Final summer Petworth Festival from artistic director Stewart Collins
Summer festival
Petworth Festival artistic director Stewart Collins is thrilled with the line-up he has put together for his final Petworth summer festival (July 16-August 1).
Stewart will continue to be the director of the autumn Petworth Literary Festival, but this year’s summer festival will be his 17th and last – a fact which has certainly been part of his thinking in shaping the programme.
“As it is my last, there were various things that I thought I really wanted to do this year involving people that I have had particularly good relationships with over the years and who have done particularly superb performances in the past with us. I wanted three or four signature concerts in effect.
“This festival is not going to be a tribute act to the past 17 years but I did want to look back at some of the great things we have done before as well as doing things that we have never done.”
On July 18 at Midhurst Rother College at 7.30pm, Stewart is delighted to welcome the return of Sheku and Isata Kanneh-Mason (cello & piano): “They appeared in the pandemic year for us when they were literally in an empty church with three cameras, and it really was one of the most special performances. I was in the church with a handful of other people and it really was the most remarkable experience but also sad that no one else could actually be there. But now we will get to enjoy them in person, and obviously their career has hardly faltered in the years since!”
Also returning – on July 30 at Midhurst Rother College at 7.30pm – is Paul Merton & Suki Webster’s Improv Show: “It was maybe seven or eight years ago that they came and to us and did one of their great improvisation evenings. I've worked with them over the years in a number of different comedy guises and I just thought it would be great to have them this year as one of the sign-offs (to Stewart’s tenure).”
And for the same reasons the festival finale Piano Extravaganza at St Mary’s Church on August 1 at 7.30pm will be similarly special. The line-up is Harry the Piano, Joe Stilgoe, James Pearson and Simon Mulligan, four of Stewart’s most valued collaborators over many years who are also a “quartet of the most remarkable entertainers at the piano that you are likely to encounter under one roof.”
As for newcomers to the festival this year, Stewart is pleased to welcome VOCES8 to St Mary’s Church on July 19 at 6pm: “There is no finer vocal ensemble in the country, and in many ways they are long, long overdue here. We have managed to get them here which is fantastic.”
Also new to the festival is Natalie Williams’ Soul Family supported by Sound of the Sirens in Petworth House’s Stable Yard on July 25 at 6.30pm: “That was a gig that I saw last year and I just thought there would be nothing better. It is soul and Motown music, and that's what the Stables concerts are all about. She is charismatic beyond, and it has all the ingredients for a brilliant evening.”
Lizzie Ball and Charles Owen will be the new co-artistic directors of the Petworth Festival after Stewart steps down after this year’s festival. As part of the transition, they will be offering a welcome concert at this year’s festival, in St Mary’s Church at 7.30pm on July 28.
“In a way the transition is already happening,” Stewart says. “I am so pleased that they are taking over. They are both fantastic musicians and also great programmers.”
Which helps the hand-over.
“The Petworth Festival has been such an important part of my life and there was never going to be a good time to go so I decided that I would go when I was feeling really good about the festival. But in a way, that makes it more difficult because I'm going when there is no actual reason to go! But I am feeling fine about it, absolutely fine. Strange but fine!”
The programme coming up:
July 16: Leconfield Hall, 4.00pm Kevis House Gallery Event – The Singing Sky (talk);
July 16: St Mary’s Church, 6.30pm Festival Service, with guest speaker Sir Alex Beard;
July 17: St Mary’s Church, 12 noon Levi Andreasson (double bass) with Kasparis Mikužis (piano) (classical);
July 17: St Mary’s Church, 7.30pm Leconfield Singers – The Fauré Requiem;
July 17: Leconfield Hall, 7.45pm Jaywalkers (Americana);
July 18: Petworth Town, 10.30am-13.00pm, Petworth Town Takeover (musicians around town);
July 18: Leconfield Hall, 2.30pm Black Umfolosi (workshop);
July 18: Midhurst Rother College, 7.30pm Sheku and Isata Kanneh-Mason (cello & piano) (classical);
July 18:Leconfield Hall, 7.45pm Black Umfolosi (African/world);
July 19: Bignor Park, 12 Noon Zen Pond Music – Ryan Corbett (classical accordion);
July 19: Bignor Park, 3.00pm Zen Pond Music – Ryan Corbett (classical accordion);
July 19: St Mary’s Church, 6.00pm VOCES8 (choral);
July 20: St Mary’s Church, 7.30pm London Handel Players (classical/early);
July 21: St Mary’s Church, 12 Noon Royal Academy Lunchtimes: Scintilla Quartet (classical);
July 21: St Mary’s Church, 7.30pm Adrian Brendel (cello) Joanna MacGregor (piano); (classical);
July 21: Leconfield Hall, 7.45pm Rheingans Sisters (traditional/folk);
July 22: St Mary’s Church, 7.30pm Ned Bigham 60th Birthday Concert with The London Conchord Ensemble (chamber);
July 22: Leconfield Hall, 7.45pm The Truffle Valley Boys (Blue Grass);
July 23: Leconfield Hall, 11.15am Coffee Concert – Roswell Road (Americana);
Petworth House Stable Yard, 7.30pm David... Live! (contemporary);
July 24: St Mary’s Church, 12 Noon Royal Academy Lunchtimes: Tomos Boyles (piano);
July 24: Petworth House Stable Yard, 6.30pm Jive and Boogie Night with The Jive Aces supported by The Boogie Boys;
July 24: Champs Hill, 7.30pm Juan Martin (flamenco guitar);
July 25: St Mary’s Church, 12 Noon Cellophonics (classical/jazz);
July 25: Petworth House, Stable Yard, 6.30pm Natalie Williams’ Soul Family supported by Sound of the Sirens;
July 26: Petworth House Stable Yard, 2.30pm Lazy Family Sunday – Alice in Wonderland, Bowjangles & Family Fun;
July 27: St Mary’s Church, 9.30am The Petworth Festival Walk;
July 28: Sofas & Stuff, 12 Noon Amyas Ensemble – The Summer of Love (classical);
July 28: Sofas & Stuff, 2.30pm Amyas Ensemble – The Summer of Love (classical);
July 28: St Mary’s Church, 7.30pm Welcome Concert – Charles Owen and Lizzie Ball;
July 28: Leconfield Hall, 7.45pm Benji Waterhouse – Maddening (comedy);
July 29: Midhurst Rother, College, 7.30pm 10CC’s Graham Gouldman – A Heart Full of Songs (contemporary);
July 29: Champs Hill, 7.30pm Mark Milhofer (tenor) and Nigel Foster (piano) – The Great Caruso;
July 30: Leconfield Hall, 11.15am Coffee Concert – Brazilian Twist (Latin/World);
July 30: Midhurst Rother College, 7.30pm Paul Merton & Suki Webster’s Improv Show (comedy);
July 30: St Mary’s Church, 7.30pm Matthew Barley and 51 Strings (classical/world);
July 31: St Mary’s Church, 12 Noon Royal Academy Lunchtimes: Raj Bhaumik (clarinet) and Lily Petrova (piano);
July 31: Midhurst Rother College, 7.30pm YolanDa Brown plays Bob Marley;
July 31: St Mary’s Church, 7.30pm The Leeds Concert - Jaeden Izik-Dzurko (piano) (classical);
August 1: Champs Hill, 2.30pm Brooke Street Band (classical);
August 1: St Mary’s Church, 7.30pm Festival Finale – Piano Extravaganza.