The 19th International Malcolm Arnold Festival 2024
Saturday 19 October – Live in Northampton
Malcolm Arnold - by permission Fritz Curzon
SATURDAY 19 OCTOBER - LIVE IN NORTHAMPTON Three concerts in central Northampton (the birthplace of Malcolm Arnold) all walkable distances from each other. £10 per concert or Day Ticket £25 allowing access to all three concerts. Students and under 18s, FREE-of charge. www.malcolmarnoldfestival.com11:00, St Peter’s Church, Mare Fair, Northampton NN1 1SW LAUNCH CONCERT Event marks the reopening of the church as a performance space. Composer Matthew Taylor launches the Festival ARNOLD FOR BRASS AND STRINGS In which Malcolm Arnold's own trumpet will be making an appearance!
Fanfare for Louis Four Fanfares Symphony for Brass (arr. brass quintet by Jonathan Whiting) Three Shanties (arr. Brass quintet) Performed by Spectacle Brass: Trumpets, Nick Budd and Joe Skypala Horn, Benji Hartnell-Booth Trombone, Felix Fardell Tuba, Jude Smith
String Quartet No 2 Performed by Students from the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire 14:30, All Saints’ Church, George Row, Northampton NN1 1DF ARNOLD FOR CHOIR AND ORGAN The John Clare Cantata Psalm 150 Two Ceremonial Psalms Two-part songs Organ Variations (theme by Arnold and five variations by living composers and one new variation written especially by Jonathan Whiting for this year’s Festival.) The Turtle Drum Performed by Tom Moore, Organ and the Malcolm Arnold Festival Choir lead by Simon Toyne
18:00 - 19:30, Guildhall, St Giles' Square, Northampton NN1 1DE GALA CONCERT and SHORT SYMPOSIUM A short Symposium hosted by Matthew Taylor in the Court Room at 18:00. Concert follows in the Grand Hall at 18:30: Scottish Dances Padstow Lifeboat Sarabande and Polka from 'Solitaire' Northampton County Youth Concert Band Meghan Foster, Conductor (CYCB) English Dances, Set 2 Little Suite No.2 'River Kwai' March NMPAT Orchestra Andy Kirkwood and Richard Smith, ConductorsOne of England’s most colourful and charismatic composers – Sir Malcolm Arnold (1921-2006) – is to be celebrated at the 19th International Malcolm Arnold Festival; an annual programme of events centred around the multi-faceted composer and his music. The composer’s hometown of Northampton will host a day of live music-making on Saturday 19 October, and a specially procured programme to attract listeners from around the world will live-stream on Sunday 27 October.
Launched by composer, Matthew Taylor, at St Peter's Church, Mare Fair, listeners will be able to enjoy a programme of rousing music for brass, one of Malcolm Arnold’s most popular genres as a renowned trumpet player himself, performed by Spectacle Brass Quintet lead by Nick Budd. There will be a performance of Arnold's second String Quartet performed by students from the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. Live music continues throughout the day, transferring to All Saints’ Church, George Row, just a short walk away, with music for choir and organ to include the composer’s psalms and part songs, a rare chance to hear his John Clare Cantata, and Turtle Drum, which will be familiar to many from school days. Also featured will be Arnold’s Organ Variations: five variations by living composers and one new variation written especially by Jonathan Whiting for this year’s Festival.
The poetry of the nineteenth-century Northamptonshire Peasant Poet John Clare was greatly admired by Malcolm Arnold. The John Clare Cantata was written for mixed choir and piano duet in 1956 for the Dartington Summer School of Music. The five sections present Clare’s evocative responses to the effects wrought by the different seasons on the rural landscape. Demonstrating the exuberance of Arnold’s works and some of his finest and most popular tunes, the Festival’s Gala Concert takes place at Northampton Guildhall and will be performed by the Northamptonshire County Youth Concert Band and Orchestra (NMPAT) who are regular guests at the Festival. Prior to this there will be a short Symposium hosted by Matthew Taylor discussing all things Arnold.
ONLINE DAY (FREE live-stream) – SUNDAY 27 OCTOBER FREE-to-view and presented live by Director Paul Harris, the Festival’s complimentary digital live-stream day will take place on Sunday 27 October and features performances of some of Malcolm Arnold's greatest solo, chamber and orchestral music as well as talks, lectures and exclusive interviews.
HOW TO BOOK Tickets are £10 per concert or £25 for a day ticket whi ch allows admittance to all three , available at the door or book in advance via the website . Students and under 18s are admitted FREE of charge www.malcolmarnoldfestival.com