1 year
7 months ago
After another record-breaking Literature Festival in 2008, with over 450 authors participating in more than 350 events, attracting an audience of 100,000, we are now looking forward to celebrate The Times Cheltenham Literature Festival’s 60th anniversary with you!
The world’s oldest Literature Festival was founded in 1949 and witnessed many political and cultural changes. We would like to take the opportunity in 2009 not only to talk about the past, but also to look at the future ahead of us. Literature, history, politics, medicine — what got people talking, what events changed the course of history and people’s lives in the past six decades? And what does the future hold?
Join us for another celebration of great literature and poetry, spell-binding storytelling, fascinating talks and discussions and much more — from 9 to 18 October 2009!
We’ve tagged this post with 60th anniversary, literature on Friday 6 February 2009.
1 year
7 months ago
Ever wanted to perform as part of an internationally renowned jazz festival?
Take part, or host an event at your own venue! Find out more about the Jazz Festival Fringe 2009.
We’ve tagged this post with fringe, jazz on Sunday 1 February 2009.
1 year
7 months ago
- Are you paranoid?
- Which ‘revolutionary’ device would you un-invent?
- Why do you feel pain?
- Carbon off-setting: environmental safeguard or middle-class distraction?
- Can we survive the credit crunch?
- Hero or heretic?
- Does curry have health benefits?
Want answers to some of these questions? Got some of your own?
Come and set your mind alight and debate the latest ideas, or simply enjoy the festive spirit and see the world in a new way.
Guest Director Carol Vorderman will be putting together a unique collection of events for you to savour. And the festival theme of heresy is sure to revolutionise the way you think.
We will celebrate the International Year of Astronomy, marking 400 years since Galileo first pointed a telescope at the night sky, by exploring how we can understand more about our universe, from Galileo’s telescope to the future of the Large Hadron Collider at CERN.
And in Darwin Year we will also take a look at how Charles Darwin’s work — still controversial to this day — has affected the way we live and think.
And this is just the tip of the iceberg! The effect of climate change on the poles, the latest surgical techniques, obsessive compulsive disorder, beer, zen, and much more are all set to get an airing at this year’s festival.
As always, our younger audiences will be treated to a packed programme full of high-voltage, mind-expanding excitement and the ever-popular Discover Zone will offer an opportunity to touch, play, talk and learn.
From consciousness to curry: find answers to questions you’ve never thought of asking and those you’ve often pondered, inspire your future, imagine the possibilities.
We look forward to seeing you in June!
We’ve tagged this post with science on Friday 16 January 2009.
1 year
7 months ago
Legendary South African trumpeter Hugh Masekela.
Contemporary US jazz heavyweights Dave Liebman and Dave Douglas.
Sultry songstress Madeleine Peyroux.
Pianist Nikki Yeoh will be presenting a special new commission with her excellent Trio Infinitum, featuring the Mondesir brothers on bass and drums, joined by special guest John Surman.
Events will take place at a range of venues bringing a Festival atmosphere to the Cotswolds. For the third year running the Budvar Marquee in Imperial Gardens will play host to a series of fantastic free events across the bank holiday weekend including a performance by the winners of the 2nd Budvar Brewed Jazz Competition. The victorious group will be rewarded with the wonderful opportunity to appear on the main stage at Pub in The Park.
BBC Radio 2 and Friday Night is Music Night with the BBC concert orchestra presenting an evening of jazz theatre based on the tragic life story of Billy Strayhorn.
Alex Wilson’s Salsa Orchestra in a dance extravaganza at the Town Hall, a special performance by Jack DeJohnette with a band featuring the finest UK talent from the long running Jerwood series, Mercury Music Prize nominees Portico Quartet, BBC Jazz Award winners Get The Blessing and many more gigs still to be announced.
See you in April!
We’ve tagged this post with jazz on Wednesday 14 January 2009.
1 year
8 months ago
Congratulations from everyone here at Cheltenham Festivals to Courtney Pine who was awarded a CBE in the New Year honours list.
A true ambassador for Jazz, Courtney Pine appeared at the Cheltenham Jazz Festival in 2008.
We’ve tagged this post with Courtney Pine, jazz on Wednesday 7 January 2009.
