Snape Maltings have added some more celebrated names to their series of weekend concert performances being held to replace the Snape Proms which had to be cancelled because of lockdown.
The socially distanced events have been selling out since live performances returned to Snape in mid-August. This latest group of performances are for September and feature Nicola Benedetti and Alina Ibragimova as well as Clare Hammond and Jess Gillam.
Britten-Pears Arts chief executive Roger Wright said: “It has been a huge pleasure and relief to start bringing musicians and audiences back together at Snape. We’re glad to know from feedback that people have not only enjoyed the music but have also felt safe and are confident about returning for more events.”
Concerts for this weekend are sold out but later in the month, Snape will be playing host to the Doric String Quartet on Friday September 18. The Doric Quartet would have performed at this year’s Aldeburgh Festival and they will give two different concerts, with Mozart and Mendelssohn in the afternoon, and Mozart and Haydn in the evening.
Kathryn Tickell, one of the leading lights of the UK folk scene and the world’s foremost exponent of the Northumbrian pipes, will be joined by her close collaborator, accordionist and clog dancer Amy Thatcher of The Shee and The Monster Ceilidh Band for a performance on Saturday September 19.
While on Sunday September 20, pianist, composer and bandleader Julian Joseph, one of the finest jazz musicians to emerge on this side of the Atlantic, will be giving a solo performance in the Snape Maltings Concert Hall. Known for his formidable skill and wide-ranging repertoire of original compositions and arrangements, he’ll be able to offer up some jazz club intimacy thanks to the concert hall’s wonderful acoustics.
All concerts start at 3pm and 7pm. The 3pm performances are ‘Pay What You Can’, meaning you can see 45 minutes of amazing live music at a price that you feel able to afford. Tickets for evening performances are £15.
Mr Wright added: “It remains difficult to give as much notice as we would like for future plans, but happily we are able to give some advance information for the next few weekends but please bear with us if we need to make changes at short notice.”
Tickets for the concerts on September 18, 19 and 20 go on sale on September 12. All concerts will have reduced capacity because of socially distant seating. Tickets are limited to four per household. There will be no interval and audience members will need to wear face-coverings.
Moving away from the Snape Maltings Concert Hall, Britten-Pears Arts will be opening up The Red House, Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears’ home in Aldeburgh, on September 12-13 & 19-20, from 11am - 3pm, as part of the annual Heritage Open Days events.
It is a national celebration of history and culture and embraces a wide range of historic and cultural locations as well as natural landscapes.
This year’s theme is ‘hidden nature’ and the Britten-Pears team will be exploring the garden for evidence of the influence the natural world had in Britten’s music.
There are lots of outdoor activities planned, including a free botanical drawing session, outdoor live music and a range of activities for children.
Admission to the house and gardens is free across the weekend, but booking (for events and entry) is essential. For further information and booking details go to the Snape Maltings website.
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