It gives me enormous pleasure to announce the programme for our ninth festival. We open on a Monday rather than the usual Tuesday because, after a five-year wait, I have managed to secure the great Takács quartet to open the festival but their only available date was Monday 10th. Rather than finish a day early we took the decision to put an extra concert into the programme and we will close with the traditional Saturday concert featuring our President as soloist. New artists this year include the pianists Cristina Ortiz and Noriko Ogawa, Soprano Elizabeth Watts and Tenor Toby Spence, the wonderful vocal ensemble Stile Antico, internationally acclaimed organist Thomas Trotter and the Academy of Ancient Music with soprano Elin Manahan Thomas. 2010 sees the 200th anniversary of both Schumann and Chopin’s births and the 400th Anniversary of the Monteverdi 1610 Vespers, all reflected in our programming.

 

START TIMES - Last year we introduced two late night candlelit concerts. These proved hugely popular so we are repeating the idea in 2010. However, taking note of feedback, we are not repeating the extended supper interval as this did not suit everyone. On Thursday 13th the Stile Antico concert will start at 9.00pm and, with an interval, will finish around 10.30pm. On Sunday 16th Robert Cohen will perform all six of the ‘cello suites of J.S. Bach. This ‘marathon’ concert will entail 2 intervals. It will begin at 8.00pm and finish at approximately 11.15pm.  

 

LUNCHTIME CONCERTS – the weekday lunchtime concerts have steadily grown in popularity. In the early years the artists sometimes threatened to outnumber the audiences and we even struggled to persuade young musicians to come along to perform. We now get good audiences and are inundated with applications from across the world to play here. This year the winner of the Leeds international piano competition will open the series on Tuesday May 11th.  

Box office sales in 2009 were up on the previous year and 75% of overall costs were covered by ticket sales. Financing a festival of this stature can never be covered solely by the box office and we could not function without the support of our sponsors to whom we are eternally grateful. I would like to thank our main sponsors this year, in particular, Harvey McGrath, Jim Rutherford, Cutts of Campden for their sponsorship for the 9th consecutive year of the Steinway piano and Richard and Jane Bennett for sponsoring the Lunchtime young artists concerts.

I hope that many of you will feel able to continue your financial support of the festival. ‘Patrons’ enjoy a two week priority booking period & ‘Friends’ a one week period which is increasingly the only sure way of obtaining the seats you require. A ‘Patrons’ & ‘Friends’ application form is enclosed. There is also a form for those wishing to support the ‘Academy Training Orchestra’. This project goes from strength to strength and they will be in residence for all of week two so we can involve them in workshops and open rehearsals. Inevitably, our costs have risen again and we should increase ticket prices this year after having held them for three years in a row. However, given the still uncertain economic situation we have decided to peg them for one more year. Student tickets are a nominal £1 for evening concerts (surely the best value seats anywhere in the country) and free of charge for all the weekday lunchtime recitals.  

BOX OFFICE We will again have a physical box office facility during the weeks leading up to the festival. From experience this is only widely used in the final build up as about 80% of tickets sell in the early postal booking period. For this reason it will only be open during May in 2010. Situated in the foyer of the old police station in Chipping Campden High street, the opening hours will be - Tuesday May 4th - Saturday 22nd (excluding Sundays) 11.00am - 3.00pm.  

At all other times please call the enquiry line 01386 849018. Ticket availability can be checked on the web site.  

I hope you approve of the programme and look forward to seeing you in May. Charlie Bennett November 2009  

 

N.B. Please return the booking form ASAP.   

Although the box office doesn’t open until Feb 8th bookings will be dealt with in the order in which they were received. So the sooner we get your form the better chance you have of getting the tickets you want.  

Extra forms can be downloaded from the web site. – www.campdenmusicfestival.co.uk For general enquiries and bookings when box office is closed call 01386 849018 or email charlie@campdenmusicfestival.co.uk  

You can save up to 50% by buying a season ticket!  

The festival Steinway is supplied and maintained by Jeffrey Shackell, Witney, Oxon 01993 703375  

www.shackellpianos.co.uk