Howden Festival Archive - 2006

Howden Festival 2006 held from September 16th – 24th inclusive proved to be a resounding success. The opening concert in Howden Minster was given by ‘Chantage’ a Chamber Choir from London who are in the final of the BBC radio 3 Choir of the Year finals to be held in November. It was a fantastic opening to the Festival and included Faure ‘Requiem’, music by Arvo Part, 5 Spirituals by Tippett and some lighter choral pieces to conclude the programme. They also sang Evensong on the following day which included parts of the Rachmaninov ‘Vespers’.

On Sunday evening a packed Shire Hall enjoyed a cabaret act called ‘Me and my Cello’ by Rebecca Carrington. She took us on a journey to various parts of the world and made her cello fit the music of the country. It became a guitar in Spain, a bagpipe in Scotland and a sitar in India. She is a classical cellist who has played with several orchestras but who has broadened her horizons with her amusing act.

On Monday evening the Shire Hall hosted a supper-concert in which Concert Royal played music of the Jane Austen period interspersed with readings from her works and letters. This was a delightful evening and well received by the audience.

Tuesday evening saw a Piano Trio called ‘Dimension’ give a stunning performance of works by Bridge, Ravel and Tchaikovsky. The Tchaikovsky contained references to the waltzes in his ballet music and fortissimo chords reminiscent of his First Piano Concerto.

'Me and My Cello' -
Rebecca Carrington

For the Wednesday evening concert York Waits proved a very popular choice as they introduced the audience to an amazing variety of early instruments including shawms, recorders and a hurdy-gurdy.

The visit of Crofton Silver Band on Thursday was another popular event with an appreciative audience and fine playing from the band and soloists.

A piano recital on Friday evening was given by Vanessa Latarche an international soloist and Head of Keyboard Studies at the Royal College of Music in London. This was a brilliant concert featuring music by Mozart, Mendelssohn and Chopin showing her expertise at the keyboard and her delightful personality.

Saturday saw the culmination of a most successful week with a performance of African Sanctus in the presence of the composer David Fanshawe and Dr John Sentamu, Archbishop of York. The Yorkshire Philharmonic Choir sang two groups of choral masterpieces in the first half of the programme and Backbeat Percussion entertained us with a group of pieces using drums and tuned percussion. David Fanshawe then introduced his music that combines an unorthodox setting of the Latin Mass with recordings made during a trip along the Nile and originally composed in 1972. The Yorkshire Philharmonic Choir and Backbeat Percussion were then joined by soprano soloist, Maureen Brathwaite and The Mighty Nation Zulu Dance Theatre to produce a stunning performance of African Sanctus – a spectacle those present are unlikely to forget for many years to come.

African Sanctus

The Monday to Friday lunchtime concerts were also held in the Minster beginning with a superb organ recital by Scott Farrell, organist at Newcastle Cathedral.

On Tuesday we were entertained by Welsh folk singer Heather Jones and then by ‘Seren’ a close harmony trio on Wednesday in which Heather and her friends Sian Jones and Sioned Mair sang a variety of songs in both English and Welsh.

On Thursday Neil Pennock and James Beston gave us a brilliant recital on clarinet and piano and the last lunchtime concert brought Festival friends Clara Biss and Nicholas Chalmers back to Howden to play music on violin and organ – an unusual combination which worked very well in the surroundings.

The Shire Hall was the main venue for the Literary events in the Festival though on Monday Mike Smith, our local poet entertained an appreciative audience in the Methodist Church. Another speaker was Valerie Wood, an author whose novels centre around life in Hull and the East Riding in the 19th century.

On Thursday Moray Watson, an actor, whose varied career has been on the stage, in films and on television, gave an incite into his life in the acting world and on Friday Timothy Ackroyd presented the short play “Hogarth, The Compassionate Satirist”. All events were well received by those who attended.

Several of the artists who appeared in the Festival also visited the schools in Howden and the surrounding area to give Workshops which gave the pupils an opportunity to add to their experience of music and the arts.

Keep checking back for details of up and coming concerts.

If you can't wait until then for music and dance, why not check out Howden-Live a volunteer-run, charity registered, organisation with a fundamental ethos of " enjoying live entertainment in the company of others".

'Seren'