, 10am–5pm During the Festival: At venues, from 45 minutes before the start of an event
For more information on public transport and car parking go to cheltenhamfestivals.com/your-visit
Venue Postcodes Within Cheltenham All Saints’ Church, Pittville GL52 2HG Chapel Arts GL50 3QQ Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre GL50 3AA Cheltenham Town Hall GL50 1QA Dean Close Chapel GL51 6HE Everyman Theatre GL50 1HQ Pittville Pump Room GL52 3JE St Matthew’s Church GL50 3PL Beyond Cheltenham Gloucester Cathedral GL1 2LX St Swithin’s Church, Quenington GL7 5BN Tewkesbury Abbey GL20 5RZ
For any queries please contact us at boxoffice@cheltenhamfestivals.com For full details about Box Office opening hours, in person and telephone ticket sales, booking fees, terms & conditions and Membership, visit cheltenhamfestivals.com/booking If you have any special access requirements, such as needing to book a wheelchair space, you can book using our online form which will be available from 29 March at cheltenhamfestivals.com/access-requirements
Quicker and Easier Booking with Wish Lists Book tickets with just a few clicks by creating a Wish List in advance. Start yours at cheltenhamfestivals.com/music
Charity No. 251765
Are you aged 16–25? Get special offers and ticket discounts across all four Cheltenham Festivals – including £5 tickets at every Music Festival event – with our FREE 16-25 Membership. Register at cheltenhamfestivals.com/16-25
Illustration by Michelle Thompson