Living in hope The past 12 months have witnessed
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visit our online listings at www.choirandorgan.com FESTIVALS
Living in hope
Time to get music-making again? Matthew Berry is impressed by the positive attitudes
of organisers planning festivals despite the pandemic
T
he past 12 months have witnessed At the time of writing, the outlook appears Turning to the organ world, competitions
an unprecedented hiatus in music- more buoyant and there is genuine optimism and festivals return with renewed enthusiasm,
making internationally, a painful among festival curators. As one of the most albeit fashioned to the ‘new normal’. The
void accentuated by the disquieting litany of hotly anticipated events in the international Leeds International Organ Festival is first
lockdown postponements and cancellations. choral calendar, Europa Cantat celebrates in the calendar and continues 2020’s online
Apart from those in early March, not a its 60th anniversary with its 21st triennial format with guest artists recording recitals in
single festival listed in our 2020 feature festival in Ljubljana, Slovenia, home to their own churches. Jonathan Rennert opens
passed untouched by Covid-19. Over the one of the most innate choral traditions the festival, with other performers including
past few decades, with the increasing ease in the world. Planned guest choirs include the German virtuosos Friedhelm Flamme
of international travel and the arrival of the Tenebrae, phenomenon of the social media and Angela Metzger. The Leeds Cathedral
internet, we have become accustomed to age Accent, German vocal sextet Singer Pur, organists, David Pipe and Thomas Leech, will
accessing culture anywhere across the globe. and Swedish a cappella group Ringmasters. stream live recitals from the cathedral’s four-
Festivals have long been platforms for music Slovene contributing artists include manual Klais.
from other countries, and we are undoubtedly composer-conductors Damijan Močnik St Albans International Organ
all the poorer for having missed out on that and Ambrož Čopi, and the conductor of the Festival (see News, page 9) returns with its
cultural enrichment over the past year. remarkable St Stanislav Girls’ Choir, Helena concomitant competition (the latter online
However, out of adversity came ingenuity Fojkar Zupančič. this year). A star-studded guest artists list
as committees reconfigured programmes Interkultur is forging ahead with its roster includes Thomas Trotter, whose programme
and tailored the festival experience for online of events, including the World Choir Games includes a tribute to the festival’s founder,
viewing. The impromptu arrangements of in Flanders, postponed from 2020 and Peter Hurford’s Suite ‘Laudate Dominum.
2020 have laid the foundations for pre-festival now moved from July this year to October; The Oundle for Organists Summer School,
planning in 2021 as uncertainties remain. and the 10th Canta al mar – Festival led by Ann Elise Smoot, runs alongside
Some festivals are catering for varying Coral Internacional heads to the sunny the Oundle International Festival in the
scenarios, with live, online and hybrid weather and sandy beaches of Calella and Northamptonshire market town.
formats; others are still finalising repertoire Barcelona. After a successful inaugural visit Fans of Dutch organs are spoilt for choice
and performers as they tackle the logistics of to Hanover in 2019, chor.com celebrates its with two major festivals, Orgelfestival
hosting ensembles. Our listings come with the tenth anniversary by returning to the north Holland and the International Organ
caveat that schedules may be amended up to German city and its host of distinctive venues Festival Haarlem appearing in June and July.
the last minute. Please keep checking festival including the mesmeric brick gothic hall Haarlem’s programme has been slimmed
websites for all the latest developments. church, the Marktkirche. down to one week, with the accompanying
(l to r) Slovene choir Carmen Manet – Europa Cantat will be held in Ljubljana; a tutorial at Oundle for Organists; Samuel Hudson will conduct his first Three Choirs Festival
JAMES DEVESON
MICHAEL WHITEFOOT
FESTIVALS visit our online listings at www.choirandorgan.com
Summer Academy incorporating a selection weekend hybrid event as an alternative to the most accomplished chamber musicians and
of courses from the cancelled 2020 event. traditional live competition strands. accompanists, the pianist Anna Tilbrook.
