Dowland 400 celebrations in Norwich

Performers at the Dowland 400 festival in Norwich

This year marks the 400th anniversary of the death of John Dowland. Numerous concerts, festivals and special projects are being held throughout the country to commemorate his legacy with Norwich at the forefront of the celebrations.  

The famous English Renaissance composer, lutenist and singer, John Dowland, is being honoured and remembered in Norwich on the 400th anniversary of his death with a four-day festival in July featuring concerts, masterclasses, talks and workshops curated by two renowned Dowland experts - lutenist Daniel Murphy and lute-maker David Van Edwards. Therefore, Dowland’s melancholic and beautiful music - either for solo lute, singer or ensemble - will be laid bare in all its ravishing beauty at Norwich’s historic Octagon Chapel in Colegate with the festival running from Thursday 23 July to Sunday 26 July.

Not only does Dowland 400 salute John Dowland - considered one of the defining and most famous musicians of the Elizabethan era - it also brings to life the lasting impact this pioneering musician had on music of the Renaissance period (circa 1400-1600) defined by a transition from single-line chanting to complex intertwining melodies. Driven by a cultural rebirth, this era saw the rise of music printing, secular courtly songs and expanded instrument families particularly the lute and harpsichord.

James Sillett: The Octagon Chapel, Norwich (Norfolk Museums Collections)

A couple of memorable concerts in this year’s Norfolk & Norwich Festival were delivered by the Britten Sinfonia and Norwich Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus.

Britten: Les Illuminations - Elizabeth Watts & Britten Sinfonia at Kings Place, London (Photo: Shoël Stadlen)

Britten: Young Apollo, Bowles: Six Piano Preludes, Copland: Clarinet Concerto, Britten: Les Illuminations, Copland: Appalachian Spring; Oleg Shebeta-Dragan (clarinet), Elizabeth Watts (soprano); Britten Sinfonia, led from the violin by Zoë Beyers; St Andrew’s Hall, Norwich.
Walton: Henry V: A Shakespeare’s Scenario, Belshazzar’s Feast; Norwich Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus, cond: Matthew Andrews, Ashley Grote; Roderick Williams (baritone), Alex Jennings (voice); St Andrew’s Hall, Norwich
Kaija Saariaho: Terra Memoria, Vaughan Williams, Barber, Webern, Mahler; Kleio String Quartet, Berniya Hamie, Andrew Hamilton; Octagon Chapel
Reviewed by Tony Cooper (11, 12, 20 & 23 May 2026)

At this year's Norfolk & Norwich Festival, the Britten Sinfonia concert focused on Britten in America while the Norwich Philharmonic saluted William Walton in all his glory, whilst the young Kleio String Quartet made a big impression in their concerts

Feeling disillusioned with Europe, Benjamin Britten spent a formative and productive period in North America from 1939 to 1942 with Peter Pears where he composed such major works as the song-cycle Les Illuminations, his first opera Paul Bunyan and Sinfonia da Requiem.

Thankfully, Britten’s time in America proved personally and professionally worthwhile paving the way for such grand and exciting works as his Suffolk-based opera, Peter Grimes. And when Britten made the dangerous sea journey back to England in the spring of 1942, he was officially registered as a ‘conscientious objector’.

One of the first works he wrote on arriving in America was Young Apollo based on the final lines of John Keats’ poem Hyperion showing the image of Apollo as a ‘new, dazzling Sun-god, quivering with radiant vitality’. A delightful ten-minute piece and one of the few works Britten wrote for piano and orchestra, the commission came from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

Receiving its first performance in August 1939 on CBC Radio with Britten as the solo pianist, the work’s characterized by a scintillating opening fanfare followed by a host of rapid and cascading glissando passages cutting through the sweeping, heroic textures of the strings comfortably played with flourish, flair and everything else by the renowned pianist, Huw Watkins, who often collaborates with the Britten Sinfonia.

Ashley Grote rehearsing the Norwich Philharmonic Chorus and Orchestra in Walton's Belshazzar's Feast at St Andrew's Hall, Norwich for Norfolk & Norwich Festival

I felt it appropriate, too, that Copland shared the stage with Britten in this remarkable and well-curated programme as both men enjoyed a close personal and professional relationship. Copland acted as a mentor and friend to Britten assisting him in navigating the American musical scene while introducing him to influential people.

75 glorious years: arising out of work to celebrate the Guildhall of St George, the King's Lynn Festival is in celebratory mood

The Guildhall of St George in King's Lynn (Image: Matthew Usher)

Founded in 1951, the King's Lynn Festival has a long and distinguished history. It arose because Alexander Penrose and Lord and Lady Fermoy wanted to save the Guildhall of St George – now believed to be the oldest working theatre in the UK that once hosted Shakespeare – which was nearly lost after the Second World War. Penrose’s vision of using it as an arts centre captured the imagination of Lord and Lady Fermoy. Together, they formed a trust, raised restoration funds, and transformed the Guildhall into a cultural hub.  

