Thaxted Festival celebrates the 150th birthday of its founder, Gustav Holst

Thaxted Parish Church

The Thaxted Festival, based at the historic Thaxted Parish Church, has its origins in composer Gustav Holst's 1916 Whitsun Festival, so the 2024 Thaxted Festival will be celebrating the 150th anniversary of Holst's birth. 

Running from 21 June to 14 July 2024, the festival opens with Jonathan Bloxham conducting the London Mozart Players in Holst's A Fugal Concerto, with pianist Iyad Sughayer, and the world premiere of Noah Max's Symphony No. 1. There will also be a screening of Tony Palmer's 2011 film, In the Bleak Midwinter about Holst's life.

Echo Ensemble, directed by Noah Max, present COSMOS: A Celebration of The Planets, featuring words and music around Holst and his most well-known work, and the Armonico Consort perform Purcell's The Fairy Queen, a work given its first modern revival at the Old Vic in 1911 directed by Holst. The English Chamber Orchestra and choir of Kings College London will be performing Holst's First Choral Symphony.

Other performers include VOCES8, Wild Arts presenting Mozart's The Magic Flute, pianist Iyad Sughayer joining forces with oboist Armand Djikoloum, and baritone Neil Balfour and pianist Sholto Kynoch in works by Schumann, Holst, Puccini and Fauré.

Full details from the Festival website.