Wednesday * Thursday *  Friday * Saturday * Sunday

WEDNESDAY 27th JUNE:
DEDICATION SERVICE and JOHN MARTIN CONCERT

Wednesday 6.45pm at St Lawrence's Church (Near All Saints Church, Merstow Green and the Market Square)

ECUMENICAL DEDICATION SERVICE: This simple service opens and dedicates the Festival of Music in the beautiful setting of St Lawrence’s Church - all are invited, admission free.

followed by..........

Wednesday 7.30pm at All Saints Parish Church (Adjacent to the Market Square and near Merstow Green)

JOHN MARTIN’S CELEBRATION CONCERT

Taking part:
Prince Henry’s Jazz Group  *  Evesham United Churches Choir  *  Avonbank Brass Band
Guest Soloist: Andrew Parkes

The Festival’s first concert celebrates the life of John Martin and the work of the Charity in an evening of jazz, popular brass instrumental items, choral and solo pieces. Born Free, the Great Escape and Amazing Grace are amongst the pieces played by the accomplished brass instrumentalists of the Avonbank Brass Band. Prince Henry’s talented Sixth-Form Jazz Group play a selection of well-known popular jazz pieces. Choral favourites from the United Choir include “All things bright and beautiful”, “He’s got the whole world in his hands” and “the Holy City”. Guest soloist Andrew Parkes sings works by Ivor Gurney and Vaughan Williams.

This is a concert which will appeal to all ages and is an opportunity to find out more about the work of the Charity which does so much to support individuals and organisations in Evesham.

Concert Duration - about and hour or so

Admission by invitation or by a limited number of tickets from booking office.

Wednesday * Thursday *  Friday * Saturday * Sunday

THURSDAY 28TH JUNE:
SCHOOLS NIGHT

7.30pm at the Evesham Arts Centre, Victoria Avenue, Evesham

Featuring young musicians from the following schools:

Bredon Hill Middle School  *  Simon de Montfort Middle School  *  Evesham High School  *  Prince Henrys High School

Talented young musicians from Evesham’s Middle and High Schools combine in an evening of modern popular music. Enjoy “Bridge over troubled waters”, Beatles songs from the sixties, an arrangement of TV and movie themes, including 007 and Miss Saigon, as well as rock music from the School Rock Bands. The evening finishes with a performance of the gospel style “Joyful, joyful”. This will be a celebration with a real swing!

Concert Duration - about two hours including interval

Wednesday * Thursday *  Friday * Saturday * Sunday

FRIDAY 29th JUNE:
BRASS+REEDS and VOICES

7.30pm at Evesham Methodists Church, Bridge Street, Evesham

Taking part:
Vale Harmony * Vale Connection * Harmony Connection  *  Evesham Singers  *  Celebration Reed and Brass Band.

Several of our best-known local musical organisations join forces for a special celebration evening of brass and voices.

As always Evesham Singers bring an air of calm with a number of popular songs featuring wonderful melodies and words, including “Wind beneath my wings”, “Where the gentle Avon flows” and “The rose of Allerdale”.

Vale Connection Ladies' Barbershop Chorus and Vale Harmony Men's Barbershop Chorus (and when they sing together – Harmony Connection mixed Chorus) bring you Barbershop close harmony at its best, including all time favourites “Mary Lou”, “Baby face”, “New York, New York” and “Thankyou for the music”.

The widely respected Celebration Reed and Brass Band begin and end the evening with popular brass arrangements from marches (Liberty Bell, Celebration, Pomp and Circumstance), medleys (Abba Gold and highlights from “The Wild”) to instrumental solos including “She’s out of my Life” and “The Rose” and many other popular pieces.

This is an evening not to be missed.

Concert Duration - about two hours including interval

Tickets from booking office.

Wednesday * Thursday *  Friday * Saturday * Sunday

SATURDAY 30TH JUNE:
YOUNG MUSICIANS' WORKSHOP * "FRINGE PERFORMANCES" * 
LUNCHTIME CONCERT * MUSIC IN THE TOWN * 
EVENING CONCERT

10am to 4.30pm (registration from 9:30am) at the Working Men's Club, Merstow Green, Evesham

Wind Band training workshop for aspiring young musicians

The event is led by Keith Davies of the Wychavon Student Wind Band, with help from other local accredited musicians. It is for young musicians and aspiring young musicians. A variety of music will be studied and simplified parts will be available for those that have not played long. It is planned to have two advanced ensembles: one for brass players and another for woodwind players. The workshop will conclude with a short concert.

