Sarah Hard 
This year’s Festival set new records in terms of number of tickets sold, performers, sold-out concerts and sheer variety of musical styles over nine days and ten concerts in both the Festival Hall and St. Peter’s Church. Download the latest newsletter to read the reviews of all ten concerts. Image credit: © Petersfield Photographic Society
Merry Opera: Die Fledermaus, 21 March The Merry Opera Company made a fizzing return to the Festival Hall this year, following their successful debut in 2022. This time they chose to perform Johann Strauss’ most celebrated operetta, die Fledermaus. Die Fledermaus, written in 1874, and full of Strauss’s most memorable music, is in three Acts … Read more
This year’s Family Concert, given by the local professional string orchestra SouthDowns Camerata, directed by Sara Deborah Timossi, was titled ‘Dancing through the Movies’ and lived up to its name in an hour of delightful music and dance equally appealing to all ages in the capacity audience – no doubt including, for many of the … Read more
The 118th Petersfield Musical Festival was splendidly launched on Friday 14 March, with an enthusiastic capacity audience entertained by two long-standing groups based in the area: Liss Band, conducted by Mike Pennicotte-Henrie, in its 50th anniversary season, and the Hampshire Police Male Voice Choir, conducted by Geoffrey Porter, which has origins (as its compere, David … Read more
The concluding concert of this year’s Festival was one of two halves. Conductor Paul Spicer took the baton at either end for a pair of choral masterpieces, yielding place to Stephen Scotchmer to guide the Basingstoke Symphony Orchestra through a concerto by Saint-Saëns and a short work by Frederick Delius. Under Paul Spicer’s seemingly tireless … Read more
A capacity audience was treated to a blockbuster programme of orchestral music last Thursday (20 March 2025) which encompassed Beethoven’s heroic ‘Emperor’ Concerto and the mighty Symphony No.10 by Shostakovich. A full-scale symphony orchestra, including at various points triple woodwind, bass clarinet and contrabassoon, snare drum, tam-tam and xylophone, gave every ounce of energy to … Read more
Vox Cantab, a chamber choir drawn mainly from former choral scholars at Cambridge University, presented a concert of music and readings featuring composers, writers and poets with strong connections to Petersfield and the surrounding area on Wednesday 19th March. The concert formed part of the Petersfield Musical Festival at St. Peter’s Church. By asking for … Read more
Two young recipients of bursaries given by the Festival’s Michael Hurd Fund delighted the audience at St. Peter’s Church on Tuesday. Elliott Cundy gave a truly virtuosic performance on double bass, while Ukrainian violinist Mariia Lliaskovets both entranced and engaged with her contrasting programme of pieces. ‘It is a privilege to be involved with and … Read more
PMF ‘s choral concert Gloria! showcased two audience favourites from the Baroque era and introduced many to an overlooked masterpiece, Haydn’s Schöpfungsmesse. The capacity audience was treated to a spirited and joyous evening of uplifting music with both choir, soloists and orchestra deservedly receiving an enthusiastic ovation. First up on the programme was Corelli’s much-loved … Read more
Tickets are now on sale for the 2025 Petersfield Musical Festival, which promises a rich array of musical entertainment including two full-scale choral concerts, an opera, a Family Concert, two Youth Concerts, a Chamber choir, a chamber concert, a symphony orchestra, a brass band and the Hampshire Police Male Voice choir. View or download our … Read more
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