Letís do lunch! . . .

Thursday, 28 May 2009

BEAUTIFUL music and fine words will be served up at lunchtimes during Hebden Bridge Arts Festival.

The Festival, which runs from June 26 to July 12, has a tradition of presenting a strong programme of lunchtime events - and this year it promises to be better than ever.

Festival Co-ordinator Rebecca Yorke said: "We know there are people who find it difficult to go out in the evenings - or would prefer not to. The lunchtime programme has become an important part of the festival and is eagerly anticipated every year."

One of the highlights of this year’s lunchtime programme is a literary lunch with writers Katie Fforde and Eleanor Moran at Moyles restaurant, Hebden Bridge, on Saturday, July 4. Katie has written 14 best-sellers and her most recent novel ‘Wedding Season’ peaked at number three on the best-sellers’ lists. Her new novel ‘Love Letters’ will be published in June.

BBC executive producer Eleanor Moran, who has credits for ‘Hotel Babylon’ and ‘New Tricks’ to her name, turned to writing while deciding whether or not to accept a marriage proposal. Her resulting novel ‘Stick or Twist’ was published in February.

Tickets for the event are limited to ten and include a two-course lunch and wine. Katie and Eleanor will also read from their work and discuss their contemporary romantic fiction at an event at the Artsmill, Linden Mill, Hebden Bridge at 4.30pm on July 4.

Music fans will find plenty to enjoy in the programme of lunchtime and daytime concerts. These get underway on Saturday June 27 with Due Voci - sopranos Mandy Doyle and Viv Burr with pianist Ailie Kerrane - in a concert at Heptonstall Church. The programme will include light-hearted pieces by Gounod and Brahms and songs by Fauré, Saint-Saëns, Chausson and Delibes.

The festival’s music programmer Dave Nelson said: "Lunchtime events have always been a really successful part of the festival. People really enjoy the fact that they can combine a recital with a walk or take an hour out of the day to enjoy top quality music. These concerts have a lovely atmosphere and the venues such as Heptonstall Church and Wainsgate Chapel are beautiful."

Dave, a well-known Hebden Bridge musician and pianist, will play at a couple of the lunchtime concerts - with Roger Scaife on Sunday June 28 and with saxophonist Peadar Long on Sunday July 5, both events at Heptonstall Church.

Twenty-year-old Martyn Jackson has played, as soloist and chamber musician, at some of the world’s most renowned concert halls, including the Bridgewater Hall, Cadogan Hall, The Sage Gateshead and Tel Aviv Opera House. He will be in action at Heptonstall Church on Saturday July 11.

Music events at Walshaw Lodge in Hardcastle Crags have become firm Festival favourites. This year recitals by Yoko Muraoka, Moshe Friedman, Margaret Bruce and seven-year-old Tara Lumley-Savile are certain to prove popular. They will take place on Saturday July 11 from 3.30pm and on Sunday July 12 from 11am, when glorious music and refreshments will prove a winning combination.

Beautiful Wainsgate Chapel at Old Town will provide the setting for one of the closing events of this year’s Festival, a concert by Enkelit, an acappella choir from Finland. Their music, though heavily influenced by Finland’s folk tradition, comes from a contemporary repertoire, mostly written over the last 20 years. The concert will be held on Sunday July 12 at 3pm.

Complementing the music programme will be comedy, spoken word events, art exhibitions, an Open Studios Trail on July 3, 4 and 5 and street entertainment funded by the Community Foundation for Calderdale.

Programmes are now available at many venues in Hebden Bridge, Mytholmroyd and beyond or, for more information, contact the Festival office.

The Festival runs from
Friday June 26 to Sunday July 12.  

Look over the Festival website or phone 01422 842684 for more information.