2025 Festival: 26th July – 10th August
We are thrilled to present our 2025 programme. Details are listed below.
Exhibition Workshop bookings are now open; main event bookings open 31st May and will be available:
- Online from this page
- By calling TicketSource on 0333 666 3366
- In person at Church Stretton Library on Saturday 31st May and the Health and Wellbeing Centre on Tuesday 3rd June, 10am-2pm
As well as these events, we will also be offering the ever-popular free Coffee Concerts and Organ Recitals. The coffee concerts will take place during the first week of the festival with local musicians bringing us a variety of music. Three organ recitals will be performed at various churches in the area during the second week. Details of these will be shown here later.
We are also pleased to be presenting our Art Exhibition again, and details of this are on the Exhibition Page.
Opening Concert: Ryan Corbett
St Laurence’s Church
7.30pm
Adult £16, Student* £8
Opening Concert: Ryan Corbett
To launch the 2025 Arts Festival we are delighted to welcome BBC New Generation Artist and Classic FM Rising Star, Ryan Corbett. A leading exponent of the accordion, Ryan has enlarged the repertoire for this instrument by creating hundreds of new arrangements. He also works with composers to create new music for the accordion. His passion for the instrument and his dedication to musical integrity won this Scot the honour of performing at the Scottish coronation of HM King Charles III. Prepare to discover the versatility of this instrument in the hands of an outstanding young musician.
“one of the classical instrument’s most exciting rising stars” The Scotsman
More Info
“one of the classical instrument’s most exciting rising stars” The Scotsman
Workshop – Accordion
St Laurence Parish Centre
3.30pm
Adult £15, Student* £8
Workshop – Accordion
We are delighted that in addition to giving our opening night concert at the 2025 Festival Ryan has agreed to lead a workshop during the afternoon.
The 90 minute workshop has been designed for those who are at intermediate level (Grade 4 and above) in playing the piano accordion.
Please click the More Info button for full details.
More Info
The 90 minute workshop has been designed for those who are at intermediate level (Grade 4 and above) in playing the piano accordion.
Please click the More Info button for full details.
Django Meets Mussorgsky – Tim Kliphuis Trio
St Laurence’s Church
7.30pm
Adult £20, Student* £10
Django Meets Mussorgsky – Tim Kliphuis Trio
Following acclaimed performances at the 2014 and 2016 Festivals, award-winning Dutch violinist Tim Kliphuis returns with Nigel Clark on guitar and Roy Percy on double bass. Together the Trio has created a brand-new style that embraces classical, gypsy jazz and folk. For their Festival performance, an innovative audio-visual programme will feature numbers from Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition interspersed with Kliphuis originals. This will be followed by a tribute to Django Reinhardt. Expect an electrifying performance!
“Playfully inventive and technically brilliant” Time Out
More Info
“Playfully inventive and technically brilliant” Time Out
Workshop – Lino Printing
St Lawrence Primary School
9.30am or 1.30pm (3hrs)
£35
Workshop – Lino Printing
The illustrative artwork, limited edition lino prints and mixed media work of talented professional artist Amanda Hillier features in galleries around the country and many regional exhibitions. We’re delighted that she has agreed to lead the first of this year’s workshops providing participants with the opportunity to learn the art of lino printing. Under Amanda’s expert tuition and guidance images will be selected, sections of lino will be carved out to create an image ‘in relief’ and a series of unique one colour prints will be created through hand printing.
Both these sessions are now fully booked, but there are still places available on Thursday, see below.
More Info
Both these sessions are now fully booked, but there are still places available on Thursday, see below.
Workshop – Lino Printing
St Lawrence Primary School
9.30am or 1.30pm (3hrs)
£35
Workshop – Lino Printing
Due to popular demand, we are offering these additional Lino Printing workshops – see Wednesday, above, for details.
Bookings now open – click More Info for details.
More Info
Bookings now open – click More Info for details.
An Exquisite Harmony
St Laurence’s Church
7.30pm
Adult £18, Student* £9
An Exquisite Harmony
When composer Robert Schumann was committed to an asylum after a desperate suicide attempt, his wife Clara, also a composer and famous across Europe as a virtuoso pianist, was left grieving and alone with her six children. The young composer and family friend Johannes Brahms rushed to offer his support.
Following his enchanting solo recital in 2022, pianist Gamal Khamis returns, with acclaimed actors Christopher Kent and Sarah Sherborne, to explore the compelling and moving story of one of music’s great love triangles, told through the diaries, letters and the sublime music of all three composers. An intriguing story illustrated with terrific piano playing: a wonderful evening beckons.
