Stringing Along with Rye's Awesome Foursome

The Piatti Quartet (seen rehearsing in St Mary's, right, with pianist Clare Hammond)) the Festival's quartet in residence, have already three performed three concerts and are about to do a workshop for the kids of Rye Primary in a few hours time.

Having started their week-long stay at Ryue Arts Festival on saturday evening with a concert in Iden church, on Sunday evening they did 'Beer & Beethoven' - a free gig in the Queens Head in Ladgate, which went down a storm with the regulars, as did the beer with classical music fans who were (re)introduced to pubs!

Dressed to Thrill at Opera

Icelandic soprano Ranveig Karadottir thrilled a
packed Milligan Theatre at Rye College on Saturday night. Ranveig starred as the tragic Violetta in Verdi's ever popular opera La Traviata. And the plaudits were given also to the other singers and musicians from Euphonia Company lead by conductor and director Alisdair Kitchen. This was the third opera that Alisdair's company have brought to Rye Arts Festival in four years and La Traviata was rated the best yet.

While Euphonia are all young professional musicians,Rye Studio School students also played a key role in the opera with set design, build and dressing as well as technical support. Jade Tate and Bella Woodcock, seen flanking Ranveig above, designed and made the Soprano's stunning red dress.

The Original (Scots) Spiderman Trilogy

Seven hundred years ago the Scots won the Battle of Bannockburn sending proud Edward's army home tae think again! The story of Robert the Bruce has been taken up by novelist Robyn Young in a three-part series called Insurrection, and the final volume, Kingdom has just been published. And in a further timely twist, Robyn will be talking at Rye Arts Festival about her work on Tuesday 16th September, just two days before the Scots' momentous vote on independence.

World Premiere for Rye

The final Saturday of this year's Festival provides a World Premiere! The Piatti Quartet end their residency with a final concert at St Mary's Church and the programme features a new work by the English composer Joseph Phibbs. The concert on 27th September starts at 7.30pm  but at 6.30pm Joseph and the Piatti will do a pre-concert talk where they will discuss their work and all ticketholders for the main event are welcome.

Rye's Resident Quartet on BBC Radio 3

The Piatti Quartet are going to be quartet in residence at this year's Rye Arts Festival in September. And to get a taste of their playing listen to BBC Radio 3 tonight (Monday 25th August) when they will be appearing on In Tune, from 6.30pm.

The Pioatti will be talking about their season, including their week-long at the Rye Arts Festival between 20th and 27th September, which will feature the Quartet in a series of concerts with other guest musicians, open rehearsal sessions, masterclasses for young players and a free gig in a pub!

 

Old Filth Signs Off

Last Friends is the final part of the Old Filth trilogy by novelist Jane Gardam and she will be talking about the book in the Marquee in Lamb House garden at 3pm on Monday 15th September.

Old Filth is the acronym for 'Failed in London try Hong Kong' and described the colonials in the Far East who didn't quite the mustard in the UK and therefore chose to go into the service of the mother country and its natives on the other side of the World. Sir Edwards Feathers, the eponymous character, was anything but a failure. A child of the Raj who had been born and orphaned in Malaya, he moved to HK and was a colossus in its legal system.

Mad For It! New Medieval Rye Walk

A second Medieval Rye: A Guided Walk will take place at 11am on Wednesday 17th September. The date has been set with the guide Jo Kirkham because within days of going on pre-sale to Friends of Rye Arts Festival the original  Medieval Rye: A Guided Walk on 24th September sold out. There is no expectation, however, that you should dress the part like the enthusiasts pictured here.

Phillip Venning - Ab SPAB!

Phillip Venning OBE spent 28 years as Secretary of SPAB. The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings was founded 137 years ago by William Morris and Venning spent half his working lifetime keeping up the good work looking after the nation's heritage.

Also a journalist, he worked on the Times Educational Supplement, but in 1977 he cut his writing teeth with a book called Wyldes - A New History.

JAM Today!