Now, the festival is celebrating its 75th anniversary with two weeks of events from 12 to 25 July 2026 encompassing a diverse programme of music, talks, exhibitions and events. There is a memorial recital for Ruth, Lady Fermoy being given by pianist Boris Gilburg, as well as the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in Beethoven's Eroica Symphony which closed that first festival. There are visits from BBC New Generation Artists, and Coffee Concerts showcasing a range of young artists. Other distinguished visitors include two of the Kanneh-Mason Siblings, the Academy of Ancient Music, guitarist Craig Ogden, and baritone Roderick Williams is giving two concerts

This year, things open with a concert by Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band encompassing Elgar, Eric Coates and Berlioz. In a more challenging vein, Contemporary Consort invites listeners to explore the music of Mark-Anthony Turnage with a concert putting his chamber music next to that of Stravinsky, Copland and Bernstein, then the Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective bring music clarinet quintets by Coleridge-Taylor and Brahms.

The Guildhall Singers, conductor Andres Hernandez Salazar premiere a new piece by Norfolk--based composer James McConnel in a programme that moves from Purcell and Lassus to Mantyjarvi, Whitacre and Shearing.

Siblings Sheku and Issata Kanneh-Mason bring their distinctive musicality to music by Mendelssohn, Nadia Boulanger, Schumann and Rebecca Clarke (a transcription of her Viola Sonata).  Anne Heemsker, Kate Bennett Wadsworth and David Wright (flute, cello and harpsichord) explore the chamber music of the two great contemporaries Bach and Telemann. The Novo Quartet, BBC New Generation Artists, pair quartets by Haydn and Mendelssohn. 

At St Nicholas' Chapel, organist Francesca Massey will be presenting an eclectic recital of organ music from Bach to Frances Pott.  Still in St Nicholas Chapel, the viol duo Jacqui Roberson-Wade and Peter Wendland will be exploring music from pre-Revolutionary France. Bojan Cicic directs the Academy of Ancient Music in a programme of Italian concertos, mixing Vivaldi with Mossi, Locatelli, Velentini and Corelli with music for one, two and four solo violins. 

The King's Lynn Festival Chorus are joined by violinist Charlie Lovell-Jones, baritone Roderick Williams, pianist Ella O'Neill and conductor Ben Horden for RVW's The Lark Ascending, and Five Mystical Songs, plus Elgar's Scenes from the Bavarian Highlands. Roderick Williams returns with pianist Iain Burnside for a recital that puts cherished English song by Vaughan Williams, Gurney and Howells, alongside Rhian Samuels and Vaughan Williams arrangements of songs from the Appalachian Mountains.

Guitarist Craig Ogden will be taking listeners on a journey from Fantasy to flamenco, and Dowland's Foundry mark the composer's 400th anniversary. 

There are five coffee concerts, with the Novo Quartet returning for Mozart and Nielson; Joel Munday, violin and Julian Trevelyan, piano in sonatas by Mozart and Brahms, plus Ravel's Tzigane; Rose McLachlan, piano plays Schubert and Chopin; Sirius Chau, flute and Gwenellian Llyr, harp in Spohr, Debussy and more; and the Paddington Trio in Haydn and Beethoven's Archduke Trio.

On a lighter note, Magpie Lane present an evening of traditional English song and dance, whilst the Bowjangles quartet takes things in a more cabaret direction, and the Pasadena Roof Orchestra encourages us to take a step back to a more glamorous era.

The Ruth, Lady Fermoy Memorial Concert features pianist Boris Giltburg in a virtuoso programme encompassing the Bach/Busoni Chaconne, Liszt's Sonata in B minor, preludes by Rachmaninoff and Ravel's Gaspard de la nuit. The Festival concludes with Adam Hickox conducting the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in Mendelssohn's The Hebrides Overture, Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto (with BBC New Generation Artist, Hana Chang) and Beethoven's Symphony No. 3, a work which concluded the first festival in 1951.

Full details from the Festival website. 

Norwich Chamber Music, formally Norfolk & Norwich Music Club, one of the oldest music clubs of its kind in the country, finds itself in celebratory mood shouting about its 75th anniversary.

Fitzwilliam Quartet at the Assembly House, Norwich

The inaugural concert of the Norfolk & Norwich Music Club fell on 26th May 1951 given by the London Harpsichord Ensemble in the elegant surroundings of the Music Room of the restored Georgian-built Assembly House, a ‘crowning glory’ of the fine city of Norwich.  

Along with the historic cities of Bath, Exeter, Canterbury and York, Norwich was targeted in two major Baedeker raids during the nights of 27th-28th April and 29th-30th April 1942. The raids formed part of a series of retaliatory attacks by the Luftwaffe on historic English cities following the RAF’s bombing of Lübeck. 

Therefore, following the end of the Second World War, Norwich, like many other English cities and towns, was down at heel, slowly recovering and finding its feet and thankfully cultural activity was high on the agenda. Narrowly, the Theatre Royal survived the bombing but offered very basic fare while the Norfolk & Norwich Triennial Festival was held over a handful of days in 1947, 1951 and 1955 with a variety of small amateur groups holding fort. 

