Ticket price includes a day of concerts, talks and a masterclass,under 18s and students go free of charge, see website for full details. One of England’s most colourful and charismatic composers – Sir Malcolm Arnold (1921-2006) – is to be celebrated at the 18th International Malcolm Arnold Festival; an annual programme of events centred around the multi-faceted composer and his music. This year returning to the composer’s birthplace, the city of Northampton, there will be live music, talks and a Masterclass over the weekend of 14-15 October.
A packed day of entertainment takes place on Sunday 15 October, when the Festival moves to the composer’s school, Northampton School for Boys, for a day of live music-making and talks celebrating the composer’s links.
Highlights include a Clarinet Masterclass when one of the world’s most esteemed Clarinettists, Emma Johnson MBE, takes three talented young performers through some of Malcolm Arnold’s most famous works for clarinet. BBC Radio Northampton’s broadcaster and Malcolm Arnold devotee, John Griff, gives an insight into the composer’s famous film music, Live music continues throughout the day, demonstrating the exuberance of Arnold’s music for brass and wind with performances from the Nick Budd Brass Quintet and Northamptonshire County Youth Concert Band.
Hilary Davan Wetton conducts the Festiva’s Grand Finale concert and provides the opportunity to hear Malcolm Arnold’s Oboe Concerto, his haunting Serenade for Guitar and Strings and the ever-popular Symphony for Strings performed by the LGT String Orchestra – an award-winning string ensemble made up of highly talented young soloists between the ages of 13 and 23 from over 20 nations.
Refer to the website for full details of the programme across the weekend.