Beaminster Festival of Music & Arts

About

22 - 30  June 2019

Bringing the Best to Beaminster. 

An annual festival of music, both classical and jazz, literature and an art exhibition of the work of local artists, potters and sculptors - open to all.

Beaminster is a pretty little town set amongst the beautiful hills of West Dorset and every year it bursts into vibrant life with a week packed full of music, theatre, art and literature.

With a reputation for supporting BBC Young Musicians, the Festival is very excited to welcome Lauren Zhang, the extraordinary young pianist who won in 2018 who performs a huge programme of Beethoven, Brahms and Chopin. On the same day, the 1984 winner, clarinettist Emma Johnson explores early 20th jazz in the entertaining ‘Clarinet Goes to Town’ in a jazz trio.

Another pianist destined for stardom is Eric Lu, who won the Leeds International Piano Competition and who will charm with a programme of Schubert, Schumann, Brahms and Chopin.

Mark Padmore, one of the UK’s greatest tenors, joins our resident guitarist, Morgan Szymanski, in a delightful programme, Songs of Love and Loss, with music by Dowland, Schubert and Roth.  If blues and boogie is more your scene, Ben Waters and his band make one of their final public performances; and if you want to Laugh out Loud, there is a Tom Glover’s Comedy Club at the Red Lion.

The literary events all have a historical slant and it’s very exciting to welcome Victoria Hislop and A.N.Wilson, each in conversation with Daisy Goodwin.  The Rain or Shine Theatre Company will  whisk you off to the Forest of Arden, aka Beaminster Manor, in As You Like It, a production full of songs, hand-to-hand wrestling and comedy. Pack a picnic and seats and enjoy an idyliic afternoon!

A vast array of amazing local talent will be on display at the biennial Visual Arts Exhibition in the Public Hall, and the work of the local schools will also be on show.

 The Beaminster Festival works hard to involve the whole community and to this end both the Party in the Park, with Scoot band headlining, and the Family BBQ and Picnic, with the Arcadia Jazz band, are family friendly. We look forward to welcoming locals and visitors alike.

To join the Festivities, see www.beaminsterfestival.com