Festival of Chichester
Chichester is all set for an exciting summer celebration of the arts with the launch of the brand new Festival of Chichester (15th June to 14th July 2013), which is set to replace the late, lamented Chichester Festivities. A consortium of local organisations has joined forces with the Chichester Observer to promote the new festival, returning it to its grass-roots but adding in more than a dash of starry names.
High-profile names lined up for the new festival include one of the UK’s finest period instrument orchestras, the Hanover Band, with a Mozart and Gluck programme in the cathedral, former Poet Laureate Sir Andrew Motion alongside star saxophonist Karen Sharp at the Poetry & Jazz Café, rising folk stars Smoke Fairies, who hail from Sussex, in a gig promoting their new album, Georgia Mancio Trio, Sixties’ legend Geno Washington, and film and TV star – and Strictly Come Dancing diva – Cherie Lunghi at the Vicars Hall.
When the Festivities went into administration last autumn, it looked as if Chichester would be without its annual jamboree of the arts for the first time in more than a generation. But arts organisations have rallied round and events have flooded in – to the point where the summer festival is set to be bigger than ever.
The festival opens on June 15th with the Chichester Singers performing a programme of Elgar in the cathedral and closes a month later with the World of Spanish Guitar at St John’s Chapel, a drama double bill, Love Games, performed by the London Theatre Company in the Vicars Hall and with the Chichester Symphony Orchestra in full flow at St Paul’s church.
“In between there’s a wonderful diversity of events, with something for everyone,†claims festival co-ordinator Barry Smith. “There’s a paperback launch from local celebrity author Kate Mosse, a musical celebration of the songs of Broadway, world music from the exciting Kosmos Ensemble, a Paul Nash exhibition at the Pallant Gallery, walks, talks, food and music mini-fests, the world premiere of Benjamin Wolf’s Cocaine Overture alongside Beethoven’s Spring Sonata, jazz from the Bosham based Jazz Smugglers and Murder, Ancient and Modern in Chichester Library.â€
“We’ve got a festival of all the talents,†says chairman and Chichester Observer arts editor Phil Hewitt. “A thrilling line-up of top quality events,†adds co-ordinator Barry Smith. The Chichester summer arts festival, it seems, is back with a bang.
For more information, please visit: www.festivalofchichester.co.uk
