What’s on in arts and entertainment in and around Newbury this week
Whitchurch Folk Festival
WHITCHURCH Folk Festival is back on Saturday, (May 10), bringing world-class folk artists, morris dancing, interactive workshops and a strong community spirit to North Hampshire. Featuring world-class folk artists, this vibrant festival spotlights traditional music, dance, arts and crafts. Enjoy concerts, ceilidhs, interactive workshops and delicious local food and drink. Kickstart the festivities tomorrow night with pre-festival shenanigans with Bonfire Radicals and more in a night of music, dance, and folk-fuelled fun! Visit https://whitchurchfolk.com/ for the full programme and booking.
Open Studios
OPEN Studios West Berks & North Hants starts on Saturday with artists and makers opening their doors to visitors across the district until Monday 26. All 100 participating artists will have a sample of their work displayed in the ‘taster’ INSIGHT exhibition at The BASE, Greenham to inspire you to visit some of them in their studios and other venues, to see more of their work and learn more about their processes and techniques. Artists will be there in the gallery acting as stewards and will be able to talk about the artworks and you can also explore the OS Guide and website to help you choose the artist studios you wish to visit. https://www.open-studios.org.uk/
Aldworth artists
Aldworth St Mary’s Church Art Group exhibition is open at the church, home to the Aldworth Giants from 10am to 5pm until May 17 as part of Oxfordshire Artweeks.. The group is made up of amateur artists who live in the village or the surrounding area. Morning open sketching sessions (paper and charcoal provided) from 10.30am to 12.30pm, daily, plant stall and tea, coffee and cake served all day.
And along the road at Field View, Bell Lane, Isobel Pigott, Anthony Lloyd and Mandy Monkcom will be collectively showing their works also as part of the Artists of Aldworth Oxfordshire Artweeks exhibitions. They will be open to visitors on May 10, 11, 15, 16, 17 and 18 from 11am to 5pm. Isobel’s paintings are colourful and aim to lift the spirits. She uses different media to express colour, pattern and the rhythm of line and responds instinctively to her subject, whatever it is.Mandy will be offering figurative and portrait works with an abstract flavour, using colour and texture to convey lively likenesses, and smaller abstract works.Anthony is a sculptor and printmaker. He is currently exploring memory and memories, creating memorials to portray, remember and celebrate the forgotten lives of craftsmen. You’ll find his work in Isobel’s beautiful gardens and her studio.
Festival Parade
The Festival Parade, led by the Giant bandmaster puppet will bring music, dance and community to the town centre on Saturday afternoon. The event will begin at 4.30pm at the Methodist Church with a lively dance performance by Reuben Spencer Dance Company to awaken the Giant and launch the procession. A rich and varied musical line-up follows, with artists stationed along the route contributing to a celebratory soundtrack of strings, brass, percussion and woodwind. The programme includes performances by local cellists, saxophonists, street bands, ukulele players, and youth ensembles. Audiences will also encounter saxophonist Joe Pollard and the East Woodhay Silver Band, bringing brass and wind music to multiple locations along the street. Adding to the rhythm and energy will be performances by community bands, drummers, ukulele groups and Good Vibes Music Academy students before the procession culminates in a performance in the Market Square with members of the Metronomes Steel Orchestra and Sonia Brown Dance Company. No tickets are required.
Newbury Spring Festival
THE 46th Newbury Spring Festival - a fortnight of world class music in which the very best young musical stars appear alongside some of the world’s most distinguished and famous names opens on Saturday as is tradition with the big orchestral concert at St Nic’s. The English Chamber Orchestra will play the Mendelssohn Overture ‘The Hebrides’, Chopin’s Piano Concerto no 1 and Mendelssohn’s Symphony no 3 ‘Scottish’. For the full programme of events, visit www.newburyspringfestival.org.uk/
Apollo Big Band
The Apollo Big Band will perform at Jazz@Stockcross at Sutton Hall, Church Road, Stockcross, tomorrow (Friday) at 8pm, with a tribute to the American big bands. The performance will feature pieces from WWII-era bands such as Woody Herman, Charlie Barnet, and Glenn Miller, who notably played at Greenham airbase and the Corn Exchange in Newbury in 1944. The concert will also highlight the evolution of American big bands, showcasing music from Maynard Ferguson, Quincy Jones, the GRP All-Star Big Band, and the acclaimed Gordon Goodwin Big Band. Furthermore, the event will include a special guest featuring songs by renowned vocalists Natalie Cole and Ella Fitzgerald, adding an elegant touch to the evening."
Comedy night
Find your new favourite comedian in tomorrow night’s (Friday) The Comedy Network. You're in for a treat with four fresh comedians who will have you laughing until your sides hurt! This month's line-up includes* Glenn Moore, who is a regular face on TV, having appeared on Mock The Week (BBC), The Russell Howard Hour (Sky), The Stand Up Sketch Show (ITV2) and more. Next on the line-up is Katie Norris, best known for her work as one-half of the critically-acclaimed double act Norris & Parker. Having spent the last few years supporting the likes of Josie Long and Noel Fielding, Joey Page joins us this May! Finally, compering the evening is Rich Wilson. Rich has performed at sell out shows at the Edinburgh Fringe, Melbourne Comedy Festival and the New Zealand Comedy Festival, and has even won Best International Guest at the New Zealand Comedy Awards. Secure your favourite seats in the house for this brilliant night of comedy! Find out more at https://cornexchangenew.com/events
New Era VE Day celebration
WASH Common-based New Era Players are helping to celebrate VE Day 80 with West Berkshire Museum today (Thursday). They will be doing two shows, the first at 1pm and the other at 7pm. Each performance will be different, showcasing songs, stories, poems and anecdotes about this historic day. Tickets :www.westberkshireheritage.org/ west-berkshire-museum. If you are unable to attend the museum show, you can catch the whole performance at New Era Theatre in Wash Common on Friday and Saturday. Tickets, priced £15, are available at ticketsource.co.uk/new-era-players. Doors open at 7pm for a 7.30pm start.
The Joy of bubbles
JOURNEY through the awe-inspiring story of the origins of Bubbleland as it’s brought to life in a dazzling display of soap and water on Sunday when Creation: The Bubble Show comes to Arlington Arts, Snelsmore. Immerse yourself in this spectacular adventure as the master of bubbles breathes life into: light, water, plants, animals, stars, and the essence of human nature itself. Creation is a feast for the senses, with fire effects, poetic puppetry, light-displays, captivating music and brand-new bubble masterpieces never seen before. Step into a new world where magic sparkles, colours dance, and imagination knows no bounds. Suitable from age 2+. https://arlington-arts.com/
Creative Communities exhibition
Creative Communities is showing their latest exhibition ‘Identities’ at Arlington Arts, inspired by their talented artists’ discovery of their creative identities. The exhibition runs to July 25. Free To View but you must book in advance.
Bubble show
JOURNEY through the awe-inspiring story of the origins of Bubbleland as it’s brought to life in a dazzling display of soap and water on Sunday when Creation: The Bubble Show comes to Arlington Arts, Snelsmore. Immerse yourself in this spectacular adventure as the master of bubbles breathes life into light, water, plants, animals, stars and the essence of human nature itself. Creation is a feast for the senses, with fire effects, poetic puppetry, light-displays, captivating music and brand-new bubble masterpieces never seen before. Suitable from age two-plus. More information and booking at https://arlington-arts.com/
