Out & About April 2017

ORCHESTRAL CONCERTS St Nicolas’ Church is the festival’s ‘concert hall’, hosting the major orchestral concerts. On May 6, the opening night, you can hear the finest of English choral masterpieces, Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius, performed by the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra conducted by David Parry, particularly known for his opera work, with a truly stellar cast, including one of the finest mezzo sopranos in the world, Alice Coote, and our own Festival Chorus of superb local choralists. On the middle Saturday, violinist Tasmin Little – regarded as one of the world’s leading violinists and international soloists, returns to the festival to play the well-known Bruch Violin Concerto with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra followed by Sibelius Symphony No 5, and the closing night sees the marvellous Moscow State Symphony Orchestra with a concert of popular Russian Music, including the much-loved Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No 1.

ALISON BALSOM

recorded more than 100 albums, but the Dutch Swing College Band have done exactly that. Celebrating their 75th anniversary this year, the original group started out in the cellars of The Hague during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands in 1945. Now they are one of the world’s greatest trad jazz bands, appearing at festivals, theatres and royal occasions all over the world. They will perform at the Corn Exchange on May 6.

is the Indian-style big band sound with six hot horns and four funky drummers, playing great dance rhythms. Full of colour, May 19 promises an evening you really won’t forget.

Superstar trumpeter Alison Balsom is back on Tuesday, May 16. Not only is she the world’s finest trumpeter and a serious musician, but her supermodel good looks have meant she is the poster girl of British classical music. Alison will be joined by one of the UK’s leading sopranos, Lucy Crowe, for a very special recital at St Lawrence Church, Hungerford. THE SIXTEEN

BETTY BLUE EYES A first for the festival and a big hit in the West End, on May 12 comes Betty Blue Eyes , the award-

KAKATSITSI Following their

winning full-length musical based on Alan Bennett’s comic film A Private Function . Set in 1947 among the forthcoming celebrations for the royal wedding, there’s laughs aplenty as a small Yorkshire town rears a pig called Betty for a banquet for dignitaries, while the locals make do with Spam. Full of typically English eccentric characters, combined with an infectious toe-tapping retro-contemporary score by Watermill favourites George Stiles and Anthony Drewe, this is great entertainment for all ages. TRAVELLING BY TUBA The sound of the brass instrument can always make people laugh and never more so than when played by Travelling by Tuba. This classical music duo, with their dungs, kudus and digeridoos, make youngsters dissolve into laughter with their humorous and fun approach to classical music. Definitely a family-friendly show that leaves you smiling, Travelling by Tuba will perform at the Corn Exchange on May 20.

sold-out show at the 2013 festival, Kakatsitsi, one of the world’s leading traditional African drumming groups, are returning to the Corn Exchange on Thursday, May 11. With their infectious rhythms and traditional dances, Ghana’s finest traditional

Matching venue and musician is important to the festival, none more so than with choral group The Sixteen who will perform in the beautiful setting of Douai Abbey on May 12. Arguably the UK’s most popular and important choral company, they have gained a reputation for their excellent and imaginative programmes. The theme this year is Choral Pilgrimage and they will perform works by Palestrina and Poulenc, their singing so pure it will raise the hairs on the back of your neck. DUTCH SWING COLLEGE BAND Not many groups can claim to have

drummers, dancers and singers from the Ga tribe perform a fascinating and compulsive cross-section of West African music tradition. BOLLYWOOD BRASS BAND

Up on your feet! The London-based Bollywood Brass Band is one of the most exhilarating acts around. With pounding dhol drums, trumpets and trombones, this

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