The mainstay of the classical-music scene was the Norwich Philharmonic Society founded in 1839, three years after the founding of the Huddersfield Choral Society, by Frank Noverre, grandson of French dancer, Augustin Noverre, who in 1775 came to England with a corps de ballet at the invitation of David Garrick, one of England’s greatest actors, who at that time was manager of the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, where the dancers appeared. 

Noverre - whose uncle, incidentally, was Jean-Georges Noverre and known as the ‘father of modern dance’ - also established a prominent dancing academy in Norwich in 1793 based at the Assembly House and it’s fitting and proper, I feel, that the ballroom of this fine building is named after the Noverre family. 

A well-respected amateur body, the Norwich Philharmonic Society offered a regular series of orchestral and choral concerts in St Andrew’s Hall engaging professional soloists and from time to time promoted the occasional celebrity recital. For instance, I well remember (and attended) the piano recital that Ukrainian-born pianist, Benno Moisewitsch, gave in St Andrew’s Hall in the 1950s. Virtually, though, there were no professional chamber-music recitals.  

Against this rather spartan background and by the initiative of the Norwich Philharmonic Society a meeting of local music representatives was convened with a view of creating an independent body to co-ordinate chamber-music activities. 

Conveniently, the Georgian-built Assembly House (originally used by the Girls’ Public Day School Trust (Norwich High School for Girls) from 1876 to 1939 had just been restored and refurbished to its former glory by the prominent Norwich shoe manufacturer, Henry Jesse Sexton, who presented it to the city for public use. 

Therefore, when the Norfolk & Norwich Music Club formed on 31st March 1951, they found a ready-made home utilizing the elegant Music Room of this delightful ornate property in which, may I add, the famed ‘devil’s violinist’, Niccolò Paganini, thrilled a packed house in August 1831.  

His visit rests alongside other ‘celebrity’ performances at the venue topped by the renowned Hungarian pianist/composer, Franz Liszt, who dazzled yet another full house in his recital of September 1840 as part of his Grand Tour of England, Scotland and Ireland during the height of ‘Lisztomania’. 

The Norfolk & Norwich Festival, which evolved from the old Norfolk & Norwich Triennial, blazes a cultural trail for the East Anglian region

Norwich Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus who perform Walton's Belshazzar's Feast at this year's Festival

By far the largest arts festival in the East of England and the fourth largest in the UK, the 2026 Norfolk & Norwich Festival runs from Friday 8 to Sunday 24 May offering a grand cultural feast to include a performance of Walton’s magnificent Belshazzar’s Feast by the Norwich Philharmonic Society. 

Without a shadow of doubt, the Norfolk & Norwich Festival, one of the oldest music and arts festivals in England established in 1772 to raise funds for the Norfolk & Norwich Hospital, has a glorious and illustrious past of attracting major international soloists and orchestras which, I’m pleased to say, continues to this very day. 

However, the festival has moved on over the years thus becoming a triennial event in 1824 rotating between the cities of Birmingham and Leeds much in the same way as the Three Choirs Festival rotates to this very day between the cathedral cities of Hereford, Worcester and Gloucester. 

And from 1988, the festival has been held on an annual basis and, therefore, each year presents a host of international performers working alongside emerging talent and homegrown East Anglian artists in an expansive and engaging programme featuring not only classical and choral music but also taking in drama, dance and film with the literature and visual arts side of the festival ever growing. 

A charity-funded organisation supported by Arts Council England and Norwich City Council with generous support coming from a multitude of sponsors and donors, the festival also offers a year-round programme of creativity and culture for children, young people and their communities like no other. 

This year’s edition not only takes over the fine city of Norwich for 17 wondrous and action-packed days but spreads out for the first time into Norfolk with events taking place at Wells-next-the-Sea, Lowestoft, King's Lynn, Great Yarmouth, Sheringham, Diss and Swaffham thereby transforming the county into a hive of cultural activity.  

Norwich Cathedral Choir (Photo: Bill Smith / Norwich Cathedral)

Our East Anglian-based correspondent, Tony Cooper, reports on the Norwich Philharmonic Society returning to their roots at St Andrew’s Hall, Norwich, after a two-year absence.

Manuscript score, signed by the composer and the performers of the premiere

One of England’s greatest choral works, Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius, has excitingly been put centre stage in Alan Bennett’s brand-new film The Choral but a ‘live’ performance coming up in Norwich in March, staged by the Norwich Philharmonic Society, promises to be just as exciting. 

Sir Edward Elgar’s mighty, inspiring and fulfilling choral work, The Dream of Gerontius, a setting of Cardinal John Henry Newman’s 1865 poem exploring Catholic beliefs about the afterlife and so forth, traces the soul of Gerontius, a devout being, as he experiences death guided by his Guardian Angel, facing demons and encountering God before settling in Purgatory. The work has forged, perhaps, a new audience through Alan Bennett’s 2025 film aptly entitled The Choral.  

A staple of choral societies up and down the country, especially the Norwich Philharmonic Chorus, but for the Huddersfield Choral Society, Gerontius - which Elgar considered his finest piece - has become more than a masterpiece, it has become a living act of remembrance.  

Founded in 1836, the Huddersfield Choral Society remains one of Britain’s best-loved and most historic choirs. Its connection with Elgar runs deep as it first performed Gerontius in 1905 with a further performance in 1907 and again, of course, under Elgar in 1917 while making the first complete recording of the work in 1945. 

