Starts at Peterhouse Porter's Lodge

Three different organs in three different historic chapel settings to see and hear. Each building will be introduced by distinguished art historian Dr Paul Binski, followed by a short recital by Anne Page. 

International soprano Patricia Rozario's unique voice and artistry has inspired several of the world's leading composers to write for her, most notably Sir John Tavener, who has written over thirty works. Ranging from Tavener's haunting ‘Schuon Lieder', through Schubert's ‘Who is Sylvia' to Britten's enduring folksong arrangements, Ireland's ‘My True love hath my Heart' and Walton's ‘Old Sir Frank' this is a programme that will captivate and delight.

Andrew Nethsingha director
Leon Charles organ
Alison Martin harp
Cameron Sinclair percussion

Other works include: Purcell's Hear my prayer and Jehova, quam multi sunt hostes mei, Guerrero's O sacrum convivium, Viadana's Exultate justi, Francis Grier's Three devotions to Christ our Redeemer, and Elgar's Give unto the Lord.

For devotees of excellent choral music, no trip to Cambridge would be complete without hearing one of the University's best chapel choirs. We welcome St John's College Choir to the Festival for the first time in a programme with the favourite Bernstein's Chichester Psalms as its central choral work, as well as some of the loveliest Continental and English sacred choral masterpieces.The concert also features harp solos and a duet for percussion and organ.

Beethoven Sonata in C minor op. 13 (Pathétique)
Sonata in F minor op. 57 (Appassionata)
Ireland Three London Pieces
Debussy La cathedrale engloutie, Feux d'artifice
Liszt/Wagner Liebestod from Tristan and Isolde
Liszt/Verdi Concert Paraphrase on Rigoletto

Mark Bebbington contrasts two of Beethoven's best loved piano sonatas with gems of English and French musical impressionism, and rounds off his programme with colourful and virtuosic Liszt.

'A truly remarkable pianist.'
The Times.

'Intrepidly communicative.'
Gramophone Magazine Editor's Choice

This performance brings together many members of choirs from Cambridge and the surrounding area, including members of Cambridge University Musical Society and Cambridge Philharmonic Choral Society, into a glorious ‘Festival Chorus' under the baton of King's College Chapel's Director of Music, Stephen Cleobury. 

Stephen Cleobury conductor

Miranda Keys soprano
Richard Lloyd Morgan baritone
The Cambridge Orchestra

Johannes Brahms Variations on a Theme by Haydn (St Anthony Chorale) and Ein Deutsches Requiem, Op 45

Brahms's Requiem, his greatest choral work, is deeply personal, moving and expresses great hope, using inspiration from the Lutheran Bible to produce music that sings of human compassion, in German rather than the usual Latin.

A concert by the Ukulele Orchestra is a funny, virtuosic, twanging, singing, awesome, foot-stomping obituary of rock ‘n' roll and melodious light entertainment featuring the ‘bonsai guitar' and a menagerie of voices in re-workings of rock ‘n' roll, punk, jazz classical music and toe-tapping oldies.

'Perfectly polished professionalism, threaded through with dry wit and wry humour.'
The Independent

Vaughan Williams
Toward the Unknown Region

Walton
Belshazzar's Feast

Hertfordshire Chorus is one of the finest large choirs in the country with a repertoire that spans traditional and contemporary works, including several new commissions. Recent performances have included concerts in the Royal Albert Hall with Daniele Gatti and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and a Christmas concert there with José Carreras broadcast on Radio 2. The Chorus performs in other major venues including the Royal Festival Hall, the Barbican, the Sage in Gateshead and Durham Cathedral, as well as in Hertfordshire. It regularly tours abroad, to Sicily, Seville, Perugia, Valencia and, most recently, Krakow.

Holst and Vaughan Williams were close friends: Vaughan Williams wrote at least one major work for Holst's Whitsuntide Singers in Thaxted Church. Both will often have played the Lincoln organ in the North Transept. The Festival closes with one of the most exciting choral works ever written - Walton's dramatic masterpiece charting the downfall of King Belshazzar!