Southwell Music Festival

Southwell Minster and other venues in Southwell. 25 - 28 Aug Southwell Music Festival is back this August Bank Holiday weekend

Southwell Music Festival welcomes professional musicians and performers from across the UK, as well as shining a spotlight on the best of Nottinghamshire’s home-grown talent.

Acclaimed pianist Jeneba KannehMason makes a welcome return to the Festival for a headline recital at Southwell Minster on 26 Aug. Jeneba performed at the very first Southwell Music Festival back in 2014, aged just 11.

For classical fans, Saturday evening sees the Festival Baroque Sinfonia and on Sunday, the Baroque Sinfonia is joined by the Festival Voices for a celebration of Handel to mark this coronation year.

This year the Festival Voices perform choral works alongside the poetry of writer and civil rights activist Maya Angelou for a Friday evening concert of music and words to encourage, challenge, and inspire.

For folk and jazz enthusiasts, fiddler and composer Aidan O’Rourke returns to Southwell, joining forces with pioneering piper Brìghde Chaimbeul for a Friday lunchtime Festival Folk gig. Nottinghamshire-based jazz trumpeter Hugh Pascall is also back with his quintet for a Sunday afternoon of jazz in the Festival Marquee, plus watch out for Hugh’s free pop-up performances across the town on the Saturday.

Head to Southwell Minster’s stunning Palace Gardens for a Musical Picnic - a free Saturday afternoon of music, workshops and fun for all. Play along with the Nottingham Samba Collective and enjoy performances from the Phoenix Saxophone Orchestra and talented young musicians from The Minster School.

Book your place at this year’s Come and Sing – fine-tune your vocal skills and perform alongside professional singers, culminating in an informal performance of Vivaldi’s Gloria, accompanied by the Festival Baroque Sinfonia.

As always, the free Festival Fringe brings even more music to Southwell, this year raising money for Trent Dementia. Fringe performers include Nottingham Young Musician winner Benjamin Staniforth and pianist Annie McChrystal. For the first-time musicians will also bring classical, folk and jazz sounds to Ceramics in Southwell in the Market Square on Sunday.

Early career musicians will be playing as part of the Festival’s apprenticeship scheme for string players and singers. Asaka Quartet from the Royal Academy of Music and alumni from the acclaimed Genesis Sixteen programme will play alongside established professionals and present their own concerts. Local young musicians will also receive expert tuition from Festival artists in the annual Masterclass.

Festival Friends enjoy priority booking for all concerts and events. For more information about the concert, buying tickets and joining Festival Friends visit: southwellmusicfestival.com

As a registered charity, Southwell Music Festival welcomes new sponsors and donors. If you or your business wants to make a difference to arts in the region by supporting Southwell Music Festival 2023 please email: sar@southwellmusicfestival.com