More marvellous music to come
The 46th Newbury Spring Festival is now in full swing, and as it moves towards its second week, audiences can look forward to a rich and varied programme of events taking place across Newbury and the surrounding area.
On Friday 16 May, lunchtime concertgoers can enjoy Apollo’s Cabinet, a vibrant baroque ensemble performing at the Corn Exchange at 12.30pm. That evening, the same venue hosts An Evening with Joséphine, a powerful cabaret-theatre performance celebrating the life and legacy of the iconic Josephine Baker.
Meanwhile, chamber music lovers can experience the exceptional artistry of the Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective at 7.30pm in Holy Cross Church, Ramsbury. This acclaimed ensemble brings together a flexible group of top British and international performers. Their Festival programme includes Fanny Mendelssohn’s Piano Trio, Amy Beach’s Piano Quintet, and Brahms’ monumental Piano Quintet in F minor.
Saturday offers something for all ages. Families are invited to the Corn Exchange for Groove Onto the Moon, a joyful interactive show for little ones and their grown-ups at 10.30am. A short journey away, the East Woodhay Silver Band will perform at St Martin’s Church in East Woodhay from 11am. In the afternoon, singers are welcomed to join Come and Sing Evensong at St John’s Church in Newbury, followed by two major evening events: Northern SoulTrain will bring the infectious energy of Northern Soul to the Corn Exchange, while the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra performs a magnificent programme at St Nicolas Church, also at 7.30pm.
Sunday continues the celebration with the return of the internationally acclaimed Foden’s Band to the Corn Exchange at 3pm. At the same time, young pianists will compete in the Sheepdrove Piano Competition Final at Sheepdrove Organic Farm in Lambourn. In the evening, Olivier Award-winner Janie Dee headlines Beautiful World, a cabaret concert at Combe Manor Barn that promises to be both moving and uplifting.
On Monday, the winner of the piano competition will give a recital at the Corn Exchange at 12.30pm, while later that evening, jazz lovers can relax at Jazz at The Vineyard in Stockcross at 7.30pm, one of the Festival’s most atmospheric venues.
Steel pan rhythms take over the Corn Exchange on Tuesday with a performance by Metronomes Steel Orchestra, while baritone James Newby performs a recital at St Mary’s Church in Shaw.
Wednesday (May 21) offers a lunchtime flute recital at the Corn Exchange from Daniel Shao at 12.30pm. The evening brings a double bill of classical excellence: The Music of Leonard Bernstein lights up the Corn Exchange with a Broadway-style celebration, while clarinettist Michael Collins, accompanied by pianist Michael McHale, performs at St Mary’s Church in Kintbury. This outstanding duo presents a beautifully curated programme including works by Debussy, Poulenc and Martinu, showcasing both their virtuosity and expressive range.
Next Thursday (May 22) begins with a rare opportunity to hear from stage and screen legend Paul Nicholas in conversation at The Chapel, Sydmonton Court at 11.30am. That evening, audiences can choose between the dynamic young dancers of Ballet Central at the Corn Exchange and the superb Fantasia Orchestra performing at St Lawrence Church in Hungerford. Jazz returns on Friday with the Finn Carter Jazz Quartet performing at the Corn Exchange at 12.30pm, followed in the evening by folk star Seth Lakeman’s much-anticipated concert. Alternatively, Douai Abbey in Woolhampton will provide the perfect setting for Ex Cathedra’s moving performance of Rachmaninov’s Vespers.
The Festival’s final day on Saturday, May 24 opens with a compelling morning talk at the Corn Exchange at 11am. The British Atom Bomb Project. In this illuminating talk, Professor Tim Palmer CBE FRS, Royal Society Research Professor Emeritus at the University of Oxford, discusses how British scientists led the way in the early years of The Second World War - only to see their progress lost due to administrative failures. With wide-ranging insight, he explores the scientific breakthroughs, political missteps, and long-term consequences of Britain’s role in atomic history.
