TOP BRASS

Festival Launch Concert

Thursday 21st April 1.10pm

5, 4, 3, 2, 1…
And we are off. Come along at 1.10pm on Thursday 21st April and enjoy our 2022 Festival Launch concert. We are welcoming back soprano Rebecca Milford who will be joined by international pianist Dan Xing.

In a concert entitled “Paris joli!” they will explore the musical worlds of French composers who made up the famous ‘Les Six’ group. You can be sure to find yourself transported to 20th century Paris with everything from cabaret music and dramatic French Melodie to Poulenc’s gorgeous solo piano stylings. There may also be a touch of Piaf.

The concert is in Holy Trinity Church Cuckfield, admission is FREE but donations will be welcomed.

TOP BRASS

Saturday 11th June 2022

Cuckfield Music Festival starts with a big sound at 7.30pm on Saturday 11th June 2022 – Harvey’s Brass, a Symphonic Brass Ensemble playing a variety of music from baroque to modern day, classical, big band, and music from shows. The group is made up of former professional and semi-professional musicians who play to a high standard. The line-up is 4 trumpets, 4 trombones,1 tuba and 1 French horn plus a musical director. For a taste of their music click above on the YouTube link.

 

MONEY, MONEY MONEY

Did you know you could sponsor a Festival event for as little as £100? Your name, or your company name could be up there alongside our amazing group of performers, and it would make a big difference to the work we can do to support music in Mid-Sussex. We are especially focussed on young musicians as you’ll see when our full programme is announced. If you can help, please email davidcurtisb@gmail.com

AND OUR CASTAWAY IS…..

We are asking Cuckfield’s finest to say what their choice of music would be if they were invited onto Radio 4’s Desert Island. We are starting with Fr Michael Maine who is sadly retiring at the end of February.

His selection is: (1) Bruckner: 8th Symphony Adagio (3rd movement and only the Gunter Wand recording with the NDR Orchestra) (2) Bach: Erbarme dich, mein Gott (St Matthew Passion) (3) Schubert: Credo (Mass in Eb) (4) Marcel Dupre: Resurrection (Passion Symphonie – has to be the later 1970/80s recording by Pierre Cochereau at Notre Dame) (5) Peggy Lee (artist) “It’s a big, wide, wonderful world we live in” (6) Herbert Howells: Te Deum (Collegium Regalis – King’s College Recording) (7) Shirley Horn (artist): “Here’s to life” and (8) Messiaen: Transports de joie (L’Ascension- preferably the Jeanne Demessieux recording in Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral).

Thank you, Michael, we will miss you!

TEST YOUR MUSICAL KNOWLEDGE

5 quick questions for you this month all about animals!. Answers are below.

  1.  In Peter and the Wolf, which instrument is portrayed by the oboe?
  2. What animal connects Al Stewart, “Matthew and Son” and a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber?
  3. Which animal features in a song in “Magical Mystery Tour”?
  4. According to Flanders and Swan what creature was “the g-nicest work of g-nature in the zoo”?
  5. Which animal features in the introduction and Royal March in Carnival of the Animals by Saint-Saens?

YOUR CHANCE TO SHINE

A new venture for this year’s festival is our Open Mic night on Thursday 16th June at The Hayloft above The Talbot, Cuckfield High Street. We are seeking new local talent to showcase their musical skills in an informal way, to a fresh audience.

Applications and expressions of interest in taking part are warmly invited, please contact David Spear on 07975 946720 / davidspear@tiscali.co.uk

QUIZ ANSWERS

  1.   Duck
  2.   Cat (The Year of the Cat/Yusef Cat Stevens/Cats)
  3.   Walrus (“I am the Walrus”)
  4.   Gnu
  5.   The lion