Dazzling music by famous Baroque composers in two stunning eighteenth-century Norwich venues

Don’t miss the love:Handel Music Festival from The Brook Street Band this Autumn… 

Photo: Dan Bridge

The award-winning Brook Street Band return to one of their favourite cities, Norwich, for the love:Handel Baroque music festival on September 26-28 and October 3-5. Across two weekends, audiences can enjoy dazzling music by famous Baroque composers including Handel, Bach and Purcell, in two stunning eighteenth-century venues, the Octagon Chapel and Assembly House.

Described by BBC Music Magazine as “an ensemble so pin-sharp it merits a safety warning”, the Band takes its name from the London street where Handel – known worldwide for his famous Hallelujah chorus – once lived. Group founder Tatty Theo said: “Handel’s music is simply the best – whatever you’re feeling, he’s found a way to express it in beautiful music!”

Festival highlights from the first weekend include The Power of Three on September 26, with titans of Baroque music battling it out to see who’s best. On September 27, there’s the rare chance to hear Handel’s mini-opera Apollo e Dafne, with international soloists Ana Beard Fernández and Edward Grint. This dramatic work covers the full sweep of human emotions – love, infatuation, lust, rejection, determination, power, scorn and self-pity – all packed into one unforgettable performance. There’s also an illuminating pre-concert talk given by Handel expert David Vickers exploring how Ovidian transformative tales occurred throughout Handel’s career in Italy, Hanover and London. What better way to set the scene for Apollo e Dafne! 

 There’s new music from composers straddling the pop and classical worlds. Nitin Sawhney and Master of the King’s Music Errollyn Wallen (whose music opened the 2025 Proms) have written for the Brook Street Band. Audiences can catch these innovative works in two atmospheric performances on September 28, fusing music with narrated texts. Kitchen Conversations is full of juicy gossip and deep conversation, while As Steals the Morn Upon the Night invites listeners to suspend reality and journey through the mysteries of night.

love:Handel’s second weekend kicks off with world premiere performances of two pieces of music written especially for the Band as part of the 2025 Young Composers Award, held in conjunction with the National Centre for Early Music and Radio 3. The winning compositions by Avram Harris and Kit McCarthy take Handel’s trio sonatas as their inspiration, pairing them the best of both Op. 2 and Op.5. Prepare to be beguiled, hearing Handel through fresh new ears.

No Handelian event would be complete without a trip to the famous Pleasure Gardens, with music to entertain, delight, and distract from the cares of everyday life. Music by Handel and his contemporaries Arne, Avison and Geminiani is on the playlist in this collaborative orchestral concert with the city’s own renowned Baroque ensemble, Norwich Baroque.

love:Handel 2025 wraps up with some of the most beautiful accompanied vocal music of the Baroque era, sung by special guest, tenor James Gilchrist. James brings a selection of songs, arias and cantatas by Dowland, Purcell and Handel to Norwich’s Assembly House for what promises to be a grand festival finale!

All the concerts and talks are friendly and accessible. Thanks to local funding the Band has been running education programmes in Norfolk schools, and focussing on making concerts accessible within the Norwich community. There’s a totally free family concert on October 4, plus free tickets for any event for those under 23. Don’t miss this wonderful opportunity to try something new, relax, de-stress and experience world-class music- making right on your doorstep.

Huge thanks to funders and sponsors including Continuo Foundation, the Assembly House Trust, the Garrick Charitable Trust, Norwich Freemen's Charity, Anguish's Educational Foundation whose generous support makes love:Handel 2025 possible.

Full details from the Brook Street Band's website.

The final concerts in this year’s Norfolk & Norwich Festival fell to the BBC Singers and the Britten Sinfonia - welcome visitors and, indeed, no strangers to the city.

Norwich Cathedral - Photo: JackPeasePhotography
CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia

Britten: Hymn to the Virgin, John Tavener: Hymn to the Mother of God, Judith Weir: Ave Regina Cælorum, James MacMillan: The Culham Motets, O Virgo Prudentissima, Palestrina: Missa Papae Marcelli; BBC Singers, cond. Sir James MacMillan, Roman Catholic Cathedral, Norwich.

Wagner: Siegfried Idyll; Hummel: Trumpet Concerto, Arvo Pärt: Fratres; Beethoven: Symphony No.1; Imogen Whitehead, trumpet; Britten Sinfonia, Clio Gould, violin/director, Norwich Cathedral
Reviewed by Tony Cooper: 23/24 May 2025  

The BBC Singers’ concert formed part of their centenary celebrations while the Britten Sinfonia saluted Estonian composer Arvo Pärt in his 90th year.

First mentioned in the Oxford Dictionary of Music in 1747, held on a triennial basis (originally with Birmingham and Leeds) from 1824 through to 1988 and then put on an annual footing thereafter, the Norfolk & Norwich Festival ended on a high with a couple of engaging and heartwarming concerts held across the city’s two cathedrals - the Roman Catholic Cathedral dedicated to St John the Baptist and Norwich Cathedral dedicated to the Holy and Undivided Trinity, featuring the BBC Singers, conducted by Sir James MacMillan, and Britten Sinfonia, directed by Clio Gould.

