Events Listing

Church Stretton Arts Festival 2023 has now finished.

Here was the Events List for our 2023 Festival (29th July - 12th August):

The Katona Twins
The Katona Twins
To launch this year’s Festival we welcome versatile guitar duo Peter and Zoltán Katona. Effortlessly transferring from classical to popular genres, their unusual style combines classical, flamenco and finger-picking techniques with the energetic stage presence of lead guitarists. Their latest programme Hollywood & Swing features popular film music themes balanced by more serious but little-known works by Castelnuovo-Tedesco, closing with the music of Django Reinhardt – the king of gypsy jazz!
“The classical world’s best known guitar duo” – Daily Telegraph
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Song recital by baritone Paul Mocroft, accompanied by John Jenkin. Two of our regular contributors who always offer us really attractive programmes.
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Piano duet recital by Gill Styles and Richard Walker, including Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition.
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Reiko Fujisawa and Friends
Reiko Fujisawa and Friends
Japanese-born Reiko Fujisawa has established herself as a formidable virtuoso pianist with a flair for creating innovatively themed programmes in collaboration with some of the UK’s top wind and string players. In an evening to be introduced by broadcaster and journalist Peter Quantrill, Reiko will be joined by Anna Noakes (flute) and Jonathan Williams (French horn) to explore the theme of Forests & Flowers. (Please note change of musicians.)
“Her elegant playing … was a total joy” – The Times
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Workshop – Slab Tiles Pottery
Workshop – Slab Tiles Pottery
The first of this year’s Art Exhibition workshops will be led by the talented potter Lucinda Lovesey. We are pleased to welcome her back following her highly successful and enjoyable visit in 2022 when visitors were delighted to meet her and enthralled at seeing the display of items she made when appearing on the television series The Great Pottery Throw Down.
Under Lucinda’s tuition and guidance workshop participants will have the opportunity to make their own unique piece of pottery using a sgraffito technique to incise their design. Her talent and personality are guaranteed to make this a highly enjoyable experience. All sessions are now fully booked.
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Music for wind ensemble and piano: a rare performance of the wonderful Quintet by Heinrich von Herzogenberg.
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Pauline Prior-Pitt
Pauline Prior-Pitt
We welcome Pauline all the way from North Uist in the Hebrides to read her award-winning poetry. Pauline’s poetry, delivered with warmth and humour, beautifully reflects the relationships between men and women and the preoccupations in women’s lives. Many of her poems are deeply rooted reflections on island life, the sea and the shore.
“Pauline’s performance of her clever, funny, poignant and lyrical poems is simply magical.” – Jane Streeter, Director Lowdam Book Festival
Ticket price includes tea/coffee and cake.
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Callum Smart & Richard Uttley
Callum Smart & Richard Uttley
Callum Smart is quickly developing an international reputation as one of Britain’s finest young violinists. Winner of the 2010 BBC Young Musician strings category and top European prize-winner at the Menuhin Competition in the same year, Smart now enjoys concert appearances with the UK’s leading orchestras, and has performed at many of Europe’s most prestigious venues. This duo recital with pianist Richard Uttley will include music by Mozart, Brahms, Kate Whitley and Richard Strauss.
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A recital by award-winning young harpist Gina Taylor.
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Fontanella
Fontanella
Featuring four of the UK’s leading professional recorder players, Fontanella entertains audiences of all ages with programmes designed to bring the history of the recorder to life. They will introduce us to The Delightful Companion, a recital focused on English music from the seventeenth century and inspired by a recorder tutor book of that name. Written in a period of political and social upheaval when society faced recovery from war and plague, many will find in this music parallels with our present age.
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Music for clarinet, violin and viola presented by Mark and Claire Tocknell with pianist Brenda Stephenson.
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Kensington Brass
Kensington Brass
Festival regulars will remember the magnificent sound of a brass dectet filling St Laurence’s Church when Kensington Brass appeared at the 2016 Festival. Since then these ten exceptional young players have performed at venues including Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, Kensington Palace and the Royal Albert Hall. Members of the ensemble write and arrange their repertoire to form original and exciting programmes, pushing the boundaries of their instruments and showcasing the talents of the individual players.
“Your musicians in Kensington Brass put on a stunning show tonight – every possible style going down with great aplomb.” – Alison Balsom
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A welcome return of Band on the Edge who ended our week to great acclaim in 2019.
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Exhibition – Hand Weaving Demonstration
Exhibition – Hand Weaving Demonstration
We are delighted to welcome accomplished weaver Sue Christian, along with one of her looms, who will spend the day demonstrating the wonderful craft form of hand weaving. Her acceptance as a member of the prestigious Shropshire Guild of Contemporary Craft indicates the high level of her talent and we feel privileged to have the opportunity of sharing this with visitors to the Exhibition. Drop in, watch, learn about the technique and appreciate the beauty of the wonderful textile she produces. Normal Exhibition entry fees apply.
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Dirty Rockin' Scoundrels
Dirty Rockin' Scoundrels
Come and rock to the best Rock ’n’ Roll music of the 50s and 60s! With an entertaining and energetic live show, this evening with Dirty Rockin’ Scoundrels is guaranteed to rock your socks off and get you grooving all night long!
