MEDIA RELEASE
Salisbury International Arts Festival announces highlights for 2009
On Monday 1 December the Salisbury International Festival launches seven wonderful highlight events as trailblazers to the 2009 Festival, 22 May to 6 June.
They will be announced at a special launch at the Guildhall in Salisbury by the Festival’s New Festival Director Maria Bota, and Chairman Laura Phillips.
The Festival Themes for 2009 are: a cultural theme of India, the elemental theme of Water, and Devotion. Maria’s says of her first festival in 2009:
‘I am delighted to present my first festival in Salisbury. Our surrounding area is steeped in history and tradition, places of devotion, ritual and celebration, from the ancient circles of Stonehenge and Old Sarum to the spire of Salisbury Cathedral. These locations offer incredible settings for artists to respond to and be inspired by.
I will be exploring this very special aspect through everything from our spectacular large scale free opening event in the Market Square (Mobile Homme) to a project Sing for Water with hundreds of people coming together and singing at a special Salisbury site.
The Cathedral is the setting for a magical evening with the renowned Tallis Scholars, a night with the wonderful London Mozart Players performing Mozart’s Requiem and will also play host for our Festival Finale, our huge final party with fireworks as colourful as the brightest sari.
Our cultural theme of India in all its colourful and vibrant glory will weave through the programme with world class contemporary and traditional arts events. Here the presence of Kuljit Bhamra is very special.
He is perhaps the most influential musician in the British Asian music scene today and will appear in many guises.
Much loved favorites like the Globe Theatre Company will appear alongside the unusual, the unexpected and the inspirational
Activities will be scattered throughout the city, enabling audiences to trip over the festival in unexpected and unanticipated ways – come and join us in this wonderful Festival space’.
The Festival is always eagerly anticipated and the highlights launch is a great way of whetting the appetite of our supporters, offering a flavour of things to come. The advanced ticket sales are welcomed by our huge Festival fan base who know that it may be a once in a lifetime opportunity to see the world class artists the Festival brings to Salisbury.
The Highlight shows are:
Free Opening Event – Transe Express with Mobile Homme
Market Square
Friday 22 May Evening
A group of internationally-acclaimed French street artists will take to the air in an amazing human mobile in Salisbury’s historic market square. Kicking off 16 days of inspiration and jubilation at your Festival.
Transe Express specialise in what they call ‘celestial art’, combining circus skills, visual arts, music and dance in performances that take place high above the crowds.
As darkness falls, eight performers dressed as majors and playing music on drums will be lifted 30-40 meters into the air above the crowd by a large crane, to form a giant mobile.
Transe Express has wowed audiences all over the world including Sydney, Las Vegas, Stockholm and Moscow.
Andy Sheppard and Kuljit Bhamra
Salisbury Arts Centre
Thursday 28 May 8pm
Andy Sheppard is one of Britain’s most important jazz musicians and Kuljit Bhamra's background in classical tabla and bhangra will be merged to create a sound-scape inspired by and featuring sounds from the 5 rivers of Kuljit’s Punjab (which means 5 rivers) and Andy’s Wiltshire. Commissioned by the Festival.
Kuljit Bhamra is perhaps the most influential musician in the British Asian music scene, having recorded over 2000 songs to date. Composer, producer, tabla player and pioneer of the Bhangra phenomenon. Kuljit has worked both independently and collaboratively on film scores for over 15 years, producing soundtracks for award winning films like Bend it like Beckham.
Tallis Scholars
Salisbury Cathedral
Friday 29 May 7.30pm
A very special concert by the Tallis Scholars whosedrama and sheer beauty of sound make every performance a celebration, presented in the heart of the Cathedral under the dramatic spire crossing.
This glorious concert will explore different settings of the two texts, the Miserere and the Magnificat by composers from across the world and across the ages and includes Allegri’s soaring setting, which audience’s adore and Arvo Pärt’s setting which is equally beautiful.
“The Tallis Scholars are the Rock Stars of Renaissance music...”New York Times,
“Not just the choral event of the year but possibly of the decade.” The Guardian (on TS’s proms concert)
Rain on the Window
Salisbury Cathedral
Friday 29 May 9.45pm
Described as ‘music of rare sensibility. Each work is a miniature fashioned with extraordinary care and joy’, Rain on the Window is a new project which brings together saxophonist John Surman and organist Howard Moody to perform a mixture of original compositions, improvisations and traditional folk songs.
Surman and Moody have worked together extensively and have toured internationally with their Mercury Award-winning Proverbs & Songs which was commissioned by The Salisbury Festival in 1996.
The Comedy of Errors
Trafalgar Park
Saturday 30 at 6.30pm and Sunday 31 May at 1.30pm & 6.30pm (gates open 90 mins before)
There will be double trouble and a case of mistaken identity on the lawns of the glorious Trafalgar Park, as the Globe Theatre Company returns to the Festival followingthe great success of their appearance last year. Pure, joyous and life-affirming farce in a spectacular setting.
Confluences IV-
Seven Elements
Wilton Church
Monday 1 June 7.30pm
Seven Elements is the fourth and final year of the Confluences journey and weaves the themes of China, Europe and India together into two new works composed by Alec Roth with Vikram Seth’s texts. Tenor James Gilchrist and violinist Philippe Honoré will perform these pieces alongside Schubert’s sparkling songs and the glorious The Shepherd on the Rock.
‘Words and music cut through to grasp ears and hearts’ The Times 2008 on The Traveller
The London Mozart Players
Mozart Requiem
Salisbury Cathedral
Friday 5 June 7.30pm
Mozart’s majestic Requiem, performed by the London Mozart Players, our very own Festival Chorus and conductor Howard Moody also features a stellar line up of soloists including soprano Elin Manahan Thomas and tenor Robert Murray. Performed alongside ravishing Bruckner Motets and Bach’s last, and intriguing, incomplete fugue.
Family Finale
Cathedral Close
Saturday 6 June Gates open at 7pm
With music, dancing, workshops and street theatre the Cathedral Close will be transformed in an explosion of vibrant sights and sounds to delight your family, with plenty to see and do. Bring a picnic, have a wander then let us end your evening in style with spectacular fireworks.
Ends
For more information contact:
Rosa Corbishley, Communications and Development Manager
rosa@salisburyfestival.co.uk
01722 332241
Priority Booking only (Festival Friends) 2—8 December 2008
General advance booking - from 9 December 2008
Box office opening hours
Monday–Friday 10am–2pm
87 Crane St, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP1 2PU
Telephone 0845 241 9651
www.salisburyfestival.co.uk
Note to Editors:
Salisbury International Arts Festival is supported by Friends Provident, Salisbury District Council and Arts Council England – South West. The full Festival programme will be announced 2 March 2009.
Further forthcoming events include:
Lantern Parade
18 December 08
On Thursday 18th December the streets of Salisbury will glow with the light of 1000 lanterns – as the annual Lantern Parade winds its way from the Salisbury Arts Centre to the Cathedral Close in what is now the biggest Christmas lantern parade in the South of England.
Created by groups under the direction of community artist Alex Grant.