It was heart-warming, too, having James MacMillan back in Norwich after a long absence conducting the BBC Singers, recently awarded the Royal Philharmonic Society’s prestigious Ensemble Award, proving a nice touch in their centenary year.

Norwich Roman Catholic Cathedral
Photo: Nigel Chadwick, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia

They opened with a lovely and tender reading of Britten’s Hymn to the Virgin, an early example of Britten’s mastery of word setting which received its first performance on 5 January 1931 at St John’s Church, Lowestoft. He was 16 at the time, unwell and approaching his last days at Gresham’s School in north Norfolk confined to the school infirmary where he passed has time reading John Buchan (Prester John) and swotting Chaucer for his up-coming exams.

A fine bunch, the BBC Singers must have sung Hymn to the Virgin dozens of times but, nonetheless, their timing and freshness of the piece remains constant and was joyously heard in the expansive Gothic-style surroundings of Norwich’s Roman Catholic Cathedral grandly designed by the eldest son of George Gilbert Scott.

The text Britten used was by an anonymous poet, probably dating from about 1300, written in a macaronic verse where one language is introduced into the context of another. Therefore, the main body of the choir sings in Middle English while the semi-chorus supplies a refrain in Latin.

The fight to protect music and the arts in Norfolk’s schools: Anguish’s Educational Foundation & Into Opera to explore solutions & drive meaningful change

Bizet: Carmen - Norfolk Into Opera Festival 2023 (Photo: Richard Hubert Smith)

As Norfolk's primary schools grapple with an escalating crisis in arts education funding, Anguish’s Educational Foundation and Into Opera are inviting local stakeholders, educators, philanthropists, trusts, foundations, and advocates for creative learning to a pivotal event in Norwich on Friday 23 May 2025 at The Auditorium in the Forum, Norwich to explore solutions and drive meaningful change to protect music and the arts in schools.

Named after Thomas Anguish, a Mayor of Norwich who lived between 1536 and 1617, Anguish’s Educational Foundation is one of the 4 Registered Charities in the Norwich Charitable Trusts group of Charities. The Charity makes grants to individuals and to other charities for educational purposes. Into Opera has been awarded a grant by Anguish’s Educational Foundation to partner with three local primary schools: The Bawburgh School, St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary School, and Sprowston Junior School, with further support from Durham University and the team behind Arts Council England’s “Durham Commission on Creativity and Education".

However, with tightening budgets and shifting priorities, the significant impact witnessed in these schools calls into question how we, as a community, can continue to nurture creativity amid dwindling financial support. This event on Friday 23 May is designed to spark a vigorous dialogue on these pressing issues and chart a collaborative path forward. Attendees will hear directly from the pupils whose lives have been transformed, as well as educators, head teachers, and representatives from Durham University, Into Opera, and Anguish’s Educational Foundation. 

"This gathering challenges us to confront the stark decline in funding for creative arts support and explore transformative solutions to safeguard the future of our children’s creative and cultural development." David Hynes, CEO Norwich Charitable Trusts 

For additional information or to register your attendance, please contact: Genevieve Raghu genevieve.raghu@into-opera.org.uk

The Norfolk & Norwich Festival, which evolved from the old Norfolk & Norwich Triennial, blazes a cultural trail for the East Anglian region.

Norfolk & Norwich Festival opening event in 2022

By far the largest arts festival in the East of England and the fourth largest in the UK, the 2025 Norfolk & Norwich Festival (which has been held on an annual basis since 1988) runs from Friday 9th to Sunday 25th May offering a huge variety of work staged in and around the fine city of Norwich.

Poster for Norfolk & Norwich Festival in early 20th century

Established in 1772, the Norfolk & Norwich Festival continues the tradition of presenting world-class international performances and this year’s edition gets underway with Grammy Award winner, Pakistani-born singer, composer and music producer, Arooj Aftab (9 May), who’s primarily active in the field of minimal music performing in the medieval and gracious space of Norwich Cathedral. Declared ‘the coolest rock star in the world right now’ by ‘Uncut’ magazine, Aftab has earned her position at the vanguard of creative music for her embrace of risk and nonconformity.  

Following Ms Aftab into Norwich Cathedral (10 May) comes Gilles Peterson, a French-born DJ, broadcaster, avid record collector, curator and music-label owner whose musical spectrum includes dub, reggae, jazz, nu jazz, broken beat, house, drum-and-bass and hip-hop. He has played a pivotal role in supporting and promoting underground music in the UK and beyond over the past three decades. In what he describes is ‘a unique sit-down affair’ he’ll join the musical dots while playing and chatting about some of his favourite sounds past, present and future. Much like a radio programme but in front of your very own eyes!

Another highlight comes with Scottish-born composer/producer Liam Shortall aka corto.alto (22 May) who fuses jazz improvisation, electronic production and bass-heavy dub into a heady mix which saw his 2023 début album, ‘Bad With Names’ nominated for the 2024 Mercury Prize. Always pushing sonic boundaries, his performance in the Adnam's Spiegeltent promises subverted expectations and transcendent grooves.