You will be treated to hits like C’mon Everybody, Jailhouse Rock, Johnny B Goode and many, many more.
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Workshop – Mixed Media Figurine
Workshop – Mixed Media Figurine
Our second workshop will give participants the opportunity of making their own unique mixed media sculpture. Visitors to last year’s exhibition will have seen and admired the beautiful figurines skilled crafts person Stephanie Jacobs entered. We are delighted that this year Stephanie will be sharing her talent by leading a one-day workshop. Under her personal tuition attendees will be guided through the creation process, culminating in having a 45cm high figurine to proudly take home at the end of the day. An enjoyable, fun day being creative will be had by all. All sessions are now fully booked.
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Finding Chester
Finding Chester
We are delighted to invite you to join a magical, musical and moggy-filled adventure for 5-12 year olds and their families. Come and help Rhubarb Theatre find Chester, the missing cat, in this fun-filled fantasy for all the family. Finding Chester is a show told through visual inventiveness, puppetry, mask, dance, song and lots of laughter.
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Harmoniemusik
Harmoniemusik
Following their memorable performance in the 2017 Festival, we are delighted to welcome back this versatile and long-established ensemble. Five musicians present a varied programme for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, recorder, piano and harpsichord, spanning the centuries from eighteenth century baroque sonatas to contemporary works specially written for these players.
“Wonderfully melodic and beautifully crafted, the instruments converse and blend with exceptional grace” – Sarah Walker, BBC Radio 3
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Richard Walker gives a recital on the church's large and versatile electronic organ.
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Where is Mrs Christie?
Where is Mrs Christie?
In 1926, Agatha Christie was at the centre of a mystery when she disappeared for eleven days, sparking one of the biggest hunts in history. She was found in a hotel in Harrogate. Did Agatha Christie lie? Did she suffer from amnesia? Was it a publicity stunt? Or was there a darker secret involved in this disappearance which was to affect her for the rest of her life? Liz Grand gives a compelling and tantalising performance in this fascinating drama.
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The Bayeux Tapestry: 950 years of propaganda, intrigue and spin
The Bayeux Tapestry: 950 years of propaganda, intrigue and spin
The Bayeux Tapestry is instantly recognisable and one of the most outstanding cultural objects to survive from the early Middle Ages. In this sparkling lecture, Timothy Wilcox will talk about the creation of the tapestry and address many of the unanswered questions that most intrigue modern audiences, while also considering the use of the tapestry in the centuries since its creation. We are delighted that Mr Wilcox, a highly experienced lecturer, writer and exhibition curator, will present this lecture.
Ticket prices include tea/coffee and cake.
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Meraki Duo
Meraki Duo
Meera Maharaj (flute) and James Girling (guitar) are the Meraki Duo who believe in “doing something you love with all your creativity, soul and passion”. Meera is Co-principal Flute of Chineke! Orchestra and has performed at the BBC Proms; James has performed Rodrigo’s guitar concertos alongside orchestras across England since his solo Wigmore Hall debut in 2017; together they were finalists in the 2019 Royal Over-Seas League Competition. This distinctively diverse pair of instruments explore arrangements of music from Schubert and Dvořák classics through Piazzolla to Pascoal and Gismonti folk rock.
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David Thomas demonstrates the fine Nicholson organ, that was rebuilt in 2018/19.
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The Trials of Cato
The Trials of Cato
We are thrilled to present the talented, award-winning trio, The Trials of Cato, whose rise on the folk scene has received massive critical attention. While paying clear homage to folk music’s traditional roots, they add a catchy and modern twist, producing lively, toe-tapping tunes and captivating stories. Their first album won Best Album at the 2019 Radio 2 Folk Awards, and their recently released second album is being received with similar critical acclaim.
“One of the real discoveries on the folk circuit in recent times.” – Mark Radcliffe, BBC Radio 2
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Dante Quartet
Dante Quartet
One of the UK’s finest string ensembles, the Dante Quartet is known for its imaginative programming and impassioned performances, has been honoured with the Royal Philharmonic Society Award for Chamber Music and has received international awards for its many recordings. The Quartet was founded in 1995 by four players with distinguished solo and orchestral careers who chose its name to reflect the idea of an epic journey; it is now led by Zoë Beyers who gave an impressive recital in the 2019 Festival.
“The unflinching integrity of their interpretation and the excitement of their playing were consistently superb” – The Guardian
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Timothy Morris gives a recital on St Laurence's Nicholson organ, built for this church in 1883.
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She'Koyokh
She'Koyokh
Our finale this year will once again be held at Concord College where we will be enthralled by a rousing evening of Balkan music from She’Koyokh, a multi-talented, award-winning 7-piece band that plays “the best klezmer and Balkan music in Britain” (Evening Standard).
The virtuoso musicians of She’Koyokh produce diverse, innovative, exciting music and have released four globally acclaimed albums. This really is an evening not to be missed!
“One of the finest and most entertaining British-based exponents of global music.” – The Guardian
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Photo credits:
Reiko Fujisawa: Kim Watson
Pauline Prior-Pitt: Kippin & Neate
Callum Smart & Richard Uttley: Patrick Allen/Roscoe Rutter/Cathy Pyle
Dante: Gail Secker
She'Koyakh: Savannah Photographic
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