Cuckfield Music Festival 17th – 20th June 2021

All the plans for a full-scale Music Festival were torpedoed by Covid-19 and its offspring. Instead there will be five events over four days mainly involving performers who are, or have been, Cuckfield residents. They will appear as soloists, duos or trios, and we anticipate that some form of social-distancing audiences will still be in force.

Festival Schedule:
All events take place in Holy Trinity Church, Cuckfield (RH17 5JZ)

Thursday 17th June – Lunchtime recital, 1pm: Hannah Corcoran, modern and classical saxophonist.
Having completed her Master of Arts degree at the RAM Hannah’s classical performance highlights include working with the BBC Symphony Orchestra at the Last Night of the Proms; as a soloist with the London Sinfonietta; and joining New York ensemble ‘Bang on a Can All-Stars’ in their BBC Prom. As a soloist she has performed at Wigmore Hall, the Festival Hall, Albert Hall and Barbican Centre, and was a finalist in the RNCM’s prestigious Gold Medal competition. As founder member of the multi-award winning Abelia Saxophone Quartet Hannah has performed at both the World and European Saxophone Congresses as well as live on BBC Radios 3 and 1.
Hannah enjoys a variety of genres, and has performed with artists including Paloma Faith, Craig David, Sigma, Emili Sandé, Sugababes, So Solid Crew and Lily Allen. She has worked with National Youth Jazz Orchestra of G.B., and made TV appearances on BBC 1 and for Skoda. As a proficient flautist, clarinettist and saxophonist she has deputised in West End shows, and holds the woodwind chair for the Ignition Orchestra, with whom she recorded an album for the Sony label and D J Spoony.
Free entry, with donations box 

Friday 18th June – Lunchtime recital, 1pm: Classical guitarist Paul Gregory, probably with Howard Blake present.
Whether as a Cuckfield native or a classical guitarist and composer, Paul Gregory is both a familiar and respected name. It is a pleasure to welcome him home to give the first of a series of recitals planned for the second half of the year.
Paul’s first met the composer Howard Blake, then living in Highbridge Mill, in the Queen’s Hall. They collaborated for a number of concerts at the James Forsyth Barn and went on together to the Wigmore Hall. Howard is intent, current circumstances permitting, on being at Paul’s recital, and it would honour the Festival if indeed they can both be here together.
Paul has subsequently led a distinguished career but, by his own admission, Holy Trinity Church has played a significant part in in his musical life, not least when he gave a recital there for the Cuckfield 900 celebrations. The acoustics, he says, are even better since the internal renovations. All the better then for the recital he will give of British and Spanish music by Howard Blake, Fernando Sor, Richard Stoker, Brian O’Doherty and Regino Sainz de la Maze.
Free entry, with donations box 
                    

18th June – Evening, 7.30pm:  Jazz On a Summer Evening: Julie Roberts, Michael Hinton and Terry Pack.
Jazz, Blues, Swing, Latin? Take your pick. Julie Roberts’ warm expressive voice combines with Michael’s inspired piano arrangements and the ace bass playing of Terry Pack.
Since restarting her singing career following a break to teach, Julie has performed widely in the south-east of England. She is at her happiest performing solo with small groups or big bands. As jazz pianist Mike Hatchard said: ‘Julie is a wonderful interpreter of jazz standards’. BBC South said of her: ‘I love that dark smoky voice….she’s really brilliant…really sophisticated… a great singer.’
Julie has worked with pianist Michael Hinton, composer, arranger and song writer, since early 2016. His arrangements and playing of the great standards of the 20th Century capture the emotion, ideas and spirit of the original writers and have won widespread praise.
Terry Pack is one of the most accomplished and experienced bass players in the UK and has played many Jazz and Blues festivals across Europe, appeared on TV and for six years played with his own band in France, Italy and Switzerland.
Some of our local jazz enthusiasts may have heard Julie and Michael at Brighton’s Verdict Jazz Club in October 2019, in which case they may have had the chance to buy their third CD, The Gift which, with luck, may still be on offer! 
Tickets £10 per person

Saturday 19th June – Lunchtime and Evening, 4pm and 7.30pm: Dominic Ferris, with guest appearance by Georgi Mottram. (As social-distancing will limit the number of tickets available, Dominic has offered to give two different performances on the same day.)

