Chester Summer Music Festival 2010 comes to a close

Jul 15 2010 Chester Chronicle

THE Chester Summer Music Festival which took place within Chestival this year has been deemed a huge success by organisers Chester Festivals.

Tracy Lynn, director of Chester Festivals, said: “The concerts have been complete sell outs with people queuing up before the concert starts just in case they could get hold of a ticket.

“We knew this programme would be a popular one and it is so exciting to see the venues full with people, a particular highlight was seeing 900 people in the cathedral enjoying the Choir of King’s College Cambridge.”

The music festival featured many international stars to sell out audiences such as Kathryn Tickell band who gave a toe-tapping energetic performance, the Penguin Café who delighted audiences with their innovation and creativity, Melanie Marshall with her faultless vocals and Aquarelle guitar quartet with their magical concert, who all gained standing ovations and encores.

The new evening concerts in St Mary’s Centre were well supported and reached a new audience and will definitely reappear in next years programme.

The lunchtime series in St Mary’s was also another hit and had larger numbers than last year, with the most popular concert being solo pianist Hannah Yip, who impressed everyone in 2009 festival with Britten’s Piano Concerto, but this year wowed audiences with a programme of Bach, Mozart among others.

Other highlights included the opening concert with the Tallis Scholars, which due to hosting the winners of the National Centre for Early Music Young Composer’s Competition, was aired on BBC Radio 3 last Sunday.

Katie Buckhaven finished the St Mary’s evening concerts on Friday with a beautiful concert featuring many of her songs and at the same time Nicola Benedetti played Vivaldi’s Four Seasons to a Cathedral audience with the added bonus of Andrew Motion reading his poems in between each movement.

Although the Dutch didn’t win in Sunday’s World Cup Final, Calefax Reed Quintet won over audiences on Monday with their concert, this Dutch band dazzled audiences with their skill and warmth.

The finale this year in the cathedral was performed by Chester’s very own Festival Chorus and alongside Opera North Orchestra.

Andrew Cornall, artistic director of the festival, said: “Chester has been alive with song and music for the last two weeks and it’s been fantastic to see full to bursting audiences.

“The programme has had something for everyone and we have seen some very special artists in Chester this year. The community element has also been a great success and to provide a platform for community and amateur choirs to show us there talent has gained great feedback.

“So it’s now onwards and upwards to next year and to build on 2010’s success.”