PERFORMANCES AND EVENTS 2023
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Scroll down this page for event by event listing.
Free Downloadable 2023 Festival brochure. Click on image to open:
EVENT 1
ZRI: THE CELLAR SESSIONS
Friday 9 June, 8.30pm – 10.00pm
ZRI's Cellar Sessions re-creates the atmosphere of the Red Hedgehog Tavern in Vienna from which the band takes its name. Prepare to dance, laugh, holler, and maybe even shed a tear with this mixed programme which includes Bach to Donna Summer.
There will be a bar where drinks can be purchased, so you’ll be able to enjoy McMullen’s excellent drinks alongside the fantastic music.
Book soon as tickets are limited.
MCMULLEN BREWERY COURTYARD, 26 OLD CROSS, HERTFORD SG14 1RD
Tickets: £20 plus booking fee.
EVENT 2
JACK HANCHER – THE ARTFUL GUITAR
Saturday 10 June, 2.00pm - 3.00pm
Jack Hancher (Guitar)
ERIK SATIE
ANTONIO JOSÉ
SARAH FRANCES JENKINS
MAURICE RAVEL
ISAAC ALBÉNIZ
Gymnopedie no.1
Gnossienne no.3
Allegro (from Sonata for Guitar)
Pavana Triste (from Sonata for Guitar)
Veiled Dawn
À la manière de Borodine (arr. J Hancher)
Pavane pour une infante défunte (arr. J Hancher)
Cataluña
Capricho Catalán
One of the most brilliant classical guitarists of his generation, Jack Hancher has won numerous prestigious awards, including the Gold Medal of the Royal Overseas League Competition and has been praised by critics as a “poet and a painter, colouring sounds out of the guitar as if his imagination and the guitar were one”.
Jack Hancher presents a programme that ranges from the elegant and expressive works of Erik Satie and Maurice Ravel to the fiery and passionate pieces of Isaac Albeniz and Antonio José. The programme also features Sarah Frances Jenkins’ Turner-inspired work, Veiled Dawn, which contemplates the essence of transitory light, colours and atmospheres within J.M.W Turner’s paintings of Mount Rigi.
ST ANDREW’S CHURCH, ST ANDREW STREET, HERTFORD, SG14 1HZ
Tickets: Adults £15; Students £5; Under 8s FREE
Wheelchair user + accompanying carer £15
Booking fees apply.
EVENT 3
CORONATION CHORAL CELEBRATION
Saturday 10 June, 6.00pm - 7.15pm
Join us for a royal celebration with Hertford Chamber Choir, Manvinder Rattan and organist William Whitehead. In honour of King Charles III’s Coronation, we present a splendid evening of choral and organ music by composers, such as Purcell, Handel, Walton, Elgar and many others. Sure to be a very memorable occasion!
ALL SAINTS’ CHURCH, QUEEN'S ROAD, HERTFORD, SG13 8AY
Tickets: Adults £13-£18; Students £5; Under 8s FREE
Wheelchair user + accompanying carer £13-£18
Booking fees apply.
EVENT 4
MUSIC AND IMAGE I:
The Art of Music – The Music of Art
Sunday 11 June, 11.00am – 12.30pm
Barry Dodge
James Francis Brown
A lecture and discussion with art historian Barry Dodge and Festival Artistic Director James Francis Brown.
Discover how artists and musicians have always been inspired by each other, how they share elements such as harmony, balance, rhythm, and repetition, and how they have sought to transform one art form into another. The lecture explores how the relationship between art and music became even closer in the modern period, from the late 19th century to the 20th century, with examples from Kandinsky, Mondrian, Klee, Rothko, Pollock and many more.
This lecture and discussion offer a rare opportunity to enrich your appreciation of both music and art, and to join a lively conversation with Barry Dodge and other like-minded participants.
HERTFORD MUSEUM, HERTFORD, SG14 1DT
Tickets: Adults £10; Students £5; Under 8s FREE
Wheelchair user + accompanying carer £10
Booking fees apply.