Organ Reborn! Norwich Cathedral Organ Festival: A new music festival for Norwich

Norwich Cathedral Organ (Photo: Bill Smith/Norwich Cathedral)

From an epic concert featuring three Cathedral Choirs to the ‘Battle of the Organs’, audiences will be able to enjoy a whole week of musical festivities at Norwich Cathedral in July marking the return of the Cathedral’s historic pipe organ as part of the first Norwich Cathedral Organ Festival.   

Norwich Cathedral Organists (Photo: Bill Smith/Norwich Cathedral)

In fact, this special summer festival (generously underwritten by the Statham Society which supports the musical life of Norwich Cathedral) has been carefully planned to coincide with the first anniversary of the organ’s return following its ambitious rebuild by Harrison & Harrison. Therefore, Organ Reborn! Norwich Cathedral Organ Festival, runs from Saturday 6th to Sunday 14th July featuring three headline concerts, six organ recitals, a couple of talks and so much more!  

‘We are really excited to be celebrating the return of Norwich Cathedral’s historic pipe organ,’ said Ashley Grote, the Cathedral’s Master of Music. ‘And with this special festival it will showcase the organ in all its consummate glory with nine days of wonderful events.  

‘From big concerts and services to talks and school workshops, there’s surely something for everyone wrapped up in this festival. We sincerely hope people from all walks of life will come along to hear some incredible music being played on Norwich Cathedral’s magnificent instrument.’  

Mr Grote further added: ‘The festival week will also bring internationally-renowned organists to Norwich as well as world-class ensembles such as the BBC Singers and the Britten Sinfonia.  

‘The opening concert, therefore, sees Norwich Cathedral Choir join forces with the neighbouring choirs of Ely and Peterborough cathedrals to deliver a Three Choirs Special in what promises a thrilling and telling programme of choral favourites. There’ll also be a school’s programme running throughout the week, a family-friendly ‘Battle of the Organs’ concert and a silent movie complete with ‘live’ organ accompaniment. All these events will run alongside our daily schedule of choral services, one of which will be broadcast ‘live’ on BBC Radio 3 during festival week.’  

One of the oldest-established festivals in the UK, the Norfolk & Norwich comes round in the merry month of May.

The giant puppet from L’Homme Debout’s Mo and The Red Ribbon which will roam the streets of Norwich

One of the oldest-established festivals in the UK, the Norfolk & Norwich (running for an astonishing 17 days in the merry month of May from Friday 10th to Sunday 26th) offers a cultural package like no other taking in music, drama, literature, circus, outdoor and family events as well as the all-important visual arts.  

Artists from round the world and across the region will gather in Norwich and, indeed, across the county to present a huge variety of work and events in a programme featuring a host of ‘stories’ providing guided routes through the festival and bringing together shows and events that share common themes.  

The Dartington International Summer School Foundation creates new Music Summer School & Festival at Gresham's School in Norfolk

The chapel at Gresham's School

With the collapse of the Summer School at Dartington, the Dartington International Summer School Foundation, a charity which was supported the Summer School since 1976, has created a new incarnation in Norfolk.

The Music Summer School and Festival will run at Gresham's School in Norfolk from 27 July to 10 August 2024 with a wide range of participatory courses along with a full programme of concerts, talks and events. Courses include choral singing and vocal music; orchestras and ensembles; individual instrumental and vocal classes and workshops; medieval, renaissance and baroque ensembles; jazz and improvisation; wind band and string ensemble; chamber music; and composition.

Conductor Andrew Griffiths will be working on Bach's St John Passion, and conductor Jane Glover works in Mozart's Requiem. There will be courses directed by ensembles Stile Antico and the Brook Street Band, harpsichordists Steven Devine and Skip Sempé, composers Rolf Hind and Stephen Montague, tenor James Gilchrist, pianist Anna Tilbrook, oboist Nicholas Daniel.

Gresham’s School (which counts Benjamin Britten, Lennox Berkeley and W H Auden amongst its alumni) will provide a magical setting for The Music Summer School and Festival with outstanding facilities across the site. Concerts will take place every day in a range of venues including the Chapel, the Fishmongers’ Hall in the Britten Music Building, the Auden Theatre and the Theatre in the Woods.

The Music Summer School and Festival 2024 is programmed by Richard Heason, chief executive of the Dartington International Summer School Foundation and former director of St John's Smith Square.

Full details from their website.

Norwich-based arts writer, Tony Cooper, offers a preview of the Norfolk & Norwich Festival which comes round in the merry month of May!

Aurora Orchestra & Nicholas Collon (Photo: Mark Allen)

One of the oldest-established festivals in the UK, the Norfolk & Norwich - running for an astonishing 17 days in the merry month of May from Friday 10 May 2024 to Sunday 26 May - offers a cultural package like no other taking in music, drama, literature, circus, outdoor and family events as well as the all-important visual arts. Artists from round the world and across the region will present a huge variety of work and events in Norwich and, indeed, across the county.  

