Welcome to the 15th North Norfolk Music Festival
9-17 August 2019
Patron: Sir Nicholas Grimshaw, CBE, PPRA
Festival Directors: Barry Cheeseman and Simon Rowland-Jones
We’d like to start this year’s introduction by offering congratulations to our Patron, Sir Nick Grimshaw for being awarded the 2019 Royal Gold Medal in recognition of a lifetime’s work in architecture.
You will notice that the Festival is a few days shorter than in previous years. However, with two concerts per day and all of them in St. Mary’s, South Creake, there will be exactly the same number of concerts as last year. Although we never “theme” our festivals we do sometimes emphasize particular composers. This year you will find quite a lot of music by Johannes Brahms and Robert and Clara Schumann, about which Susan Sharpe will give a talk on Saturday 10th August ‘Three lives entwined’. There will be three concerts of great works by Franz Schubert, ‘Die Schöne Müllerin’ 13th August and two concerts with the Navarra Quartet on the 17th August.
FESTIVAL MASTERCLASSES Before the official opening concert on Friday 9 August, Simon Rowland-Jones, alongside Daniel Roberts from the Castalian String Quartet, will be holding masterclasses for the two young string quartets that open this year’s NNMF.
REACHING A YOUNGER AUDIENCE In an effort to reach a new and younger audience, a challenge faced by every arts organisation around the world, we want to welcome anyone under the age of 25 at a special Young Peoples’ Price of £5 per ticket whether or not they are accompanied by a full price ticket holder. Please tell your friends! The 16th Festival will be held 7th – 15th August 2020 when we will both be celebrating our 70th birthdays.
Meanwhile, we are already looking forward to meeting old friends and making new ones this August.
Simon Rowland-Jones and Barry Cheeseman
NEW SEATING ARRANGEMENTS AT ST MARY'S CHURCH, SOUTH CREAKE
Friends will now be able to reserve seats, a maximum of two per concert, in the front rows of the main seating block and, depending on demand, on each side of the platform.
BUFFET SUPPERS IN THE FESTIVAL MARQUEE AT ST MARY'S CHURCH, SOUTH CREAKE
This year we will be offering something excitingly different from previous years; a two-course buffet prepared and served in the Festival Mrquee by the chefs from the Creake Abbey Café.
The buffet will include a choice of meat, fish and vegetarian dishes as well as salads, local bread, dipping oil and olives followed a selection of desserts. Mineral water, tea or coffee will be included. The dishes will change at each buffet. Those not able to come up to the buffet can discuss their choices with Café staff and will be served at table.
A selection of wines will be available by the bottle of by glass from the Festival Bar.
The Creake Abbey Café is situated just north of North Creake village in a tranquil valley. It offers breakfast, lunch and some evening dining in the summer. The Café is at the heart of a rural retail centre which also features a food hall and a number of artisan shops. The nearby ruins of the Augustinian abbey dating from 1206 are open to the public without charge all year round.