(Limited space – please book early)
EVENT 5
MUSIC AND IMAGE II:
COLOURS FOR SOUNDS
Sunday 11 June, 1.30pm - 2.30pm
Music can evoke different sensations in our brains, and for some people, music can also create visual impressions. This is called synaesthesia, a rare phenomenon where sounds can trigger colours or shapes.
If you are interested in learning more about this fascinating topic, join us for a discussion on music and synaesthesia with violinist Litsa Tunnah and Hertfordshire Festival of Music Artistic Director James Francis Brown. They will share their experiences and insights on how music and synaesthesia interact, illustrated with slides and musical examples. Don’t miss this chance to see music in a different light!
FRIENDS MEETING HOUSE, 50 RAILWAY ST., HERTFORD, SG14 1BA
FREE event. Please register for your free ticket via the box office.
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EVENT 6
THE ARTFUL VIOLIN:
LITSA TUNNAH & DANIEL GRIMWOOD IN RECITAL
Sunday 11 June, 3.00pm - 4.15pm
Litsa Tunnah – violin
Daniel Grimwood – piano
CLAUDE DEBUSSY
TOM RANDLE
SERGEI PROKOFIEV
Violin Sonata
Violin Sonata
Violin Sonata No. 2 in D Major, Op. 94
Litsa Tunnah is an award-winning British violinist who has mesmerized audiences with her expressive performances and masterful use of colour and tone. In a concert that demonstrates the violin’s lyrical and virtuosic capabilities, Litsa shares her profound feeling for the relationship between colour and sound (see event 5).
Litsa performs Debussy’s masterpiece of the French Impressionist style while Tom Randle’s Violin Sonata, ‘Impressions’, explores different moods and soundscapes in a three-movement work, rich in harmonies and driving rhythms. Prokofiev’s highly classical sonata was originally composed for flute but later arranged for violin by the composer himself. It is a four-movement work that contrasts dramatic display with elegant melodies.
ALL SAINTS’ CHURCH, QUEEN'S ROAD, HERTFORD, SG13 8AY
Tickets: Adults £13-£18; Students £5; Under 8s FREE
Wheelchair user + accompanying carer £13-£18
Booking fees apply.
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EVENT 7
ROSSETTI ENSEMBLE
Tuesday 13 June, 7.30pm - 9.15pm
John Lenehan - piano
Sara Trickey - violin
Sarah-Jane Bradley - viola
Tim Lowe - cello
W A MOZART
CLAUDE DEBUSSY
JAMES FRANCIS BROWN
DAVID MATTHEWS
ROBERT SCHUMANN
Piano Quartet in G minor K478
Prelude from La Demoiselle Élue (arr. Lenehan)
Piano Quartet
A Song and Dance Sketchbook Op. 65
Piano Quartet in Eb Major, Op. 47
Named after the renowned British poet and painter of the Pre-Raphaelite movement, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, The Rossetti Ensemble was formed in 2018 with a quest to explore the repertoire of his era and beyond.
Mozart’s Piano Quartet is one of the first masterpieces of the form, combining classical elegance with dramatic intensity. There is a delicate arrangement by John Lenehan of Debussy’s Prelude from La Demoiselle Élue, a lyrical and impressionistic work inspired by Rossetti’s poetry, and this is contrasted by James Francis Brown’s exciting Piano Quartet of 2004.
A collection of short pieces that range from lyrical to lively characterise A Song and Dance Sketchbook and the concert ends with Schumann’s Piano Quartet - a romantic and passionate work that displays Schumann’s melodic genius and harmonic innovation. This is a musical journey that spans centuries and styles!
ALL SAINTS’ CHURCH, QUEEN'S ROAD, HERTFORD, SG13 8AY
Tickets: Adults £13-£18; Students £5; Under 8s FREE
Wheelchair user + accompanying carer £13-£18
Booking fees apply.
EVENT 8
THE ARTFUL PIANO:
KATYA APEKISHEVA IN RECITAL
Wednesday 14 June, 1.00pm to 1.55pm
ROBERT SCHUMANN
MODEST MUSSORGSKY
Waldszenen (Forest Scenes), Op. 82
Pictures at an Exhibition (1874)
Don’t miss this rare opportunity to hear one of the finest pianists based in the UK, Katya Apekisheva, at the Hertfordshire Festival of Music. She will make her debut at the festival with two stunning works that showcase the connection between art and music: Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition and Schumann’s Waldszenen.
