Town music festival plans revealed

Tickets go on sale at the De La Warr Pavilion then for a Songs From The Shows concert at the pavilion on Saturday, March 10 involving local schools and dance groups.

This will serve as a fund-raising event which will boost the efforts of a local group planning a summer festival of music spanning paid-for and free-entry concerts.

Behind the scheme, which has the support of the Bexhill Observer, is Bexhill businessman and former Chamber of Commerce president Tony Mansi.

Using contacts built up during 10 years as singer in West End musicals, he and his group plan to bring big-name artists to the pavilion.

Tony's wife, Maggie, was a dancer with the Festival Ballet Company, now the National Ballet and head dancer in her day at the London Palladium.

This week Tony said: "Bexhill is a town rich in local talent and cultural activity, most notably in the field of music.

"It is all forms of music, its creators and performers that Bexhill is invited to celebrate in the first Bexhill Festival of Music in July this year.

"The festival will be an exciting mix of people from the local community and others from the international music profession.

"Local schools and young people will be rubbing shoulders with the likes of professional singers from the Royal Opera House."

Tony, who was operatically trained at the Guildhall School of Music, says: "The aim is to present and create music of the highest quality for Bexhill, its residents and its visitors.

"At festival time, the De La Warr Pavilion will open its doors to all kinds of music - classical, jazz, folk, rock, pop and choral."

Tony has put together a group encompassing the De La Warr Pavilion Trust and the Bexhill Schools Consortium to stage the festival and its fund-raising concert.

He told the Observer this week: "I just felt that the town lacked something. When we had the town centre tourism action group there was always events happening. It was great to see the Bexhil 100 Festival of Motoring and things.

"I just felt that a music festival would be something that could embrace the whole town. We are going to endeavour to programme it so that there is something for everyone.

"This group of people has representatives from the De La Warr Pavilion, the Bexhill Schools Consortium, Rother District Council and the East Sussex Music Service.

"What we hope is that it is going to have ticketed events and free events as well."

Already the group is able to confirm that four singers from the Royal Opera House will be taking part in the festival by kind permission of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.

Fund-raising for the festival is primarily the responsibility of former town mayor and local businessman Stuart Earl.

His old family firm, has been among the first to offer sponsorship.

Stuart said: "Earl's Bakery is giving 1,000 in sponsorship. Bexhill backs Earl's Bakery so Earl's Bakery backs Bexhill."

Tony Mansi hopes this year's festival of music will lay the foundations for an annual series.

"If people enjoy what we do we can build on that....

"It has been an ambition of mine to stage a festival of music since moving to Bexhill nine years ago.

"A music festival is the perfect way for everyone in Bexhill to get involved in a cultural event, either as a creator, performer or member of the audience.

"With the support of the pavilion, local schools and Rother District Council, we hope that the festival in 2007 will be the first of what we hope will be an annual event in the town and a significant festival within the South East region."

The 7.30pm Songs From The Shows fund-raising concert on March 10, kicks off the project.

The musical extravaganza will include contributions from Bexhill Light Operatic and Dramatic Society, East Sussex School of Performing Arts, the Janice Blake Dance Studio, East Sussex Music Service, Bexhill Consortium Schools Choir and local solo artists.

Tony Mansi says: "Details of the show are constantly being updated, so keep an eye on www.dlwp.com for further information."

Tickets for the fund-raising concert are only 9 (concessions 8) and are available from the De La Warr Pavilion booking office 0on 01424 229111.