Orgelfestival Holland runs alongside the In addition to its traditional slot at the start Concerts take place in the 14 medieval
Academy and the International Schnitger of October, The Cumnock Tryst in Ayrshire churches scattered across the wetlands of
Organ Competition, with jury members is set to hold a Summer Festival from 18-20 Romney Marsh; the full programme will be
Benoît Mernier, Michael Bouvard, Martin June 2021. As founder-artistic director unveiled in May. Stile Antico are among the
Schmeding, Johannes Strobl and Menno van James MacMillan states: ‘It’s important that guest artists at The National Centre for Early
Delft. Competitors play the world-famous The Cumnock Tryst continues to think Music’s ‘jewel in the crown’, the annual York
organs of the Grote Sint-Laurenskerk in imaginatively about its future, especially Early Music Festival, which is set across
Alkmaar: the monumental Van Hagerbeer/ in these constrained times. Therefore, we the city’s myriad historic churches and other
Schnitger organ, and the 1511 Van present two festivals in 2021! But we have also very fine performing venues. King’s Lynn
Covelens Koororgel, known as the oldest maintained a creative edge through lockdown, Festival will feature a reduced programme
playable instrument in the Netherlands. working with senior pupils at the Robert in three Lynn churches and the 15th-century
In October, the Canadian International Burns Academy on their compositions.’ A Guildhall. And the UK’s biggest classical
Organ Competition in Montreal presents hundred miles to the north-east, the East music festival, the BBC Proms, will take place
its triennial international competition Neuk Festival returns with a bespoke offering from 30 July to 11 September live and online.
(postponed from 2020), open to organists of
all nationalities under the age of 35.
Limerick Sings is finalising plans for an
It is a joy to soak up the enthusiasm that is rife
online festival with three days of workshops among musicians and festival organisers
and virtual concerts, while also pitching for
choirs to participate in its Virtual Choral Trail. both live and recorded, digital and in-person. Ending on a liturgical note, the Edington
Presteigne Festival of Music and Arts, The festival will collaborate with BBC Radio Music Festival, directed by Richard Pinel,
a cradle for musical innovation in the 3 on four broadcasts, and the Tallis Scholars will be running a mini-festival, following the
Welsh Marches for over 35 years, welcomes mark the 500th anniversary of the death of traditional framework of three or four services
Cecilia McDowall, recently honoured in the Josquin with a performance of his Missa Ave a day and featuring two choirs, the Schola
Ivors Composers Awards, as composer-in- maris stella alongside music by Gibbons, and the Consort, only. Live streaming will
residence. Rupert Gough and the Choir of Byrd and Tallis. Meanwhile, organisers of be available, as only a limited congregation
Royal Holloway, on the back of premiere the Edinburgh International Festival (6-29 will have access to each service. Both the
recordings of Pierre Villette’s Messe ‘Da August) are planning their annual showcase of London Festival of Contemporary Church
Pacem’ and Joanna Marsh’s The Tower and music, theatre, opera and dance from around Music and Musica Deo Sacra are expecting
Pearl of Freedom, return to the festival in the globe (details still to be released). to welcome singers and audiences to their
collaboration with their own composer-in- A round-up of the UK concludes with a respective festivals in May and August.
residence, Welsh musician Nathan James tour of the English highlights. The Three Although we may need to continue
Dearden (see New Music, p.36). Elsewhere, Choirs Festival, from 24 July to 1 August, expecting – and accepting – the unexpected
the International Choral Festival Wales / will take place in Worcester. It will be the for some time yet, it is a joy to soak up the
Gŵyl Gorawl Ryngwladol Cymru returns first festival under the artistic direction of enthusiasm and barely guarded optimism
to Cardiff after a one-year absence, and Samuel Hudson, appointed director of music that are rife among musicians and festival
the Llangollen International Musical at Worcester Cathedral in 2019. JAM on the organisers desperate to cast off the fetters of
Eisteddfod focuses on digital options and a Marsh is curated this year by one of Britain’s prolonged isolation.
(l to r) Stile Antico will appear in York’s Early Music Festival; Montreal hosts the Canadian International Organ Competition; the 1511 Van Covelens organ in Orgelfestival Holland
MARCO BORGREVE
FIREFIGHTER MONTREAL
JAN ZWART
visit our online listings at www.choirandorgan.com FESTIVALS
FESTIVALS 2021
Events correct at the time of going to press, but readers are strongly advised to keep checking websites for any changes.