Further Information   Registration form

Wednesday * Thursday *  Friday * Saturday * Sunday

Saturday 10am to 4.pm, in the Riverside Shopping Centre, Evesham (entrances in Bridge Street and the Market Square, Evesham)

"FRINGE" Musical performances

  • 10am     U3A Playing Music for Pleasure ensemble
  • 11am     Sedgeberrow First School led by Kaytie Spice
  • noon     Jo Jingles - Fun with Music
  • 1 pm     Bengeworth and St Richards First Schools led by Gareth Robertshaw
  • 2 pm     Sarah Richardson - Flutes and Violin
  • 3 pm     Prince Henrys School ensemble
  • 4 pm     Vale Harmony/Vale Connection Barbershop Choruses led by Eddie Howell

Saturday 12noon at St Mary’s Roman Catholic Church, High Street Evesham

Taking part:
Marcel Zidani  *  Musyck Anon

PIANO RECITAL and SONGS

Lunchtime on a Saturday is a perfect time to enjoy a relaxing and atmospheric recital of piano and madrigals. This concert features the virtuoso pianist Marcel Zidani playing Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata, Rachmaninov’s Prelude in C Sharp Minor, Chopin Nocturnes, as well as one of Marcel’s own compositions.

The popular madrigal group “Musyck Anon” provides a vocal contrast and inspiration, with a collection of madrigals and songs from some of England’s finest 16th and 17th century composers, including Purcell, Gibbons, Byrd and Morley.

Concert Duration - about an hour

This concert is sponsored by Vale Pianos

Tickets from booking office.

Wednesday * Thursday *  Friday * Saturday * Sunday

Saturday: Music in the Town to support the Festival will be played at:

  • Amber Café Bar
  • Karma Café Bar
  • Olde Swanne Inn
  • Railway Inn
  • Red Horse Public House
  • On board the boat: “Spirit of Freedom on Avon” moored at Workman Gardens, Waterside

Saturday 7.30pm at St Peter’s Church, Port Street, Bengeworth, Evesham

LET’S CELEBRATE with
Worcestershire Youth Music  *  Evesham Arts Centre Choir

Young musicians from across Worcestershire join forces with the Arts Centre Choir for an evening celebrating many different musical styles. The Worcestershire Youth Wind Orchestra play Disney at the Movies and Peanut Vendor, contrasting effectively with William Byrd’s Earl of Oxford March.

The Chamber Strings will have your feet tapping with Percy Fletcher’s Folk Tune and Fiddle Dance – everybody will enjoy selected movements from Britten’s Simple Symphony.

The Arts Centre Choir will delight you with selections from Lionel Bart’s Oliver, Showboat (Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein) and hits from "The King and I" and "Oklahoma".

This is a perfect way to celebrate a summer’s evening.

Concert Duration - about two hour including interval

Tickets from booking office.

Wednesday * Thursday *  Friday * Saturday * Sunday

SUNDAY 1ST JULY:
MASSED BRASS BANDS and GALA NIGHT

2.30pm in the Abbey Park, Evesham

KARNDEAN MASSED BRASS BANDS:
Celebration Reed and Brass Band.  *  Alcester Victoria Silver Band  *  Tewkesbury Town Band  *  Shipston Town Band  *  Worcester Concert Brass

This concert is sponsored by Karndean International.

This massed brass band concert (an Evesham first) promises to be one of the highlights of the Festival. Over 100 instrumentalists will be performing as each band plays a selection of its favourites before joining together in a massed grand finale.

Bring your picnic (and chair!) and enjoy the relaxed open-air atmosphere whilst listening to many of your band favourites.

There is a band playing in Abbey Park on every Sunday afternoon over the summer. Visit the Bands in the Park web site for details.

Entrance free - concert duration is about two hours

Sunday 7.30pm at All Saints Parish Church (Adjacent to the Market Square and near Merstow Green)

GALA NIGHT

Victoria Kane, (Mezzo Soprano)  *  Andrew Parkes, (Bass)  *  Marcel Zidani, (Piano)  *  Festival Chorus  *  Avonbank Brass Band

The finale of the Festival is a celebration in style. It is an evening of popular classics with a “Last Night of the Proms” flavour.

Three guest soloists provide a star-studded input into the evening. Victoria Kane and Andrew Parkes sing individual works by Elgar and Cole Porter before performing some of our favourite operatic duets. Marcel Zidani plays popular pieces by Chopin.

The Avonbank Band play “Reach for the stars” and “the Severn Suite” and the Festival Chorus sing well-known folk songs and bring the first half to a close with the ever-popular Hallelujah Chorus.

In the second half, enjoy all the fun of the last night of the proms with a real opportunity for everyone to join in some favourites such as: Arne’s “Rule Britannia”, Elgar’s “Land of Hope of Glory”, “Parry’s “Jerusalem”, and many others.

Concert Duration - about two hours including interval

Tickets from booking office.

Wednesday * Thursday *  Friday * Saturday * Sunday