SHIPLEY FESTIVAL 2003 - Review Shipley Arts Festival attracted art, music and windmill enthusiasts for the perfect May Bank Holiday event. The Selsey Arms opened the festival with the lively sounds of Campbell Burnap and his exclusive line up of leading jazz musicians. Traditional numbers and a guest appearance by the classical violinist Andrew Bernardi brought together an audience of over two hundred from a wide section of the Coolham, Shipley and Mid Sussex community for a memorable evening of jazz. The second musical event of the festival featured a programme by Mid Sussex Youth String Orchestra in Shipley's idylic St Mary's Church. John Ireland's Minuet from his 'Downland Suite' was played a short distance from the doorway where it was originally composed. There was a spectacular performance of Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No.3 together with memorable solos by Trinity College of Music student Maria Redman and Royal Academy student and National Youth Orchestra member George Clifford. George was joined by Claire Raffety, Laura Crump and Daniel James for a performance of the Mozart String Quartet K157. Polling day in St Andrew's gave way to the Art Festival which attracted over three hundred art works from across the South of England. Visitors enjoyed wonderful exhibits and relaxed over home made cakes whilst deciding how many paintings could be bought and fitted in the boot of their cars! Saturday's Bernardi Chamber Ensemble concert brought together an outstanding group of virtuoso musicians who communicated a true passion for their music. The programme included J.S.Bach's Brandenburg Concerto no.2 (Soloists Andy Laing, Graham Salter, Bruce Martin, and Andy Crowley), and Bach's D minor Concerto for Oboe and Violin (Soloists Andrew Bernardi and Graham Salter) together with Vaughan Williams' Greensleeves and the delightful Elgar 'Idyll.' An exhilarated audience demanded an encore and were rewarded with a second rendition of the final movement from Bach's Brandenburg Concerto no.2. Sunday morning's Sung Eucharist embodied the whole festival's philosophy of sharing the arts and bringing together the community for a charitable cause. There was beautiful singing by the combined church choirs of Shipley and West Grinstead under the musical directors Peter Sanderson and Andrew Campbell. Visitors continued to flock to the Art Exhibition and Windmill throughout Bank Holiday Monday. Substantial funds have been raised for St Mary's Church, RUKBA and Andrew Hall. We are truly fortunate to have such an event drawing the community together, and we very much look forward to the next Shipley Festival. The promotional material for the Shipley Festival, including the complete programmes available for downloading, can be accessed here. To read a review featured in the West Sussex County Times, please click here. |
