This is a press resource and download area for the Lichfield Festival. Currently the latest press releases are available below as are 2008 publicity images and Festival logos for download. For specific press and media inquiries, please email Please read the instructions below before downloading images and logos.
2010 Press photos - Available in March 2010 All images are available for download as Jpegs as RGB at 300dpi. If you are downloading a RGB image for print, please make sure that you convert that file to CMYK. Please include a Photographers credit when applicable.
A Grand Opening concert featuring American Marin Alsop’s farewell performance as Principal Conductor of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and Russian pianist Alexei Volodin playing an American/Russian programme.
Sell-out performance by the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain in Lichfield Cathedral, including Wuthering Heights, Teenage Dirtbag, and Kiss’ God Gave Rock ‘n’ Roll to You.
The specially formed Lichfield Festival Chorus performing The Traveller, the latest in a series of Lichfield Festival commissions by Alec Roth and Vikram Seth, with Mark Padmore and the Britten Sinfonia.
100 young people from across the West Midlands reading their own poetry on stage at the Garrick Theatre, following workshops with professional poets Polarbear and John Berkavitch as part of the Choices education project.
Full houses for The Hairy Bikers and The Puppini Sisters, dancing in the aisles for Los de Abajo, the first performance by Mark Padmore and Paul Lewis of Schubert’s Winterreise, and British concerto debuts by Marie-Elisabeth Hecker and Alexei Volodin.
Facts & Figures
75 events over 10 days with over 400 artists from the UK, America, Mexico, Finland, Denmark, France, Russia and Germany
11,868 attendees at ticketed events
8,800 visual arts exhibitions attendees (excluding footfall from concert attendees)
498 participants in education projects
228 attendees at schools performances
40,000 people attended free events including the Medieval Market and Festival Fireworks
Rosie Kay Dance Company, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Britten Sinfonia and Acoustic Triangle all Pick of the Week for dance, classical and jazz in the Guardian Guide.
Lichfield Festival was listed as one of the Top 5 Events, Top Five Classical and Top Five Jazz in The Times’ The Knowledge
Lichfield Festival listed in the Five best talks & festivals in The Independent’s The Information
4-star review in The Guardian for the newly formed Lichfield Festival Chorus performing Alec Roth and Vikram Seth’s The Traveller with the Britten Sinfonia.
4-star reviews in The Birmingham Post for Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and Mark Padmore’s Die Winterreise
National, Regional and local press coverage providing over 11.5million opportunities to see or hear about the Lichfield Festival
What the press said:
“…… the performance was very fine indeed, with Roth conducting the Britten Sinfonia and the Lichfield Festival Chorus, which was founded especially to perform this work and acquitted itself marvellously” The Guardian 4-star review for The Traveller
Richard Hawley's "directorate has seen the festival absorb some deliciously unconservative influences to temper its relentless classicism.” The Metro
“Close on ten million people watched the Dr Who season finale on Saturday. Paul Groves was one of the lucky ones. He was at Lichfield Cathedral watching the wonderful Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain” The Birmingham Post, LifeStyleBlog
“On Monday night the Lichfield Festival presented a moving, memorable account of this finest work in the genre from two of our finest young artists….The Lady Chapel, with its natural unforced acoustic was packed with rapt listeners” The Birmingham Post 4-star review of Die Winterreise with Mark Padmore and Paul Lewis
“Festival Director Richard Hawley is to be congratulated for bringing such popular international artists to the Garrick, thus widening the appeal of The Lichfield Festival to audiences who have not previously visited the theatre” Lichfield Mercury on The Puppini Sisters
“Everyone knows the script; contemporary classical music is complex, intimidating and elitist. It’s scored for impractical forces, deals with obscure philosophical concepts and sounds so unpleasant that the words ‘world premiere’ on a programme guarantee an empty hall…. In which case, the Lichfield Festival is singing from a completely different hymn sheet” Birmingham Metro on The Traveller
Audience and particpant comments:
“Best thing I’ve ever sung in and Vikram Seth signed my score” Julia Beech, Festival Chorus member on performance of The Traveller with the Britten Sinfonia
“I LOVED the workshop. It was a really good idea to get us all to do a little rhyme at first. I liked my poem and I love writing. It’s really inspiring and I loved it.=) I can’t wait to perform…I’m nervous but excited. “ India, Kettlebrook PRU on education project Choices
