SwanFest 2023 – help add to the £23k raised in memory of 14mth old Morris

The Swan Theatre Yeovil is renowned for its innovative approach to the arts, and this summer’s Music Festival is no exception. Breaking new ground, the Swan Theatre will be opening its unique and intimate space to host a series of classical music concerts for the very first time in its history. The Swan Music Festival is under the guidance of Mike Stanley, who enjoyed a successful career as a pianist and musical director in London’s West End for over four decades. Following his move to Somerset, he has continued to pursue his passion for music, and is a dedicated member of the Swan Theatre. He is the founder and creator of the festival, and the event will feature The Cirrus Quartet and guests who will perform four concerts of chamber music.

Mike will be joined by other leading solo and chamber music performers, all of whom have worked with most of the top chamber and symphony orchestras in Great Britain. The festival’s program will feature a selection of popular chamber music, by the likes of Beethoven, Mozart, Debussy, and Schubert. Spanning four days in July, the Swan Music Festival will bring the beauty and richness of chamber music to Yeovil.

Remembering Morris

This year’s festival holds a special significance due to the poignant circumstances surrounding its inception. During the early stages of planning the event, Mike Stanley tragically lost his grandson, Morris, to Strep A at just 14 months old. The Swan Music Festival provides an opportunity to raise funds for Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH), where Morris was treated, and to honour his memory. The Stanley family’s charitable efforts, including Mike’s son Ben running the Paris Marathon just seven weeks after the loss of his son, have already raised over £27,000 for GOSH. The Swan Music Festival will further contribute to this worthy cause, supporting the extraordinary efforts made thus far, and serving as a celebration of Mike’s two greatest joys in life: family and music. The festival takes place from 19th to 22nd July, with each day featuring performances by renowned musicians. Some of the highlights include:

• 19th July:

W.H.Reed – Legende for String Quartet

Percy Hilder Miles – Clarinet Quintet

Brahms – Clarinet Quintet

• 20th July:

Mozart – Piano Quartet K 493

W.H.Reed – String Quartet No 5

Elgar – Piano Quintet

• 21st July:

Beethoven – Piano Trio ‘The Ghost’

Debussy – Cello Sonata

Clara Schumann – Piece for violin and piano

Brahms – C minor piano quartet

• 22nd July:

Vaughan Williams – Piano Quintet

Brahms – String Quartet opus 51 no 2

Schubert – “The Trout” Quintet

To attend the Swan Music Festival, tickets are £15 from swan-theatre.co.uk (or £50 for all four concerts if bought via the box office at swantheatreboxoffice@gmail.com)