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Making Converts…

The queue outside the Masonic Hall on July 2nd was enormous. “What’s all that about?” asked a passerby to her husband.  “I think it’s some kind of registration for the Ipswich Music Day thing going on in Christchurch Park.”  NO!  It was the queue to get into the classical events going on all afternoon! I politely let them know.  “Classical??? I didn’t think anyone would turn up to that!!!” said the lady.  Oh dear.  Is that still the perception?  But never mind.  An hour later, I saw them return and attend one of the concerts.  Two converts.  It’s a start.

So goodie good, the audiences were fab, appreciative and eclectic – push chairs, toddlers, foreign students, young lovers, relations, regulars and a couple of dogs – and this all bodes well for the future.  Maybe there should be more ‘pop in and have a taster’ type of classical events?  A plan to ponder, perhaps…

Anyway, back to the purpose of the column.  I have 244 words left to highlight the concerts this August.  Well, Snape Proms kicks off on August 1st and there’s a feast of youth music to devour: on August 4th the National Youth Orchestra conducted by Thomas Adès will be playing the maestro’s music himself along with Stravingsky’s The Rite of Spring, before they head to the RAH Proms in London to perform the same programme.  Suffolk Youth Orchestra appear the following night to delight us with Elgar’s Enigma Variations (yum).  Then the Nash Ensemble appears on 8th to give us some favourites by Haydn, Mozart and Schubert; Danielle de Niese, the dazzling soprano will appear on 15th for Broadway to Baroque and Grimethorpe Colliery Band continue their centenary tour on 26th with popular classics.  More details of all these concerts and others at snapemaltings.co.uk.

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At the end of the month the Suffolk Villages Festival, now in its 13th year, brings ‘high-quality performances of early music to rural East Anglia’.  Beautiful programmes starting with Monteverdi on Friday 25th and ending with Handel and the Huguenots French Dance and Music in England on Monday 28th with 3 concerts in between.  Do check out these magnificent events in beautiful locations: suffolkvillagesfestival.com.

Suffolk’s talented young musicians will be performing recitals in St Andrew’s Church, Felixstowe at noon every Wednesday until August 23rd, so do pop along and support them – Admission is Free!

There we are.  8 words remaining.  Tea time.

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