The Three Towers Music Festival is now a fixed entry in the village calendars of Farmborough, Marksbury and Stanton Prior. This year will be the fourth festival organised by a collaborative from the three churches and promises again a programme of much variety.
The festival starts on Friday morning with a concert by Marksbury School Choir, followed by lunch. The Choir often performs at village functions and its high standard is a credit to the school and its commitment to singing. On Friday afternoon, Chris Lovell (Choir Master at Farmborough) will offer “a brief introduction to the recorder and its music” accompanied by Philip Evry (renowned for his arrangements for recorder).
David Knighton, organist and choir master at St Luke’s Church, Wellsway, Bath, will perform an organ and piano recital on Saturday morning, then in contrast on Saturday afternoon, “Class Act” will offer classic jazz standards from blues to popular tunes from the Great American Songbook, “all played in a cool post war bebop style”. In the evening, the voice takes centre stage with barbershop harmony and a cappella singing by H Club, Jigsaw (mixed quartet), Tonic (male quartet) Havoc (ladies quartet) and Hav8 (mixed octet).
On Sunday morning, 1st May, there will be a special choral communion service at Farmborough Church, and the afternoon sees the final concert with Wells Cathedral School Orchestra performing works by Bach, Shostakovich and Hayden, followed by afternoon tea.
The three main concerts are by paid ticket and at others donations will be gratefully received. Funds raised will be split between the three churches and The British Paraorchestra. (The British Paraorchestra challenges perceptions of disability and disabled people by creating a visible platform for gifted disabled musicians to perform at the highest level).
For venues, performance times and tickets please visit the festival website, www.threetowersfestival.org or call Pat Beaumont on: 01761 479187 or Judith Haywood on: 01761 470317.
Jeannette Jones