So, what’s lined up for the 39th Lichfield Festival? Well, quite a lot actually! Running for 11 days from July 8-18, there’s everything from ballet to cabaret, steel pans to symphony orchestras, live cooking, story-telling and laugh-out-loud comedy, to give just a flavour.
Lichfield’s medieval cathedral forms the centrepiece of the Festival and it’s always lit to dramatic effect.
This year it plays host to some amazing vocalists who top the line-up. There’s the undisputed British Queen of Soul, Mica Paris, whose most recent release Gospel in 2020 shot to No 1 in the UK R&B Album Charts, and Brit-award winning folk singer/ songwriter Eddi Reader, widely considered Scotland’s greatest living female voice.
Liza Pulman, whose show Liza Sings Streisand wowed us in 2018, returns with timeless classics and lost gems from songwriters like Irving Berlin, Randy Newman and Judy Collins, and master impressionist turned pianist, Alistair McGowan entertains with a unique mix of classic comedy and classical music.
Also in the Cathedral, the captivating Ballet Cymru perform a brand new version of the classic ballet Giselle, a slimmed down BBC National Orchestra of Wales return for the third year in their residency, and superb vocal group I Fagiolini and narrator Jessica Walker take the centenary of TS Eliot’s The Waste Land as inspiration for a concert of music ancient and modern.
There’s an evening of fiery flamenco and Spanish passion as guitar and flamenco duo Xuefei Yang and Maria Vega take to the stage, and magical late evening concerts by Baroque violinist Rachel Podger playing Bach by Candlelight and saxophonist Tommy Smith improvising on melodies from jazz and folk traditions.
As backdrops go, Lichfield Cathedral takes some beating and it’s the most gorgeous setting for the final Festival Saturday. The Festival’s Aspire! Family Day is a full day of events beginning with an immersive new outdoor version of Peter and the Wolf in the gardens of Lichfield Cathedral School. There’s a special appearance from the world-renowned Grimethorpe Colliery Band on the West Lawn ahead of their Cathedral shows later that day, plus three Lichfield Mystery Plays, and song and dance from local youth and adult groups to keep the festival vibe buzzing and picnickers entertained throughout.
Other outdoor events this year include Notting Hill Carnival favourites, The Metronomes Steel Orchestra, who bring the carnival spirit to the stunning Courtyard at Swinfen Hall Hotel.
The Festival is continuing its tradition of engaging resident artists who perform throughout the ten days, and this year the four superb collaborative musicians are Chloë Hanslip (violin), Danny Driver (piano), Jessica Walker (vocalist) and Joseph Atkins (piano).
Chloë and Danny are two of the UK’s top chamber musicians and together they recorded all of Beethoven’s violin sonatas in 2017 and they’ll include a few in their Festival concerts as a belated tribute to the composer’s 250th anniversary last year.
Meanwhile, the creative partnership of Jessica Walker and Joseph Atkins brings us three cabaret shows: Roaring into the 20s is devoted to music of the era that ushered in the Jazz Age; (Dead) Funny Women recaptures the rollercoaster lives and musical genius of great women of musical comedy, some remembered, some forgotten; and Songs For Our Times is a special Festival commission.
Variety is the buzzword of every Lichfield Festival – it’s one of the most eclectic multi-arts festivals the UK has to offer – so it’s no surprise there’s everything from an appearance by the Yorkshire Shepherdess Amanda Owen, to live cooking and laugh-out-loud comedy from George Egg, a whistlestop tour of Gilbert & Sullivan by the Charles Court Opera and a monologue on the life of Clementine Churchill, wife of Winston Churchill.
If comedy’s your thing, look out for Justin Moorhouse, known to many as star of Peter Kay’s Phoenix Nights and for his regular TV show appearances, not least as a former winner of Celebrity Mastermind (specialist subject: Les Dawson).
Katie Arnstein, originally from Lichfield, presents Sexy Lamp, the semi-autobiographical story of her journey to becoming an actor using comedy, storytelling and original songs. The story of another former Lichfield resident, the 19th century composer, pianist and instrument maker Muzio Clementi, is told through words and music, played on an original Clementi square piano.
A vast array of musical genres includes world music and folk quartet Kabantu, members of the National Youth Jazz Orchestra and the daily short concerts by the cream of up-and- coming talent in the Festival’s Young Artists series.
So this year, we’re all looking forward to renewing the Festival pass and immersing ourselves in eleven days of fabulous entertainment and culture, right here in gorgeous Lichfield.
Tickets are available from
www.lichfieldfestival.org
107
LIVE24-SEVEN.COM
ENTERTAINMENT L ICHF I E LD F E S T IVAL
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