Kentish Express Ashford & District
Curtain falls on another glorious season of music
A summer music festival finished on a high note as local singers and musicians joined professionals on stage for the final performance.
Stour Music’s last event on Sunday afternoon was a choral concert featuring Handel’s Athalia, during which the Stour Festival Choir and Stour Festival Orchestra performed alongside well-known soloists.
Festival director Mark Deller, who conducted the finale, said: “This year’s Stour Music Festival ended in great style with an exhilarating performance of Handel’s earliest and little known oratorio, Athalia, on Sunday afternoon.
“This has been one of our most successful and enjoyable festivals in recent years. Not only were all the concerts of an exceptionally high standard and very well attended, but the weather was very kind to us, too, which always adds greatly to the enjoyment of the occasion.”
On Saturday, the Academy of Ancient Music gave a concert of music by Vivaldi, Vejvanovsky, Locatelli and Biber, and the harpsichordist Steven Devine performed music by Bach.
The day before, Belgian vocal ensemble Vox Luminis gave three performances, and father-and-son duo Michael and Alexander Chance sang pieces by Henry Purcell and John Blow.
Stour Music chairman Paul Batchelor praised Mr Deller for organising the successful festival at Boughton Aluph church.
He said: “Once again, Mark Deller secured a marvellous array of worldclass performers from both the UK and abroad, bringing the very best to east Kent.
“The music on offer ranged from a brand new opera, The Pied Piper, involving more than a hundred local school children alongside professional soloists, to vocal and instrumental music from across the last five centuries.
“The quality of the music and the beautiful weather attracted excellent audiences of long-standing friends and welcome new faces, who enjoyed not only the musical performances but the excellent catering by Suzie McCully and the unflappable bar team.
“In the absence of public funding, the festival depends on the loyalty of its audiences, the generosity of private sponsors, the unstinting work of an army of volunteers, the dedication and ingenuity of the festival director, and the desire of internationally renowned performers to come to this beautiful part of Kent.
“Long may it continue.”
‘Once again, Mark Deller secured a marvellous array of world-class performers’