“The Lichfield Festival is a veritable oasis: charming, majestic, intimate and moving” Marin Alsop
“It’s always such a pleasure to come to Lichfield. The Festival has the highest artistic standards, wonderfully varied programming and an exceptionally friendly atmosphere – a winning combination” Alec Roth
And the audience:
“The combination of the film and the music was brilliant, exquisite, fantastic. We were enraptured throughout…” Susan May on Shiraz
“…I shall certainly no longer switch off whenever Messiaen’s music comes over the air-waves. Thank you, Lichfield Festival…”” Marjorie Callow on Thomas Trotter’s Messiaen organ recital
2007 Lichfield Festival
Highlights
The sold out opening concert with legendary American composer Philip Glass performing his only UK solo piano concert in his 70th birthday year. The audience came from all over the UK and included record numbers of first time Lichfield Festival goers
The late night collaborative performance by Armenian Duduk player Djivan Gasparyan, Norwegian jazz trumpeter Arve Henriksen and Tunisian sufi singer and oud player Dhafer Youssef
Capacity audiences for the Soweto Gospel Choir and Carl Davis conducting the Orchestra of Welsh National Opera
Sold-out nights at the Lichfield Garrick Theatre by Short & Curly, and for Salsa Celtica who had their audience dancing in their seats, in the aisles and on the stage
Facts & Figures
75 events over 10 days in 16 venues
50,000 attendees
From a c.30 mile radius of Lichfield including Birmingham, Burton-on-Trent, Wolverhampton, Derby, Stoke-on-Trent and Stafford
Over 400 international performers from the UK, Tunisia, France, South Africa, Italy, Norway, Armenia, America, Romania, Germany, Argentina and Russia
3 World Premieres & 5 Lichfield Festival commissions
Marketing campaign to c. 1.53 million people
Press coverage from January – July 2007 providing over 13.4 million opportunities to see or hear about the Lichfield Festival
Press coverage included the Guardian, Times, Belfast Telegraph and Independent and the Birmingham Post, Midlands Metro, Lichfield Post, Express and Star and Lichfield Mercury. TV and Radio coverage included ITV Central, Radio 3, Radio 4, Capital Radio and Touch fm
2 extensive education projects with 200 school children from across South Staffordshire in dance, music, composition and performance
The Nash Ensemble, Philip Glass and Brodsky Quartet received five star reviews in the Birmingham Post.
The Nash Ensemble and Tango Siempre were the Guardian’s ‘Pick of the Week’ and Motionhouse Dance Theatre and Tango Siempre were ‘Top 5 Dance’ in the Times
What the press said:
“Philip Glass glistens brightly on Lichfield’s beautifully laid table… …cellist Matthew Barley and top duduk player Djivan Gasparian all help to complete the appetising spread” BBC Music magazine
“Lichfield secures another coup to launch Festival” The Birmingham Post on Philip Glass
“Some partnerships have stardust sprinkled on them. That between the writer and Vikram Seth and composer Alec Roth is turning into the Rolls and Royce of the Arts World” Richard Morrison, The Times on Lichfield Festival co-commission: Confluences II after Salisbury world premiere
“While the smart musical world queues up to celebrate him noisily in New York and London, he himself is giving discreet recitals of his solo piano music. Last week in Portugal, next week in Lichfield” The Independent on Philip Glass opening the Lichfield Festival
“…. a line-up worthy of Edinburgh” Midlands Metro
“Exquisite, international, a peak Festival experience” The Lichfield Post on Djivan Gasparyan
“… highly original music, astonishingly beautiful and compelling, a spectacularly successful meeting of cultures” Jazz Journal International on Gasparyan/Henriksen/Youssef
“This summer’s Lichfield Festival… was strikingly ambitious” “Joubert’s concerto was the jewel in the crown of the 2007 Lichfield Festival, an event notable for the quality and breadth of its programmes.” Tempo, October 2007
Audience and education comments:
“One of the most imaginative and moving performances I’ve every heard” Audience member on Confluences II by Ex-Cathedra
“I really enjoyed working with you at the Lichfield Festival, I thought it was brilliant! You have inspired me a lot, I look at music in a different way now and I’m never going to forget what you taught us” Participant on education project Making a Song and Dance
“First class all along the way. One should expect no more than this” Audience member on The Auden Project by Denis May
“Hugely original, evocative, compelling” Audience member on Bells of Paradise
“Between the Notes are not just great musicians but inspiring teachers. This has been an empowering experience” Parent on education project Making a Song and Dance
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