More Info
Following his enchanting solo recital in 2022, pianist Gamal Khamis returns, with acclaimed actors Christopher Kent and Sarah Sherborne, to explore the compelling and moving story of one of music’s great love triangles, told through the diaries, letters and the sublime music of all three composers. An intriguing story illustrated with terrific piano playing: a wonderful evening beckons.
Connaught Brass
St Laurence’s Church
7.30pm
Adult £18, Student* £9
Connaught Brass
Connaught Brass are rapidly making a name for themselves following their debuts at the Lucerne Festival and London’s Wigmore Hall. The ensemble’s ability to manipulate and unify sound earned them 1st Prize in the Inaugural Philip Jones International Brass Ensemble Competition. Vibrant, spirited and bold, Connaught Brass place emphasis on their friendship with one another to showcase their individual musical personalities within a unique collective sound. With brand-new commissions, audience-favourite arrangements and a commitment to originality, this quintet breathes new life into tradition, offering a unique and engaging concert experience.
More Info
Aura
Silvester Horne Institute
7.30pm
Adult £20, Student* £10
Aura
Introducing a spectacular rock, pop and soul band!
You'll have to fight your way on to the dance floor when Aura unleash their crowd-pleasing repertoire of songs by legendary artists from down the decades. You'll be partying to guaranteed floor-fillers from the likes of James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Bruno Mars, Whitney Houston, Ed Sheeran, Adele and many more – all performed with trademark flair by this brilliant band.
We guarantee a fabulous evening so book early to avoid disappointment.
With cabaret-style seating, a continuous bar and ample room for dancing.
More Info
You'll have to fight your way on to the dance floor when Aura unleash their crowd-pleasing repertoire of songs by legendary artists from down the decades. You'll be partying to guaranteed floor-fillers from the likes of James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Bruno Mars, Whitney Houston, Ed Sheeran, Adele and many more – all performed with trademark flair by this brilliant band.
We guarantee a fabulous evening so book early to avoid disappointment.
With cabaret-style seating, a continuous bar and ample room for dancing.
Nick Cartledge and Muriel Phillips
St Laurence’s Church
7.30pm
Adult £16, Student* £8
Nick Cartledge and Muriel Phillips
One of the most versatile flute players of his generation, Nick Cartledge has won outstanding reviews of his solo performances in classical, jazz, pop and commercial music. In 1996 he graduated from the Royal College of Music with first class honours and the Tagore Gold Medal – the RCM’s highest honour. He made his Wigmore Hall debut with guitarists John Williams and Carlos Bonell and became the first ever flautist to win the Royal Over-Seas League music competition. Nick is joined by Muriel Phillips who has performed widely as an accompanist in the UK and abroad. Concert venues have included London’s Wigmore Hall, Italy, Switzerland, Norway, India, Sweden, and Egypt as well as Cunard cruise ships!
More Info
Workshop – Peg Loom Weaving
St Lawrence Primary School
10am-4pm
£60
Workshop – Peg Loom Weaving
We are pleased to welcome Catherine Crowther to deliver our second workshop where attendees will create a sheep’s wool chair pad using a peg loom. The experience Catherine has gained over many years of working with textiles has led to her teaching at a local college in addition to running a variety of sewing project workshops. This relaxed and sociable class will start by providing instruction on how to set up a peg loom and move on to weaving using locally sourced raw sheep’s wool in a variety of colours.
Bookings now open – click More Info for details.
More Info
Bookings now open – click More Info for details.
Robin Hood
Acton Scott Hall,
Acton Scott
Adult £16, Child* £8
Robin Hood
This all-age afternoon outdoor performance is presented by DOT Productions.
Come and meet Robin and his Gang as they battle against the evil Sheriff of Nottingham and steal from the rich to give to the poor. With Maid Marion’s help can they stop Prince John and the Sheriff and set the people of Nottingham free?
Full of memorable characters, silliness, songs and charm this outdoor production is an hour of pure escapism which will leave all the family with a smile on their face!
Please dress for the great British weather, as this performance will go ahead unless conditions are deemed dangerous. Bring blankets or chairs to sit on.
Hot and cold drinks and ice creams will be on sale before the show.
The car park will not open until 2.15pm.
Sorry, no picnics or dogs (except assistance dogs).
More Info
Full of memorable characters, silliness, songs and charm this outdoor production is an hour of pure escapism which will leave all the family with a smile on their face!
Please dress for the great British weather, as this performance will go ahead unless conditions are deemed dangerous. Bring blankets or chairs to sit on.