The Festival then closes with two exceptional concerts. At the Corn Exchange, O Moon of Alabama presents an intimate Kurt Weill cabaret blending music and storytelling. Meanwhile, at St Nicolas Church, Beethoven’s monumental Missa Solemnis will be performed by the Newbury Spring Festival Chorus and a distinguished line-up of soloists, conducted by Tom Primrose. Widely regarded as one of Beethoven’s supreme achievements, this sacred work is a deeply personal expression of faith and humanity - an ambitious and fitting finale to the 2024 Festival.
With such a wealth of talent on display and many events offering free tickets for under 30s, the Festival is committed to making world-class music accessible to all. For full listings and to book tickets, visit www.newburyspringfestival.org.uk
Full Listings:
Tuesday, May 13
Sense & Musicality: Jane Austen and Music, 3pm, Shaw House, Newbury
An Evening of Indian Classical Music, 7.30pm, Corn Exchange, Newbury
The Gesualdo Six Vocal Ensemble, 7.30pm, St Martin’s Church, East Woodhay
Wednesday, May 14
Maiastra Piano Quartet, 12.30pm, Corn Exchange, Newbury
Maxwell Quartet, 7.30pm, Englefield House, Theale
Alistair McGowan: The Piano Show, 7.30pm, Corn Exchange, Newbury
Thursday 15 May
A Vision of Beethoven, 3pm, Englefield House, Theale
Sheku Kanneh-Mason with the Castalian Quartet, 7.30pm, Corn Exchange, Newbury
Coracle Folk Trio, 7.30pm, Donnington Priory, Newbury
Friday, May 16
Apollo’s Cabinet Baroque Ensemble, 12.30pm, Corn Exchange, Newbury
An Evening with Joséphine, 7.30pm, Corn Exchange, Newbury
Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective, 7:30 PM, Holy Cross Church, Ramsbury
Saturday, May 17
Groove Onto the Moon, 10.30am, Corn Exchange, Newbury.
East Woodhay Silver Band, 11am, St. Martin’s Church, East Woodhay.
Come and Sing Evensong, 3.30pm, St John’s Church, Newbury.
Northern SoulTrain, 7.30pm, Corn Exchange, Newbury.
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, 7.30pm, St Nicolas Church, Newbury.
Sunday, May 18
Foden’s Band, 3pm, Corn Exchange, Newbury.
Sheepdrove Piano Competition Final, 3pm, Sheepdrove Organic Farm, Lambourn.
Janie Dee: Beautiful World Cabaret, 7.30pm, Combe Manor Barn, Combe.
Monday, May 19
Piano Competition Winner Recital, 12.30pm, Corn Exchange, Newbury.
Jazz at The Vineyard, 7.30pm, The Vineyard, Stockcross.
Tuesday, May 20
Opium: Seduction, Greed, Art Talk, 10.30am & 1.45pm, Arlington Arts
Metronomes Steel Orchestra, 7.30pm, Corn Exchange, Newbury.
James Newby Baritone Recital, 7.30pm, St Mary’s Church, Shaw.
Wednesday, May 21
Daniel Shao Flute Recital, 12.30pm, Corn Exchange, Newbury.
The Music of Leonard Bernstein, 7.30pm, Corn Exchange, Newbury.
Michael Collins Clarinet Recital, 7.30pm, St. Mary’s Church, Kintbury.
Thursday, May 22
Paul Nicholas in Conversation, 11.30am, The Chapel, Sydmonton Court.
Ballet Central, 7.30pm, Corn Exchange, Newbury.
Fantasia Orchestra, 7.30pm, St. Lawrence Church, Hungerford.
Friday, May 23
Finn Carter Jazz Quartet, 12.30pm, Corn Exchange, Newbury.
Seth Lakeman Folk Concert, 7.30pm, Corn Exchange, Newbury.
Ex Cathedra: Rachmaninov Vespers, 7.30pm, Douai Abbey, Woolhampton.
Saturday, May 24
The British Atom Bomb Project Talk, 11am, Corn Exchange, Newbury.
O Moon of Alabama: A Kurt Weill Cabaret, 7.30pm, Corn Exchange, Newbury.
Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis, 7.30pm, St Nicolas Church, Newbury.
For a complete list of events, times, and venues, visit the festival’s official website.