Diary of Events
| Sunday February 28 3pm Admission £7.00 Venue: Whiteway Centre | RUDYARD KIPLING in ROTTINGDEAN Michael Smith will talk about Kipling’s Rottingdean years (1897-1902). Some of his famous poems and songs (set to his words) including If, My Boy Jack, Recessional, A Smuggler’s Song, Boots, The Absent-Minded Beggar and On the Road to Mandalay will be read by members of the Rottingdean Drama Society (Gill Lake, Elaine Eardley, Terry Bourne and Graham Stapley) and sung by Festival Vocal Soloists (Kathryn Sargent, Alison Nicholls, John Torry and Paul Sherrell). Accompanist: Margaret Copestake. Refreshments will be available Sponsored by Rottingdean Dental Care Ltd. |
| Sunday February 28 11.30am Admission £3.50 Venue: The Grange Art Gallery and Museum | MUSIC AND ART AT THE GRANGE Enjoy the music of the TORRY STRING QUARTET and view the exhibition of colourful, African-style paintings by the Brighton-based Gambian artist MOMODU-SAINE. Cambridge engineering graduate and former Rottingdean school boy, James Torry, is joined by musical colleagues Mathew Gabel (violin), Tim Underwood (viola) and Mark Jesson (cello) in an attractive chamber music recital which includes Mozart’s String Quartet No.19 in C (Dissonance). |
| Mon, Tues Mar 1, Mar 2 7.30am SOLD OUT Venue: The Plough Inn Function Room | JAZZ at the PLOUGH INN EXTRA EVENT (due to demand) A brilliant jazz pianist and vocalist, a great meal and a bar available throughout the evening should ensure a good Festival night out! Imogen Ryall and Rod Hart have recently performed at the Dorchester Hotel, London and on Jazz FM. Sarah Ward says on JazzFM ‘Outstanding…captivating…Imogen has a very, very lovely voice indeed’ |
| Wednesday March 3 1.00-2.00pm Admission £3.50 Venue: St. Margaret's Church | FESTIVAL LUNCHTIME PIANO RECITAL Gifted Japanese pianist YORIKO WAKABAYASHI performs Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata (op.27), Poetic Waltzes of Granados and Chopin’s Ballades No 2 & 4 to celebrate the bicentenary of his birth (1/3/1810). Yoriko Wakabayashi undertook post-graduate piano studies at the Royal Academy of Music, London and has performed extensively in the UK, Japan and Malaysia. A pre-concert light lunch from 12 noon and the opportunity to meet the artist after the concert will be available in St Margaret’s Church Cottage |
| Wednesday March 3 7.30pm SOLD OUT Smart Casual Dress Venue: Village Hall | FESTIVAL OPERA DINNER A three course dinner prepared and cooked by Rottingdean’s talented French chef, Frank Thomeret, from his Bistro Gourmand Restaurant. Popular opera arias and duos including excerpts from Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni, Carmen, La Bohème and The Pearl Fishers will be performed by vocal artists between courses. Singers include Margaret Ferguson Soprano (Manchester Opera) |
| Thursday March 4 7.30pm SOLD OUT Venue: St. Margaret's Church | FESTIVAL GALA CONCERT by CANDLELIGHT Director: Péter Kováts ST. AUBYN'S SCHOOL CHOIR, ROTTINGDEAN Programme includes: Alla Rustica Vivaldi, Panis Angelicus César Franck,Eine Kleine Nachtmusik Mozart, Romanian Folk Dances Bartók, Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor Chopin (to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the composer’s birth on March 1,1810)The superb Hungarian orchestra is visiting England just for this Spring Festival Sponsored by JB(PR) |
| Friday March 5 1.00-2.00pm Admission £3.50 Venue: St. Margaret's Church | LUNCHTIME CHAMBER MUSIC CONCERT Margaret Copestake Piano, Ellie Blackshaw Violin, Julian Ogilvie Cello Programme includes works by Mozart, Haydn, Gluck and Rachmaninov. Margaret Copestake studied at the Royal Academy of Music,and is a professional pianist resident in Rottingdean. Ellie Blackshaw studied violin at the Royal College of Music and performs and teaches in and around Sussex. Julian Ogilvie is a member of the Haydn Chamber Orchestra and regularly plays continuo cello in various ensembles. A pre-concert lunch from 12 noon and the opportunity Sponsored by Nick Tobin |
| Friday March 5 8.00pm SOLD OUT Venue: White Horse Hotel | FESTIVAL WORLD MUSIC CONCERT Featuring Columbian-born Rottingdean resident RAFAEL BERRIO and his brilliant Latin American and Salsa Band POLLITO BOOGALOO The concert will also feature Ghanaian and Hungarian musicians and an improvisation session on African drums with volunteer audience members. This is a unique concert not to be missed! Sponsored by 4theNET Internet Ltd. |