You will be transported to a gallery of musical paintings that Mussorgsky composed in tribute to his friend’s art, and a forest of musical scenes that Schumann captured with his lyrical genius. This is a concert that will delight your senses and inspire your imagination. Book your tickets now and join us for a lunchtime feast of glorious music!
ALL SAINTS’ CHURCH, QUEEN'S ROAD, HERTFORD, SG13 8AY
Light refreshments are available for purchase from 12 noon.
FREE EVENT: donations welcome.
EVENT 9
EMMA JOHNSON: A MASTERCLASS
In partnership with Queenswood School
Thursday 15 June, 5.30pm - 7.30pm
Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes of a musical performance? How does a world-class musician achieve such perfection and beauty in their art? Now you have a chance to find out, as internationally renowned clarinettist Emma Johnson gives a masterclass for young and aspiring players of the instrument. Emma guides the musicians through the technical and expressive challenges of the repertoire, sharing her insights and tips along the way. A masterclass can be just as rewarding for the audience as for the participants, so don’t miss this opportunity to learn from one of the best in the business.
CHAPEL AT QUEENSWOOD, QUEENSWOOD SCHOOL, SHEPHERDS WAY, BROOKMANS PARK, HATFIELD, AL9 6NS
Daniel Swain - accompanist
FREE event. Please register for your free ticket via the box office.
If you are unable to attend the masterclass in person, the event will be livestreamed. To register for the free livestream link please email info@hertsmusicfest.org.uk by 5pm on Wednesday 14 June.
EVENT 10
MEET EMMA JOHNSON
Friday 16 June, 4.30pm - 5.30pm
Join us for a fascinating discussion between Emma Johnson and James Francis Brown, as they talk about her musical journey, her passions and her interests. They will share their experiences, insights and opinions on music, art and life. With a chance to ask your own questions, this is a rare and exciting opportunity to get to know one of the legends of the clarinet world. Book your tickets now and join us for an enlightening and enjoyable conversation!
FRIENDS MEETING HOUSE, 50 RAILWAY ST., HERTFORD, SG14 1BA
FREE event. Please register for your free ticket via the box office.
EVENT 11
FESTIVAL FINALE
THE ARTFUL CLARINET:
EMMA JOHNSON IN RECITAL WITH GREGORY DROTT
Friday 16 June, 6.00pm - 7.15pm
W A MOZART
EMMA JOHNSON
JOHANNES BRAHMS
FRANCIS POULENC
GEORGE GERSHWIN
Theme and Variations from K581
Three Perspectives
Clarinet Sonata No.1, in F minor, Op.120 No.1
Clarinet Sonata (1962)
Tribute in the Style of Benny Goodman
We invite you to a festival finale full of varied and exciting works for clarinet and piano. Emma Johnson is one of the UK’s most popular classical musicians and this highly personal programme takes in her own ‘Three Perspectives’, a collection of three pieces that express her individual style and influences. Emma performs Brahms’ Sonata in F minor, a profound and expressive work that was one of his final compositions as well as Poulenc’s witty and playful Sonata, blending classical and jazz elements.
The concert ends with an enthralling tribute to George Gershwin, in the Style of Benny Goodman, a tribute to the legendary jazz clarinettist that features some of Gershwin’s most popular tunes. Joined by pianist Gregory Drott, this concert is sure to be a fitting and uplifting concert to end HFoM 2023!
ALL SAINTS’ CHURCH, QUEEN'S ROAD, HERTFORD, SG13 8AY
Tickets: Adults £14-£20; Students £5; Under 8s FREE
Wheelchair user + accompanying carer £14-£20
Booking fees apply.
THROUGHOUT THE FESTIVAL
MUSIC IN MIND – LIVING WITH DEMENTIA
During the Festival period, specially trained musicians share the gift of music with selected care homes throughout the county of Hertfordshire via interactive online sessions for people living with dementia, including their carers and families. For those living with the condition, participating in music can bring not only an improvement in symptoms, but a sense of joy and elation for those taking part.
In collaboration with Sing from the Heart