Another top notch line-up for Ulverston International Music Festival

11:10am Monday 25th May 2009

By Adrian Mullen

FROM classical to jazz, orchestral and chamber music, some of the finest tunes ever written will play their part in the forthcoming Ulverston International Music Festival.

Now in its fifth year, festival director Anthony Hewitt has put together a tremendous and varied bill of musicians of the highest calibre.

Himself, a sought after concert pianist, Ulverston-born Anthony opens proceedings on Friday, June 5 (7.30pm) performing Mendelssohn’s fiery first piano concerto. Anthony will be accompanied by the professional Welsh Chamber Orchestra, which will also play Beethoven’s iconic 5th and Haydn’s joyful London symphonies.

As part of the festival’s commitment to new ventures, the last few months have seen six local choirs preparing for the Baroque Choral Celebration on Saturday, June 6 (7.30pm) in Ulverston Parish Church. The programme will include favourites such as Zadok the Priest, Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring, Air on a G String and Karl Jenkins’ Palladio - the music from the A Diamond is Forever commercial - all conducted by the choral director of Clifton Cathedral, at Bristol.

Anthony told me that he believed that a festival could not be truly up-to-date and progressive without commissioning new works and encompassing cross-genre elements.

So, he asked award-winning composer James Francis Brown to come up with two works based on poems by William Wordsworth. The resulting, melodic world premiere will feature in the Sunday, June 7 (7.30pm) concert with celebrated chamber group Counterpoise and Wordsworth Trust poet-in-residence, Emma Jones.

Wednesday (June 10, 7.30pm) is the turn of Legends of Tomorrow with Anthony sharing the Coro stage with internationally renowned young violinist Chloe Hanslip. Included in her programme will be Franck’s compelling Violin Sonata and a few virtuosic Caprices, from both Szymanowski and Saint-Saens/Ysaye.

Children’s concert deviser Alasdair Molloy is on board the pirate ship on Thursday, June 11, at 6pm to present Pirates Ahoy! with local school children forming the crew, learning to dance the Sailor’s Hornpipe and enjoying a specially-arranged sequence from Pirates of the Caribbean.

Once again, Friday night is Jazz Night, with highly-regarded young Mancunian sextet Booth Street West and their vocalist Stevie Jennings-Adams in the spotlight - cabaret-style, playing traditional standards and original compositions. Many of the up-and-coming group have performed alongside such jazz greats as Jacqui Dankworth and Digby Fairweather?

The curtain comes down on what promises to be another fabulous week on Saturday, June 13, with a Gala Chamber Music event featuring Mendelssohn’s stunning Octet. Leading the impressive line-up of instrumentalists will be Levon Chilingirian, one of the world’s foremost chamber musicians.