| Saturday March 6 9am and 10am EVENT FULL Venue: Cheeky Monkeys Children's Shop | CHILDREN’S AFRICAN DRUMMING WORKSHOPS Two children’s workshops will be directed by Margaret Ferguson and will focus on simple African drumming (drums provided). The workshops will be held at Cheeky Monkeys Children’s Shop on Rottingdean sea front, Lower High St.The key stage one (5 - 7) will be at 9am and key stage 2 (8 - 11) at 10am.To book your child’s place please ring Michelle direct on 01273 302644 (places are very limited). Sponsored by Cheeky Monkeys. www.cheeky-monkeys.me.uk |
| Saturday March 6 10.00-4.00 SOLD OUT Venue: Village Hall | British Choral Institute presents an Works to be studied and rehearsed include excerpts from Bach's great St.Matthew Passion, Schütz Seven Last Words from the Cross, Stainer Crucifixion, Easter Hymn (from Cavalleria Rusticana) Mascagni, Handel’s Messiah and All in the April Evening. Singers with some choral experience are invited to apply direct to the British Choral Institute, 1 Bazehill Road, Rottingdean. BN2 7DB,Telephone 01273 300894, E-mail britchorinst@fastnet.co.uk Roy Wales is Director of the British Choral Institute and a Rottingdean resident Sponsored by The British Choral Institute |
| Saturday March 6 7.30pm SOLD OUT Venue: Village Hall | SOUNDS OF MUSICALS DINNER A three course dinner will be prepared and cooked by French Chef Frank Thomeret from La Bistro Gourmand Restaurant. Excerpts from popular musicals will be performed by artists from English Studio Opera between courses. Singers include Margaret Ferguson Soprano, Paul Sherrell Bass and the young, talented Australian soprano and tenor, Annie and Mattias Lower Accompanist: Tim Rhys-Morgan. There will be an opportunity to join with the artists in a musicals sing-along at the end of the evening including songs from the Sound of Music and Oliver |
| Sunday March 7 9.30-10.45 Venue: St. Margaret's Church | FESTIVAL CHURCH SERVICE The normal Sunday morning service at St. Margaret's will include some special choral music sung by the Rottingdean Festival Chorus (director Roy Wales). Organist: Christopher Stringer |
| Sunday March 7 4.00pm SOLD OUT Venue: St. Margaret's Church | FESTIVAL SPRING CLASSICS Péter Kováts - Violin Programme includes: Sponsored by Helena, Lady Hughes |
| Mon, Tue March 8, 9 7.30pm SOLD OUT Venue: Bistro Gourmand Nevill Road | JAZZ at the BISTRO GOURMAND A brilliant jazz pianist and vocalist, Frank's great two course meal and a bar available throughout the evening should ensure a good Festival night out! Imogen Ryall and Rod Hart have recently performed at the Dorchester Hotel, London and on Jazz FM. Sarah Ward says on JazzFM ‘Outstanding…captivating…Imogen has a very, very lovely voice indeed’ Sponsored by FSDS (Fiona Stewart Designer Silver) |
| Wednesday March 10 7.30pm Admission £8 Venue: Village Hall | FESTIVAL FOLK CONCERT A special evening with THE COPPER FAMILY Sussex Folk Songs and Stories from Rottingdean's International Folk Group.Introduced and performed by John Copper and family members |
| Thurs, Fri March 11, 12 7.30pm SOLD OUT Venue: Bistro Gourmand Nevill Road | JAZZ at the BISTRO GOURMAND A brilliant jazz pianist and vocalist, Frank's great two course meal and a bar available throughout the evening should ensure a good Festival night out! Imogen Ryall and Rod Hart have recently performed at the Dorchester Hotel, London and on Jazz FM. Sarah Ward says on JazzFM ‘Outstanding…captivating…Imogen has a very, very lovely voice indeed’ Sponsored by FSDS (Fiona Stewart Designer Silver) |
| Friday March 12 9.00-11.30pm Admission free Venue: Black Horse Pub | THE ELEVATORS at THE BLACK HORSE Enjoy one of the best blues bands around!Brighton-based, THE ELEVATORS have appeared at festivals and blues clubs in Yorkshire, Lancashire, Essex, Hampshire and in many venues in Sussex.They make a welcome return to the Black Horse |
| Saturday March 13 7.30pm SOLD OUT Venue: St. Margaret's Church | FINAL FESTIVAL GALA CONCERT PRIZE WINNING TOP CORNISH MALE VOICE CHOIR. Prize winners: Malta International Choir Festival,Cornwall International Male Voice Choral Festival. Conductor Ken Downing BRIGHTON MALE VOICE CHOIR Programme includes part songs, folk songs and selections from musicals and opera. |