Handel’s Coronation Anthems, including Zadok the Priest, will be part of JAM's concert today, Saturday 19th July, 7.30pm at St Leonard's church Hythe. Mousai Singers will be performing songs old and new, with Daniel Cook – Sub-Organist at Westminster Abbey – and Onyx Brass.

Kitchen Cinque (port) Drama

Nice piece in today's Rye Observer in which Alisdair Kitchen - the conductor and director of Euphonia -  talks about the fully-staged production of La Traviata on the opening Saturday of the Festival (13 Sept), and the exciting involvement of Rye Studio School students in the opera.


http://www.ryeandbattleobserver.co.uk/what-s-on/this-year-s-festival-will-be-bigger-and-better-than-ever-1-6178131

A Clerihew for The League of Gentlemen in Rye

It's Clerihew Day http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clerihew today, so to celebrate and to mark the BBC filming currently underway in Rye:

Steve Pemberton,
From the League of Gentlemen,
Has it's clear,
Done Mapp & Lucia

Mr Fab is a right Charlie!

On Sunday the full programme of the 2014 Rye Arts Festival is being announced. In the meantime, let's laud the unsung heroes - the Festival Makers.

And high up has to be the mystery driver from FAB Cabs of Kent - an ingenue with political ambitions who ferries people at the drop of the hat in his bubble car around town and across the border. A couple of years ago, a German musician with his cello were strapped to the roof rack of his minature voiture and taken to Ashford. And a tired Citadel dweller was driven home for free from Rye College against the express wishes of Ma Fab, the controller of the cab outfit.

Charlie Fab, you're FAB! Ma Fab, you're even Fabber.

JAM covers Romney Marsh for over a Week!

The annual JAM series of classical music conerts in Romney Marsh kicks off on Friday 9th July and runs through to 20th July. And as well as this year's programme features art exhibitions, photography, theatre and poetry as well as children's events.

Onthe evening of 9th July it all starts with Selwyn College choir from Cambridge performing Rachmaninoff's Vespers and James Weeks' Orlando Tenebrae at St Augustine, Brookland.  Other highlights include on 19th July the Mousai Singers performing Handle's Coronation Athems, including Zadok the Priest, at St Leonard's Hythe.

For more information on the whole programme, which is the biggest and most varied yet, click here: http://www.jamconcert.org/jam-on-the-marsh

Strictly Anyone Can Come Dancing

Photo by J Tully

Rye’s dancers young and old, experienced or complete novices can look forward to Rye Arts Festival in September when latin
dancing is on the cards. And plenty of it, with special workshops and performances for both Argentine Tango and Flamenco!

Sunday 14th September is when leading Argentine Tango instructors Alan Mitchell and Ella Sharp will be holding an afternoon workshop in this most steamy and sexually charged of dances, which will be open to complete beginners, improvers and those who have been ‘resting’ for a while and would like to make a comeback.

Involving the Schools

Rye Arts Festival is forging closer links with the Studio School and the other schools in Rye. And The Festival is working on an exciting and wide-ranging series of events for and including students in its 43rd annual Festival which this year starts on 12th September.

Rye Arts Festival chairman Ian Graham-Bryce says: “The Festival has been involved with local schools over the years but we have really intensified our activity this year. We are becoming more closely involved with the students and staff of the Studio School as well as maintaining and growing involvement with Rye College and Rye Community Primary School.

It’s Magic - Rye Arts Festival’s 2014 AGM

Around 90 Ryers who turned out on a wet and windy afternoon on Sunday 26th January were rewarded with news of the good results for last year’s Rye Arts Festival, exciting developments for the 2014 Festival and some up close and personal magic!

Rye Arts Festival’s AGM was held once again at Rye Community Centre under its brand new ceiling. And Chairman Ian Graham-Bryce was able to welcome the Festival’s Members with the good news that the 2013 Festival made a surplus that more than covered the previous year’s loss.

Ian thanked the generous sponsors. “Without whom we simply could not have contemplated such an ambitious programme,” he added. He also thanked all the members for their ongoing financial support, the huge number of people who give their time and premises to help the Festival, and all those people who buy tickets. “Forty paid-for events were put on which were attended by nearly 4,000 people.”