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FESTIVAL FUN & FROLICS
A bumper programme of performances as Lichfield Festival celebrates its 40th birthday A month after Her Majesty The Queen marked 70 glorious years on the throne, another great British institution is celebrating an anniversary of its very own. One of the Midlands’ most popular multi-arts events - the Lichfield Festival - turns 40 in 2022, and organisers have been pulling out all the stops to make the 11-day get-together an occasion to remember... Included in a typically eclectic programme are contributions from Tony Hadley, Brodsky Quartet, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Ayanna Witter-Johnson, The Longest Johns, Rachel Podger, Ballet Cymru and the National Youth Jazz Orchestra. Commenting on this year’s line-up, Lichfield Festival Director Damian Thantrey said: “Since the first event in 1982, Lichfield Festival has brought artists and musicians of the highest calibre, and audiences local and national, to this beautiful city. Alongside fabulous
established and up-and-coming artists, our 40th anniversary will feature works from the first festival, new commissions, bespoke 1980s-themed shows, music honouring the 150th anniversary of the composer Ralph Vaughan Williams, and the inaugural Midlands Choir of the Year. “We’re thrilled that Tony Hadley has agreed to launch the celebrations for us, and delighted also to welcome new principal festival sponsor McArthurGlen. “As always, there will be dance, drama, comedy, family fun, fireworks and free events - all the hallmarks that have made Lichfield Festival a cultural beacon for the last 40 years.” The festival runs at various venues from Thursday 7 to Sunday 17 July. For more information, visit lichfieldfestival.org
LICHFIELD FESTIVAL’S 40th ANNIVERSARY HIGHLIGHTS - BOOK YOUR TICKETS NOW!
BALLET CYMRU: DREAM Lichfield Cathedral, Fri 8 July
NATIONAL YOUTH JAZZ ORCHESTRA Lichfield Cathedral, Tues 12 July
AYANNA WITTER-JOHNSON Lichfield Cathedral, Wed 13 July
Boasting a reputation for presenting innovative, challenging and original productions, Ballet Cymru here present a brand-new full-length show based on Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Described as ‘a magical, gender-bending world of fairies, lovers and bewitching enchantment’, the production comes complete with a score by Olivier Awardwinning composer Frank Moon...
Bespoke arrangements of classic American Songbook melodies are the name of the game when the National Youth Jazz Orchestra (NYJO) present their Heritage programme, Basie And Beyond. A celebration of the incomparable William James ‘Count’ Basie, the concert also sees NYJO explore the impact on popular music made by 20th-century Black American artists including Frank Foster, Dizzy Gillespie and Quincy Jones.
Multi-talented singer, songwriter, composer and cellist Ayanna Witter-Johnson is a bornin-Britain second-generation Jamaican whose body of work represents, celebrates and pays homage to her ancestral heritage, culture and identity. Seamlessly crossing the boundaries of classical, jazz, reggae, soul and R&B, Ayanna has collaborated with artists including Anoushka Shankar, Nitin Sawhney, Andrea Bocelli and Jools Holland.
THE LONGEST JOHNS Lichfield Cathedral, Thurs 14 July
BACK TO THE EIGHTIES... The Hub at St Mary’s, Sat 16 July
STEVEN ISSERLIS Lichfield Cathedral, Sun 17 July
This month making their first-ever appearance at the Lichfield Festival, trailblazing Bristol quartet The Longest Johns have enjoyed a meteoric rise to fame over the last few years. Starting out as sea-shantysinging pals plying their trade in local pubs, the boys have gone on to enjoy roof-raising success at Latitude, score a major hit with TikTok phenomenon Wellerman, and garner a staggering 250 million streams online.
The 1980s. The decade of Glasnost, yuppies, Miami Vice, mullet hair-dos and giant shoulder pads. The Iron Lady crushed the invading Argentinians and striking miners. Bob Geldof inspired Live Aid... And the Lichfield Festival was born... Associate artist Jessica Walker here sings her own stylish interpretations of hit 1980s numbers by Kate Bush, Dolly Parton, Annie Lennox, Barbra Streisand and many more.
The 40th anniversary festival closes with what’s certain to be a superb recital by renowned British cellist Steven Isserlis. Steven first appeared at the festival in 1988, playing a solo recital featuring two of the Bach Cello Suites, and returned in 1989 to play the Elgar Cello Concerto with the CBSO. This year sees him performing Moscheles Cello Sonata, Op121, and Beethoven Cello Sonata No3 in A major, Op69.
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