Whittington Music Festival marked the end of its successful week-long programme of British classical and folk music with a Reception last Thursday (5th July) at the Sweeney Hall Hotel. 35 guests representing sponsors, volunteers and members of the festival’s Friends Scheme enjoyed a summer evening over wine and canapes. They also heard a 12-minute recording of some of the festival’s musical highlights, including a clip from the foot-stomping folk programming which was a new feature of the six-year-old festival.
Festival chairman Robert Greaves thanked everyone for their support, and explained that hopes were high for the future, in spite of the competitive nature of Arts Council funding. Artistic Director James Barralet said it was important to get the balance between programming which guaranteed ticket sales and that which offered lesser-known works which deserved to be heard. Next year’s programme, focussing on Czech composers, would provide ‘plenty of good tunes’, he said, while in 2020 he hoped to develop the classical-folk mix which had been trialled so successfully this year.
Guests heard that over 115 feedback forms had been received, all of them effusive about May’s “Fantasia on a British theme”, and a draw from among them won concert-goer Frances Major fifty pounds.
Pictured: Whittington Music Festival trustees at the Sweeney Reception
Left to right: Lawrence Mortimer, Rosemary Mortimer, James Barralet, Mary Rolton, Christine Hughes, Michael Limbrey, Caroline Bradley, Jane Stirling, Robert Greaves