Dominic Ferris is a Steinway Artist, singer and producer.

After the huge success of Dominic’s event at the 2019 Cuckfield Music Festival there was an immediate demand for him to come to us again. And Dominic enjoyed himself so much that he added his voice to the clamour. So here he is again – not once, but twice! As there may be a continuing requirement for socially-distanced seating, and so a limitation on numbers, Dominic has  generously offered to give two different recitals on the same day, one in the afternoon;  the other in the evening. Recognising the problems of limited seating both recitals will also be streamed online.
Dominic grew up in Hove and went on to Hurstpierpoint College, and has always acknowledged the debt he owes to the musical education he received there. His range covers everything from classical to popular, and his trademark Me and My Piano performances were regular sell-outs in pre-covid days. 
Since 2015 Dominic has performed and orchestrated eight top ten albums, recorded at the Abbey Road studios. Recent collaborations include Michael Ball and Alfie Boe and the symphonic albums of Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison and The Beach Boys with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, selling over three million copies worldwide. He also toured Elvis Presley: Live on Screen, including the 40th anniversary performance at Gracelands with Priscilla Presley. Last year he worked with Shirley Bassey on her new album I owe it all to You.  

In the course of his Music Festival concerts Dominic will be joined by Georgi Mottram who has sung lead roles in the West End, performed on Broadway, and sung with Katherine Jenkins and Alfie Boe. She both directs and sings in the opera group Ida Girls London Ltd with whom she performs widely and has gained success in the Classical charts. Georgi also composes and works with film composer Darren J Benjamin.
Tickets £15 in person, £10 online per family

Sunday 20th June – Afternoon recital, 3pm: Heroines to Harlots (And Everything In-between!) with Jane Haughton, Amanda Buckland, Rebecca Milford with Howard Beach (piano).

Exploring the different female characters in opera and musical theatre, from Mozart to Puccini to Sondheim!

Jane Haughton
Since she came to Cuckfield in 2007 Jane has become a central pillar of musical life in the area. Having studied at Trinity College of Music and after a spell in Italy she had a busy career as a soloist and music teacher, and as a full time member of the Royal Opera House Chorus. After retraining as a vocal animateur, Jane has run workshops for many of the UK’s major opera companies, including the ROH, Glyndebourne, Opera North and Welsh National Opera 

Amanda Buckland
After her post graduate diploma from the  Guildhall School of Music, Amanda performed at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, the Purcell Room and the Albert Hall. With her husband, Bronek, she started Opera Brava, now over 30 years old and still performing all over the country. Amanda teaches locally, and has played for our very own Singing Allsorts for many years.

Rebecca Milford
Rebecca is now completing her Masters at the Guildhall School of Music. In 2019-20 she performed Samantha in the world premiere of Matt Geer’s opera Sane and Sound at the Grimeborn Festival, and has also sung Susanna in The Marriage of Figaro at the Guildhall and, online, Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni and Almirena in Rinaldo. Becky has recently won the Anne Wyburd Prize for German Lied.

Howard Beach (piano)
Howard is an accomplished and characterful vocal accompanist  who has played for many prize winners in international competitions, including winners of the Kathleen Ferrier competition, the Richard Tauber prize and the NFMS award. For over a decade Howard was the harpsichordist with Red Priest and has featured regularly on Radio 3, Classic FM, and on ITV’s South Bank Show. 
Tickets £15 in person, £10 online per family

BOOK YOUR TICKETS HERE – www.ticketsource.co.uk/cuckfieldmusicfest

If booking the online option for the three events on 19th and 20th June Ticket Source will email the link in the hour before the event starts.

In order to meet controlled seating requirements tickets must be purchased for the two free-entry lunchtime events on 17th and 18th June. In these cases there will be a Donate button for those who, as we hope, are willing to donate towards the performers’ fees.

On the door/In person
We regret that because of the covid-prevention measures likely to be still in place there will be no entry to live performances without a ticket.

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