Daniel Brine, Festival Director, enthused: "I’m delighted with the variety of this year’s festival. It’s an exciting spread ranging from circus to classical music as well as showcasing local musicians as well as showcasing one of the country’s most flourishing, entertaining and enterprising orchestras - the Aurora. There’s a nice representation of local and international performers coming our way which is something particularly important to our festival.  

"For instance, we feel proud to be bringing to Norwich a brand-new show entitled Corazón (‘heart’ in Spanish) from South American-based circus troupe, Circolombia, founded in 2006. An exciting and engaging show, it brings to the fore the talents of young Columbians offering audiences breathless acrobatic feats with a distinctive Latin feel complemented by a host of incredible pieces of infectious Latin-flavoured music reflecting the production overall. Specifically created for the Adnams Spiegeltent in Festival Gardens, the show has a lengthy residency running for 12 days from Wednesday 15 to Sunday 26 May." 

Circolombia - Corazón 

Opera Unwrapped for Christmas in Norwich

The Norfolk-based charity Into Opera continues its mission to get people 'into opera' with its Opera Unwrapped for Christmas concert on Friday 15 December 2023 at St Andrew's Hall, Norwich, one of the last events at the venue before it closes its doors for restoration.

John Andrews conducts the Britten Sinfonia and they are joined by an enviable line-up of vocal talent, soprano Alison Langer, tenor Monwabisi Lindi, mezzo-soprano Yvonne Howard and baritone James Cleverton. There will be arias from Puccini’s La bohème, Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel and Verdi’s La Traviata, seasonal music from Howard Blake's The Snowman and the musical Meet me in St. Louis, as well as Christmas songs and carols. 

In addition to Into Opera’s launch of the successful Norfolk Into Opera Festival, the charity has also built a reputation for its transformative education work in local schools. As part of Opera Unwrapped for Christmas children from the choirs of the Bawburgh School, Barford Primary and St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary will have the chance to share the stage and perform alongside Into Opera and Britten Sinfonia’s professional musicians. 

"The cut to funding of classical music and opera this year has been devastating in its impact. It has put organisations like Into Opera and Britten Sinfonia under huge risk and financial pressure. Norfolk is one of the places to have really experienced those cuts. Regardless, Into Opera and Britten Sinfonia were determined to join forces, to stand by each other at this difficult time and to collaborate. We are excited to bring so much artistic talent to Norfolk this Christmas to lead our celebrations at The Halls, it’s set to be quite an evening!"

Genevieve Raghu, Artistic Director and Chief Executive: Into Opera

Full details from the Into Opera website

Norwich-based music writer, Tony Cooper, offers an account of Organ Re-born! a mini-concert series mounted in celebration of the return and rebirth of Norwich Cathedral’s organ.

The recently rebuilt Norwich Cathedral organ (Photo: Bill Smith / Norwich Cathedral)

Organ Re-born! Norwich Cathedral
11-26 November 2023, reviewed by Tony Cooper

After undergoing a major refit, every stop of Norwich Cathedral’s fine organ (one of the largest pipe organs in the country) can be gloriously heard to maximum effect.

Norwich Cathedral has been in celebratory mood of late with its Organ Re-born! mini-concert series featuring a couple of concerts together with a celebrity organ recital with the series culminating with Festal Evensong. The first concert featured Norwich Cathedral Chamber Choir and Onyx Brass conducted by Ashley Grote accompanied by organist, David Dunnett. A visit by the BBC Singers conducted by Nicholas Chalmers featured special guest conductor/presenter, Ed Balls, accompanied by organist Ashley Grote. Organ Re-born! continued with the internationally-renowned organist Thomas Trotter giving the inaugural recital while the grand festivities concluded with Festal Evensong sung by Norwich Cathedral Choir under Ashley Grote with David Dunnett in the organ loft. The service culminated in grand style with the Blessing of the Organ by the Rt-Revd Graham Usher, Bishop of Norwich.

Over the past 18 months or so, the organ of Norwich Cathedral (one of the largest pipe organs in the country) has been under major restoration, a mammoth undertaking in every sense of the word. For a start, every one of the 5,767 pipes and 102 speaking stops had to be reset and individually fine-tuned in a process known as ‘voicing’ - a painstaking and delicate task.

The work was carried out by world-renowned organ specialists, Harrison & Harrison, after a sum of £1.8 million was raised by way of generous donations through an organ appeal under the patronage of Prince Edward, HRH The Earl of Wessex, now, of course, the Duke of Edinburgh. A big chunk, however, came from the £2.5 million They Shall Laugh and Sing Music Appeal.

Pianist Piers Lane joins Norwich-based orchestra, the Academy of St Thomas for celebrations of their Golden Jubilee

Academy of St Thomas,  Benjamin Pope (Photo: Peter King)

Beethoven, Vaughan-Williams, Mozart; Academy of St Thomas, Piers Lane, conductor: Benjamin Pope; St Andrew’s Hall, Norwich
Reviewed 21 October 2023 by Tony Cooper

London-based Australian-born pianist, Piers Lane, went to town on Saturday night delivering a brilliant rendering of Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto in celebration of the Golden Jubilee of Norwich-based orchestra, the Academy of St Thomas

Ralph Vaughan-Williams frequently visited Norwich attending meetings of the Norfolk & Norwich Triennial Festival at St Andrew’s Hall. The composer’s Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis, performed by Academy of St Thomas (AST) at their first concert held in St Thomas’ Church, Norwich, has been included in every subsequent anniversary concert performed at St Andrew’s Hall. 

