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Sherborne Abbey Festival held its first concert on Friday, 5th May 2000, and the festival has been held each year since as a four or five day event based around the liturgy and its music. The festival is run by volunteers and aims to bring high quality classical events to the town at a price people can afford. Any profits made are used to fund future festivals and to promote music within the Parish of Sherborne
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Tallis Scholars
Photo by Eric Richmond
Emma Johnson
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2010 FESTIVAL
In 2010 Sherborne Abbey Festival organised another five days of music crammed full of the most amazing musical treats. The Festival ran from Friday 30th April-Tuesday 4th May. It included such exciting names as Lesley Garrett performing songs and arias from well known operas and musicals, The Tallis Scholars with their programme Missa Solemnis, Emma Johnson with her programme Romantic Clarinet, Sherborne Festival Chorus performing The Kingdom. An exciting new jazz group called Zum, all classically trained soloists which enticed us with a programme of sophisticated jazz which magically glided into wild gypsy fiddling and Celtic lament which sliped into hot blooded Arabic melody. Fay Weldon joined us to talk about her life and her new book Chalcot Crescent. Also something quite special, with a UK premiere of Verdi's Requiem for piano and organ, Matteo Galli (organist at S.Maria presso S.Satiro Basilica in Milan) joined with Francesco Attesti (internationally renowned pianist) for this very special performance. Ruth Rogers and Morgan Szymanski ran workshops for violin and classical guitar before performing in the abbey and there was much, much more. What more could you desire! Maybe to come to the 2011 Festival. So keep your eyes on this site to get the latest news when it is available.
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Lesley Garrett
Photo by Simon Fowler/Deckca Records
ZUM |
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Francesco Attesti
and Matteo Galli
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Fay Weldon
Photo by Jonathan
Decker-Drysdale
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Ruth Rogers
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Sherborne Festival Chorus
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In his book England's Thousand Best Churches, Simon Jenkins lists Sherborne Abbey in the top 18 of England's churches and credits it with some of the finest vaulting in the country. He writes, "I would pit Sherborne's roof against any contemporary work of the Italian Renaissance".
To encounter great music in these beautiful surroundings is something rather special. These moments of real magic are available all too rarely. So why not come and join the growing number of people who return year after year to enjoy our festival in this wonderful setting -- once experienced never forgotten.
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Photo courtesy of Mr Stuart Glasby |
Sherborne Abbey Festival is run in aid of Sherborne Abbey.
Contact by post: Sherborne Abbey Festival, PO Box 6317, Sherborne, Dorset, DT9 9AP.
Contact by phone: Ticket and Concert Enquiries 07724 396470
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