Kentish Express Ashford & District
Medieval church is ideal setting for music festival
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The medieval All Saints’ Church at Boughton Aluph was packed out for the start of the Stour Music Festival.
It began last Friday with a concert given by vocal ensemble Stile Antico, which marked the start of a musical feast throughout the opening weekend.
One of the highlights at the start of the 54th festival was the concert of music by Couperin given on Saturday by The King’s Consort, featuring the Norwegian mezzo soprano Marianne Beate Kielland and soprano Julia Doyle.
Sue Davison one of the festival’s organisers said: “It was the most wonderful concert of music, which showed musicianship and technical ability and it was very moving.
“People were saying how wonderful it was and the beautiful setting of the church in the heart of rural Kent, overlooking the Stour Valley made it even better. It was heart-stopping.”
The King’s Consort is one of the world’s leading period instrument orchestras with more than 100 CD recordings to its name, many winning international awards.
The audience were offered a wide-ranging programme featuring early music, which i ncluded the complete Brandenburg Concertos by J S Bach given by Florilegium.
Running from June 17 to 26 the annual event is set to conclude this Sunday with the festival choir and orchestra performing Purcell’s 1692 Ode on St Cecilia’s Day, together with Handel’s Ode for the Birthday of Queen Anne.
Stour Music was founded in 1962 by Alfred Deller and has been run by his son Mark since 1975.
For more information visit www.stourmusic.org. uk