Sussex Heritage: Shipley Arts Festival's 25th anniversary and White Stork concerts

It is a remarkable achievement to have built one of the country’s leading regional music festivals in just 25 years and to maintain the most exceptional standards of musicianship over that time. At the heart of the festival’s success is the dedication, generosity of spirit, determination and talent of its Artistic Director and founder Andrew Bernardi. His belief in excellence, service and community are values which underpin his work.

The celebrated pianist, Maria Marchant, cellist, Jonathan Few and Andrew Bernardi form the Stradivarius Piano Trio and together with the violinist Andy Laing have been part of the Festival from its earliest times. An exciting development is that Maria Marchant will be bringing her new Shipley Arts Festival Choir to perform at the Silver Anniversary concert singing pieces by John Ireland, and the late James Whitbourn’s Kyrie. Andrew says “James Whitbourne was a great supporter and friend of the festival. The Kyrie has a ravishing violin solo, such beautiful music, it’s set to become one of the great classics of our time.”

Much of the music industry has become rather transactional in the way that it works with musicians. In contrast the long-term relationships Andrew has built through the festival with extraordinary musicians and composers has seeded trust and an exceptional creativity.

Andrew’s life as a violinist has taken him all over the world but it is his family and being rooted in the heart of Sussex with its gentle hills, countryside, towns and communities which feed and inspire him. Hence his support for the Knepp White Stork Project which is working to establish sustainable stork colonies across southern England and the UK. Their work includes scientific research, community engagement and improving the habitat and ecosystems which support storks. In recognition of this the White Stork Project has recently become part of the European Stork Village Network. Knepp and Storrington have been identified as the UK’s only ‘Stork Village’.

In celebration a concert is to be held at 6.30pm on Monday 5th May at St Mary’s Parish Church Storrington where Isabella Tree of Knepp Wilding fame will speak, with music from Handel, Messiaen and Ralph Vaughan Williams reflecting the project and beauty of the natural world.

To book tickets for these and the other 25th Anniversary Shipley Arts Festival concerts visit the box office at www.bmglive.com.

Rupert Toovey is a senior director of Toovey’s, the leading fine art auction house in West Sussex, based on the A24 at Washington - www.tooveys.com - and a priest in the Church of England Diocese of Chichester.