Ann set to open festival with concert

The event takes place on Friday, October 18, and Saturday, October 19, and opens with a free concert on the Friday at 7.30pm in St John’s Church Hall.

Ann Beresford will perform her songs and share the stories behind them.

The Saturday sees a set of workshops on glass engraving, stone carving, silk painting and collage during the day.

The Festival closes on Saturday evening, at 7.30pm with an extravaganza of harpsichord and other baroque music.

Bookings through Jenny Cain on 01403 268582 or [email protected].

Ann and her music

Reporter and media consultant, Roger Stamp has been to see Ann at her home......

As Ann Beresford sits at her piano and begins to play me some of her songs it’s immediately obvious how much her music means to her.

The gentle and thoughtful tone of her song ‘Be Still’ echoes around the house and her bright and beautiful voice is a delight to hear.

Her work is inspired by her Christian faith.

She says: “The inspiration for this song came from the words of Psalm 46: ‘Be still and know that I am God’ when I was asked to sing at a funeral of a friend who had committed suicide.”

All sorts of circumstances and moods inspire her to write – a chance meeting, a beautiful scene, falling in love, a bereavement and generally the struggles of life that we all try to make sense of.

She continues: “Sometimes the music comes first as I improvise, other times a word or phrase starts off the process.”

Ann, a professional music therapist and teacher, believes passionately in the value of music as a way to bring peace and healing to our everyday lives.

She explains: “For me the value of music is twofold.

“Firstly, it helps me to get my own emotions out and express my feelings and, in that way, there has been many a time when this has brought about my own healing.

“ Secondly, it is a very powerful tool to communicate that healing or energising to others and doesn’t even need language to do this.”

You can hear Ann Beresford at St John’s, Broadbridge Heath, on Friday October 18, as part of the two-day arts festival ‘Deep Calls to Deep’ at St John’s church, organised by the Space Arts Trust.

On Saturday, October 19 (7.30pm), there is a Baroque Extravaganza concert, performed by four harpsichordists and one soprano.

For more information visit www.spaceartstrust.com or call 01403 268582.