Hot and cold drinks and ice creams will be on sale before the show.
The car park will not open until 2.15pm.
Sorry, no picnics or dogs (except assistance dogs).
Simon Mayor’s Mandolinquents
St Laurence’s Church
7.30pm
Adult £18, Student* £9
Simon Mayor’s Mandolinquents
The Mandolinquents are fantastic fun and virtuoso musicians. Britain’s first modern mandolin quartet play music ranging across a wide range of musical genres with lashings of witty banter that is a guaranteed to put a smile on your face and a spring in your step. The eclectic quartet is led by one of the world’s leading mandolinists, fine fiddle player and guitarist, Simon Mayor, whose fast wit is a match for any stand-up comedian. The other members of the quartet are Hilary James “one of Britain’s finest voices” (BBC Radio 4), classical guitarist Gerald Garcia and three-time UK banjo champion, Richard Collins.
"Wicked and wonderful... the fabulous Mandolinquents" Sean Rafferty, BBC Radio 3
More Info
"Wicked and wonderful... the fabulous Mandolinquents" Sean Rafferty, BBC Radio 3
Carducci String Quartet
St Laurence’s Church
7.30pm
Adult £20, Student* £10
Carducci String Quartet
The Carducci Quartet is internationally acclaimed as one of the most accomplished and versatile ensembles of today. Founded in 1997, the Quartet has won prizes at numerous international competitions and regularly appears at prestigious venues across the globe such as the Barbican and Wigmore Hall in London, Carnegie Hall, New York and the John. F Kennedy Center, Washington DC. In addition to mastering the core repertoire, the quartet presents a selection of new works each season and diversifies further with programmes of film music, pop, folk, rock and concerts of music and spoken word. We look forward to hearing this outstanding quartet performing in the excellent acoustics of St Laurence’s Church.
"... a deep and almost familial sense of unity in everything they played … full of life and vitality ... extravagantly beautiful...” The Washington Post
More Info
"... a deep and almost familial sense of unity in everything they played … full of life and vitality ... extravagantly beautiful...” The Washington Post
Simon Armitage, Poet Laureate
St Laurence’s Church
2pm
Adult £20, Student* £10
Simon Armitage, Poet Laureate
We are thrilled to have secured the Poet Laureate, Simon Armitage, for our 2025 festival.
The natural world has always informed Simon’s poetry. His new book Dwell, due for publication in May, inspired by the Lost Gardens of Heligan, explores the fragility of the landscape and the myriad of life forms that dwell in it. The poems will be accompanied by slides of Beth Munro’s illustrations for the book.
There will be the opportunity to purchase signed copies of his books after this event, when coffee, tea & biscuits will also be served (included in ticket price).
“His verse is immediate, entertaining, engaged with the world.” Independent on Sunday
More Info
The natural world has always informed Simon’s poetry. His new book Dwell, due for publication in May, inspired by the Lost Gardens of Heligan, explores the fragility of the landscape and the myriad of life forms that dwell in it. The poems will be accompanied by slides of Beth Munro’s illustrations for the book.
There will be the opportunity to purchase signed copies of his books after this event, when coffee, tea & biscuits will also be served (included in ticket price).
“His verse is immediate, entertaining, engaged with the world.” Independent on Sunday
Grand Finale: The Joe Stilgoe Trio
Concord College,
Acton Burnell
7.30pm
Adult £26, Student* £13
Grand Finale: The Joe Stilgoe Trio
Joe Stilgoe is a true modern-day entertainer, known globally as a performer of wit, style and a level of musicianship which has seen him recognised as one of the best singer-pianists in the world. Always searching for a new way of bringing not only his own songs but those he loves from the past to a new audience, he is an enticing mix of his heroes Danny Kaye, Nat King Cole and Dudley Moore. He is known for writing songs that sound like they’ve been around for years and for adapting classics and making them sound like they’ve just been written. We are delighted to welcome this hugely sought-after performer with his Trio to present the 2025 Festival Grand Finale.
More Info
* Under 25 in full time education, except for Robin Hood, which is for a Child aged 4-16
Photo credits:
Ryan Corbett: Andrej Grilc
An Exquisite Harmony (Gamal Khamis): Marc Aldridge
Carducci: Andy Holdsworth Photography
Simon Armitage: Paul Stuart Photography
Joe Stilgoe: MuperPHOTO
Ryan Corbett: Andrej Grilc
An Exquisite Harmony (Gamal Khamis): Marc Aldridge
Carducci: Andy Holdsworth Photography
Simon Armitage: Paul Stuart Photography
Joe Stilgoe: MuperPHOTO