MAY JULY International Organ Festival info@edingtonfestival.org
Leeds International Organ Festival East Neuk Festival Haarlem edingtonfestival.org
10-13 May, Online 1-4 Jul, Fife, UK 17-24 Jul, Haarlem, The Netherlands Presteigne Festival of Music and Arts
Contact info@leedsiof.org Contact +44 330 2211093 Contact +31 6 28426540 26-31 Aug, Presteigne, UK
leedsiof.org / lioflive.org.uk ian@eastneukfestival.com office@organfestival.nl Cecilia McDowall (composer-in-
London Festival of Contemporary eastneukfestival.com organfestival.nl residence)
Church Music International Choral Festival Wales Contact + 44 1544 267800
King’s Lynn Festival
bookings@presteignefestival.com
16-23 May, St Pancras, London, UK / Gŵyl Gorawl Ryngwladol Cymru 18-31 Jul, King’s Lynn, Norfolk, UK
presteignefestival.com
Contact + 44 20 7388 1461 2-4 Jul, Cardiff, UK Box Office +44 1553 764864
info@lfccm.com internationalchoralfestival.wales info@kingslynnfestival.org.uk SEPTEMBER
lfccm.com St Albans International Organ Festival kingslynnfestival.org.uk chor.com
Norwich & Norfolk Festival 5-16 Jul, St Albans, UK Three Choirs Festival 23-26 Sep, Hanover, Germany
17-30 May, Norfolk, UK Contact +44 1727 844765 24 Jul-1 Aug, Worcestershire, UK chor.com
Box Office: +44 1603 531800 adminstrator@organfestival.com Box Office +44 1452 768928 4th Voices for Peace
boxoffice@nnfestival.org.uk organfestival.com info@3choirs.org 26-30 Sep, Perugia/Assisi, Italy
nnfestival.org.uk Llangollen International Musical 3choirs.org interkultur.com
The English Music Festival Eisteddfod The Cumnock Tryst
Musica Deo Sacra
28-31 May, Horsham, West Sussex, UK 6-11 Jul, Hybrid / Digital 29 Sep-3 Oct, Cumnock, Ayrshire, UK
26 Jul-1 Aug, Tewkesbury,
Contact +44 7808 473889 Box Office + 44 1978 862001 Box Office + 44 141 332 5057
Gloucestershire, UK hello@thecumnocktryst.com
em.marshall-luck@ music@llangollen.net
Contact + 44 1684 850959 thecumnocktryst.com
englishmusicfestival.org.uk international-eisteddfod.co.uk
info@tewkesburyabbey.org.uk
englishmusicfestival.org.uk Jam on the Marsh
tewkesburyabbey.org.uk OCTOBER
8-18 Jul, Romney Marsh, Kent, UK
BBC Proms Toulouse les Orgues
JUNE Anna Tilbrook (festival curator) 5-8 Oct, Toulouse and region, France
30 Jul-11 Sep, UK
Limerick Sings International Contact +44 800 988 7984 toulouse-les-orgues.org
Box Office bbc.co.uk/promstickets
Choral Festival sarah@jamconcert.org 4th Kalamata International Choir
bbc.co.uk/proms
11-13 Jun, Virtual jamconcert.org Competition and Festival
Contact +353 61 213312 Oundle International Festival 11-17 Oct, Kalamata, Greece
information@limericksings.com 10-17 Jul, Oundle, Northamptonshire AUGUST interkultur.com
limericksings.com Contact information@ Edinburgh International Festival Canadian International Organ
The Cumnock Tryst Summer oundlefestival.org.uk 6-30 Aug, Edinburgh, UK Competition
Festival oundlefestival.org.uk Box Office +44 131 473 2000 11-25 Oct, Montreal, Canada
18-20 Jun, Cumnock, Ayrshire, UK York Early Music Festival eif.co.uk Contact +1 514 510 5678
Box Office + 44 141 332 5057 12-16 Jul, York, UK Lahti 9th International Organ info@ciocm.org
Festival ciocm.org
hello@thecumnocktryst.com Box Office +44 1904 658338
9-15 Aug, Lahti, Finland 10th Canta al mar – Festival Coral
thecumnocktryst.com boxoffice@ncem.co.uk
Internacional
Orgelfestival Holland ncem.co.uk Contact +358 3 877 230
21-25 Oct, Calella and Barcelona, Spain
18-25 Jun, Alkmaar, Netherlands Europa Cantat 2021 urkuviikko@lahtiorgan.fi
interkultur.com
Runs alongside the International 16-25 Jul, Ljubljana, Slovenia www.lahtiorgan.fi 11th World Choir Games
Schnitger Organ Competition. Contact + 386 1 24 10 500 Edington Music Festival 30 Oct-7 Nov, Flanders, Belgium
Contact info@orgelfestivalholland.nl info@ecljubljana2021.si 26-29 Aug, Edington, Wiltshire, UK Box Office + 32 34 0000 34
orgelfestivalalkmaar.nl ecljubljana2021.si Contact + 44 1380 831425 interkultur.com
(l to r) Nigel Short and Tenebrae will be guest artists at St Albans; the wetlands of Kent host JAM on the Marsh; the star of International Organ Festival Haarlem
SIM CANETTY-CLARKE
WIRESTOCK
JBYARD
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