REPORT
It’s all over now, and the management team is looking back at this year’s successes, and forward to questions about the future of the Festival.
First the successes: every concert was an outstanding performance. It's amazing to think that we've gone from a trial festival of 4 events in 2007 to having international artistes and famous names visiting Wadhurst. We are an established part of the local cultural scene now, and plan to continue the high standard of programming and presentation that has brought us many enthusiastic supporters over the last 5 years.
On 6 May, we kicked off with the Society of Strange and Ancient Instruments, who showed off the nykelharpe and santour - among other oddities - with a programme of peasant songs and dances.
Next, on 28 May, our first international celebrity concert: Martin Taylor [judged by Jeff Beck to be the best guitarist in the world] came to the Parish Church [his first time performing in a church]. A large audience from around the country [not too many locals though] were amazed by his extraordinary musical skills; at times it seemed as if there were at least 3 players on stage.
Outreach is an important part of the Festival and on 7 June Music in Hospitals provided a delightful entertainer, Janet Beale, who sang and played a range of instruments for the residents of Fazan Court and Weald Hall; our thanks to Wadhurst Rotary for their financial support for this event.
Children also had their day on 10 June with ‘The Three Billy Goats Gruff and other Furry Tales’ – another fantastic performance by the Theatre of Widdershins.
Then on 11 June, coinciding with a visit by our friends from Aubers, ‘Over the Bridge’ – a group of young men from Cambridge – entertained with a mixed programme of sacred and secular a-capella singing. I still get shivers down my spine as I think of the countertenor wailing ‘Jerusalem, Jerusalem’ from the Lamentations of Jeremiah by Thomas Tallis.
18 June brought us ‘A Profound Secret’ - the love letters of Edward Burne-Jones in words and music. Based on the book by Josceline Dimbleby, it was portrayed by old favourites of the Festival: Maggie Cole, Julia Gooding and John Rowe.
Polphony gave its annual summer concert on 2 July, combining the Mozart C minor Mass and John Rutter’s ‘Feel the Spirit’ – an interesting combination that made for an truly uplifting evening, and our only orchestral event in the season.
Local jazz pianist Noel Bannister brought his group Jazfront to The Greyhound on 15 July for an evening of classic jazz numbers, fronted by Lydia Bannister on vocals.
The Festival ended on 20 August with another international group - The Norwegian Mountain Jazz Ensemble, led by Alastair Laurence from Finchcocks; they gave us an interesting and rather unique jazz experience, much influenced by Norwegian folksong and the national leaning to bittersweet melancholy.
Financially, the Festival was not as successful as it has been but the overall loss of £100 on 9 events is acceptable, given the current economic climate; our closing balance of £1037 is just adequate. The Polyphony concert needed separate financial support from generous benefactors. Ticket sales ranged from 47 [6 May] to 151 for Martin Taylor; average attendance for the 8 main events was 97. Last year we averaged 99 from 10 concerts – this includes the Clear Voices choir from Belarus for which attendance was a massive 247; if they are excluded, the average for the remaining 9 was 83. So, arguably, we are gaining audience numbers.
But we are still not getting as many as we would like, or indeed need, to cover costs and allow us to build up a slight reserve against future costs or concert disasters. Another 10 at each concert would make all the difference.
We had two surprises: the planned Beatles tribute event on 30 April was cancelled as the clash with the Royal Wedding the day before and the charity concert for Japan the day after reduced our advance ticket sales to the point that we were heading for a loss of £500 or more; in the event, thanks to the generosity of the group ‘The Beatlez’, we only lost our deposit of £100. The other cancelled concert was planned for 6 August, when a trio were coming to give us a ‘Musical Banquet’ - music ranging across the centuries from Byrd to the 19th century –for no fee, as a fundraiser for the History Society. Ticket sales for this were so low a fortnight before the counter-tenor, viol & harpsichord event that we decided it was unfair to drag the group down from the Oxford area to play to a tiny audience. The clear message from both these decisions is that Wadhurst really could help the Festival organisers by showing their support in good time by buying their tickets well in advance, either in Carillon Cottage or online!
Volunteer support for the Festival was as good as last year: front of house teams provided a really professional welcome to the audience and ran the interval drinks in style [generating a vital profit to help meet Festival overheads]; volunteers in Carillon Cottage sold a third of all tickets. Roger Lockwood, Michael Hardcastle and John Bush provided wonderful technical support. Thanks to all for their help – and if you would like to join the team next year, you would be very welcome.
The one weak spot is the distribution of flyers and posters round the wider [but still local] area; our small group of helpers did a grand job but we do need to do even better next year to spread the word more widely. Can you help? Or is there someone – housewife, pensioner, unemployed, school leaver – who can drive and might welcome a small fee for undertaking a delivery round three or four times during the season? If you have ideas for practical support, sponsorship, or other involvement, contact Emma Ryder Richardson, Maggie Henderson or Michael Harte and let us have them soon.
We are now deciding the content for WSMF2012 and have already made two special bookings. Following on from our success in bringing an artiste with an international reputation to Wadhurst, we are going even further in 2012 with not one, but two outstanding performers with world-wide reputations. On Saturday June 16, Evelyn Tubb [who has been described as "one of the few truly outstanding sopranos of her generation"], accompanied by Michael Fields on lute and classical guitar, will be giving us one of their rare appearances in the UK. Then on Saturday June 30, cellist Julian Lloyd Webber, widely regarded as one of the most creative musicians of his generation, will give a recital for cello and piano, with an emphasis on English music - to tie in with the overall Festival theme of celebrating the Diamond Jubilee of the Queen. Tickets for these events will go on sale in time for Christmas on www.wadhurstmusicfestival.info. So – put these dates in your diaries NOW!
We are trying to make this a truly community festival, supported and enjoyed by many different elements in our community. Get involved, and make it your festival!
Michael Harte [783 292 or harte@wadhurst.info]