Sarah Hard 
Richard Pearce, the renowned organist and choral conductor, treated a packed audience to a varied programme of organ music on Wednesday 17th March in St. Peter’s Church. He book-ended the concert with two works by JS Bach whom he considers the greatest composer of all time, but the rest of the music was by mainly … Read more
The music played by Arthur ‘Art’ Blakey (1919 – 1990) and his Jazz Messengers was the focus of a fine performance from six virtuosic players who enthralled the Petersfield audience with their own interpretations of a splendid selection of numbers from this legendary band leader. Blakey was for years the seed bed for so many … Read more
The 2024 Petersfield Musical Festival opened on 15th March with a lively evening of popular music that brought the singers of Encore Choirs and Legends to the festival for the first time. In her opening remarks, Festival chair Pamela Buckley welcomed Petersfield’s Mayor, J C Crissey and all the audience and performers, and invited everyone … Read more
Philip Young, PMF musical director, enjoyed a royal celebration at this year’s Family Concert. He writes: There was a royal theme to the Family Concert presented by Basingstoke Symphony Orchestra and their conductor, Stephen Scotchmer, on Sunday 17th March. Children were invited to come dressed as their favourite king or queen, prince or princess, and … Read more
By Sarah Hard This year’s Petersfield Musical Festival sold a record number of tickets and attracted an unprecedented number of participating musicians. The nine-day celebration delighted audiences from all walks of life across a wide variety of musical styles and genres. A total of eleven concerts were given: over 2,100 tickets sold, 766 performers took … Read more
A capacity audience was treated to an uplifting all-Mozart programme on 16th March conducted by Festival President Jonathan Willcocks standing in for an indisposed Paul Spicer. From the revolutionary opening bar of the much-loved Symphony No.40 in G minor, Mozart’s musical ingenuity, ground-breaking orchestration and effortless gift for melody were clearly in evidence. Southern Pro … Read more
Two young musicians stole the show at the lunch-time concert in St. Peter’s Church on 19th March for recipients of grants from the Michael Hurd Fund for Young Musicians. Rachel Newberry (voice) and Rebecca McNaught (cello) gave a stellar performance which was warmly received by the capacity audience. Rachel, a second-year student at the Trinity … Read more
Jazz enthusiasts will be delighted that the PMF has decided to stage a jazz evening for the first time in several years. The concert, which takes place on Friday 22nd March, is a tribute to legendary drummer and band leader Art Blakey who pioneered an iconic and varied style of American jazz influencing Wynton Marsalis, … Read more
This year’s Petersfield Musical Festival is showcasing a panoply of musical talent from a jazz sextet and a Boy Band tribute group right up to a full-size symphony orchestra and two flagship choral concerts. A total of eleven concerts are on offer from 15th – 23rd March in the Festival Hall and St. Peter’s Church. … Read more
There was a rich display of creative talent on show at the 2024 Festival of Young Composers run by the Petersfield Musical Festival. Entries ranged from works for solo piano or solo violin right up to an ambitious score for full symphony orchestra. The competition was held on 4th February at the Studio at the … Read more
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