It was flag-waving time at St Andrew’s Hall, Norwich, on Saturday 21 October 2023 when Benjamin Pope, greeted by a big round of applause from a packed and excited house, took to the podium to conduct the Academy of St Thomas, led by Benjamin Lowe, in their Golden Jubilee concert generously sponsored by Hilary and Lewis Jarrett. Therefore, founded in 1973 by Ivan Cane, whose son, Andrew, leads the viola section, AST grew out of a handful of players who had roots in the old Norfolk County Youth Orchestra of the 1970s. For their Golden Jubilee programme included RVW's Tallis Fantasia and Mozart's Symphony No.40, and they were joined by pianist Piers Lane for Beethoven's Emperor Concerto.

BBC Proms joins Great Yarmouth Hippodrome’s summer season with world première of new commission from Norfolk based composer Sarah Rodgers.

Great Yarmouth Hippodrome Circus Theatre

The BBC Proms comes to Great Yarmouth Hippodrome Circus Theatre on 8 September 2023 as part of the Proms at concerts across the UK. The BBC Concert Orchestra will be led by their newly appointed chief conductor Anna-Maria Helsing, and the programme will feature orchestral favourites fitting for the iconic circus venue, as well as the world première of Seascapes, a brand-new commission by Norfolk based composer Sarah Rodgers.

The Hippodrome Circus was built by the showman George Gilbert in 1903. It is one of only two purpose-built permanent circuses in England still in operation, and one of only three in the world with a circus floor that sinks into a pool.

The Proms concert is part of Create Yarmouth, an exciting three-year residency by the BBC Concert Orchestra in partnership with national producer Orchestras Live, which is involving the diverse community of Great Yarmouth in a wide range of inspirational orchestral experiences.

Sarah Rodgers has previously been commissioned for projects in association with Orchestras Live. In 2018 she composed Agnes: a pocket oratorio for voices and orchestra, performed at St Nicholas North Walsham by the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment as part of the Paston Footprints 6oo Festival project. Since then, other commissions have included, Labyrinths, performed in the Purcell Room, Southbank by Piano40, Sizzle! for violin, viola and piano for the Spitalfields Festival and settings of songs by John Ruskin for the Ruskin Bi-Centennial at the Royal Academy of Arts, London.

As well as Seascapes, commissioned from Sarah Rodgers this year by the Proms, the programme on 8 September at the Great Yarmouth Hippodrome will include the waltz from Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Carousel, Khachaturian’s ballet Masquerade, Stravinsky’s Circus Polka, Walton’s coronation march Crown Imperial and Vaughan Williams’s uplifting piece for solo violin and orchestra, The Lark Ascending.

Full details from the BBC Proms website

Norwich-based music writer, Tony Cooper, offers a glimpse to the 2023/24 season of Norwich Chamber Music opening in September.

Alim Beisembayev(Photo: Nabin Maharjan)

Curated by Misha Donat - writer, lecturer and a senior music producer for BBC Radio 3 for more than a quarter of a century where he collaborated with many of the world’s leading musicians - the forthcoming season of Norwich Chamber Music offers classical-music aficionados another great, grand and exuberant feast of chamber music from a coterie of distinguished international performers.

The opening concert on Saturday, 16th September (7.30pm) falls to Kazakhstan-born pianist, Alim Beisembayev, playing Bach, Schubert, Debussy and Ravel. A pianist of extraordinary talent, Beisembayev’s career took off at an alarming rate after winning First Prize at the Leeds International Piano Competition in September 2021 performing Rachmaninov’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra under Andrew Manze.  

From Father Willis' last organ to English musical life around 1700 and the musical coal-merchant: King's Lynn Festival's Early Music Day

Thomas Brittain, the musical small coal-man

The King’s Lynn Festival takes place from Sunday 17 July until Saturday 30 July 2022, presenting a range of classical music, recitals, choral performances, jazz, folk, talks, walks, exhibitions and films. On Saturday 23 July, the festival is presenting its 2022 Early Music Day with three concerts at St Nicholas Chapel.

The day begins with a lunchtime organ recital from Coventry Cathedral’s director of music, Rachel Mahon. She will play the chapel's Henry Willis organ, the last instrument on which Father Willis worked on before his death.

Period instrument ensemble Spiritato will be joined by mezzo-soprano Ciara Hendrick for The Taste of the Nation, a programme that explores English music at the juncture of the 17th and 18th centuries, following Henry Purcell's death in 1695, giving a vibrant picture of the changing fashions and astonishing success of Italian styles, genres and indeed musicians at the dawn of the 1700s.

For the late-night concert, Ensemble Hesperi, paint a picture of London’s vibrant musical scene in the early 1700s, through the lens of the extraordinary coal merchant Thomas Britton, one of London’s first concert promoters!

Full details from the festival website.