1 year
8 months ago
It was with great sadness that Cheltenham Festivals learnt of the death of jazz diva Eartha Kitt at the age of 81 on Christmas day.
Eartha Kitt’s sensational opening night performance at the Jazz Festival in April showcased her tremendous personality and trademark sultry vocals. She held the audience enthralled as she prowled, purred and high-kicked her way through her last ever UK performance. The concert was captured for her first ever live DVD and a special CD.
Her eclectic career spanned six decades and featured stage success as Helen of Troy to Orson Welles’ Dr. Faust, pop icon status as the definitive Catwoman and creating the timeless chart hits C’est si bon and Santa Baby. Eartha Kitt will be remembered as a dynamic, entertaining and talented performer.
Read more about Eartha Kitt at guardian.co.uk.
We’ve tagged this post with Eartha Kitt, jazz on Tuesday 6 January 2009.
1 year
9 months ago
All of us associated with the Cheltenham Music Festival would like to join the many people around the world in expressing their shock and sadness at the death of Richard Hickox.
Richard gave his first Cheltenham Music Festival performance on Sunday 12 July 1981. The programme, with his ‘own’ orchestra the City of London Sinfonia, was typical of both the Festival here and of Richard’s own diverse musical interests: Beethoven, Lennox Berkeley, Richard Strauss and a world premiere by Elisabeth Lutyens.
He made many more distinguished appearances in Cheltenham since, and regarded this Festival, with its longstanding dedication to British music, as a true kindred spirit. His outstanding performance of Britten’s Death in Venice — opening the 2004 Festival and featuring Philip Langridge as Aschenbach — will be remembered by many, as will his majestic performance earlier this year with the Philharmonia Orchestra of Vaughan Williams’ Sinfonia Antartica in Tewkesbury Abbey.
On behalf of the many musical friends he made over nearly three decades in Cheltenham, our heartfelt condolences go to all those close to Richard.
We’ve tagged this post with music, Richard Hickox on Sunday 30 November 2008.
1 year
10 months ago
On Thursday 6 November a group of young Beaver Scouts from First Woodmancote Colony visited Pittville Pump Room to learn how to play the Cheltenham Gamelan with expert teacher Jonathan Roberts.
Seventeen 6–8 year olds swapped their weekly meeting of games and activities in Woodmancote Village Hall for a highly enjoyable workshop, which also helped them to meet the requirements for the Stage 1 Musician Badge. The accessible approach to notation meant that all the Beavers were able to play a piece of music, and the majority now have their Stage 1 badge.
They particularly enjoyed being able to have a go on more than one instrument, and clearly observed the instruments in some detail as their lovely pictures below illustrate.
continue reading…
We’ve tagged this post with education, Gamelan on Monday 10 November 2008.
1 year
11 months ago
Cheltenham Festivals was hailed as Tourism/Leisure Business of the Year at The Citizen and Gloucestershire Echo’s Business Awards this week.
In an evening of celebration at Cheltenham Racecourse the finest Gloucestershire companies joined together to recognise the breadth and quality of business in the region.
Andrew Blair, managing director of Gloucestershire Media, said:
“Tonight we are celebrating the very best of the county’s business talents. It is the culmination of six months searching for the brightest stars of our community. Once again a new record has been set for the number of entries we have received. The competition to win one of these awards has never been more fierce.”
Cheltenham Festivals received the coveted Tourism/Leisure award in acknowledgment of the tourism the four festivals have attracted to Gloucestershire. The Festivals have continued to expand year on year, and the award particularly recognised their economic importance to the region and their mission to put Cheltenham on the international cultural map.
Cheltenham Festivals Chief Executive Donna Renney welcomed the recognition:
“We are delighted to have won the Tourism and Leisure Business Award. We hope that by bringing so many more visitors into Cheltenham we are really supporting the front line local services of restaurants and hotels. And also that we continue to attract employees to the town for other businesses by making Cheltenham a really good place to live, with a high quality of life and really put it on the cultural map. We really value our partnerships with local businesses and are thrilled to be acknowledged for our work in the region.”
For full details of the awards visit westbusiness.co.uk.
We’ve tagged this post with business award on Saturday 11 October 2008.
