Welcome to the 18th Annual
Beaminster Festival

From the Chairman: Philip Crawford BEM

Once again we have put together a week of exciting events, bringing together some of the most talented artistes available to provide entertainment of all kinds for everyone in Beaminster. Benjamin Grosvenor returns to the Festival and headlines our programme of music with a piano recital and we will also welcome the brilliant Brodsky Quartet, the Brook Street Band and Louis de Bernières, Joglaresa, and Stile Antico, the British vocal ensemble. On the lighter side, we have music from the Swinging Cotton Club and Lizzie Ball’s classic jazz ensemble: Eclectica. This year we will be hosting the second Beaminster’s Big Day on the final Sunday afternoon of the Festival which promises to be bigger and better than ever before. We hope for sunshine throughout our eight days of celebrations! We could not achieve all that we do without the generous support we receive from all our sponsors and donors and I would like to take the opportunity to thank them all as well as our army of volunteers who help us throughout the festival week to ensure its success.

From the Festival Director: Tanya Bruce-Lockhart

Last year was the most wonderful year in which to celebrate all things British – The Diamond Jubilee, the London Olympics and Paralympics and so much more. Our Festival also seems to have been a success and was enjoyed by an increasing number of West Dorset residents as well as visitors from much further afield.

This year is a question of Follow That! But I hope there will again be lots to enjoy during our week in July. As well as our programme of music – our lunchtime concerts are always popular - we have a brilliant line-up of literary talks which this year feature Paddy Ashdown, William Dalrymple, Victoria Glendinning, Huw Lewis-Jones and Ann Widdecombe. We welcome back The Illyria Open Air Theatre Company with their family production of: Babe: The Sheep-Pig to be performed in the glorious grounds of Beaminster Manor, and Messrs Kitson and Trotman, Solicitors are sponsoring The Festival Art Exhibition in the Public Hall with the work of 30 of our talented local artists and practitioners. Everything in the Exhibition is for sale, so treat yourself!