PREVIEW
Bowjangles are coming to Frampton with Excalibow, a musical journey through myths and legends
Expect tales of monsters, ancient gods, historical figures and characters of pure fantasy in this action packed show. The four musicians dance while they play. They sing while they play. They leap, tumble, juggle and joke while they play. May contain traces of ABBA!
Artsreach at 30 TOURING
ARTSREACH, Dorset’s rural touring arts charity, celebrates its 30th birthday in 2020 with an exciting programme, including the first visit to Dorset by Shakespeare’s Globe theatre company, with three performances at Littlebredy. The anniversary programme begins with a barn dance at Ashton Barn near Martinstown on Friday 20th March, with music, food and drink. Other highlights will include an Alice in Wonderland family garden party at Springhead, Fontmell Magna, in May, Ratsreach, a “Black Death party”, with best-selling, Dorset-based novelist Minette Walters, in June, and the Globe visit, in early July, with three of the Bard’s best loved comedies—The Tempest, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and As You Like It. A new report, commissioned by Artsreach, shows that volunteers, including hall promoters, help to contribute the equivalent of more than £60,000 annually into the Dorset arts scene. The research calculates that every £1 of annual public funding for Artsreach’s work generates a further 93p in benefits for the rural Dorset economy.
This economic windfall is generated by profits from shows being retained by rural communities, helping to support essential facilities such as village halls. Additional income for villages comes from visiting audience spending money in local pubs and shops. The Artsreach programme of professional theatre, music, dance and family shows, and visual arts projects, is managed by a small team based at Little Keep in Dorchester, working with a network of more than 300 volunteers, to put on around 150 professional events every year, usually in village halls, across rural Dorset. The report shows that the equivalent of two and a half paid staff would be needed to bring the Artsreach programme to life without volunteer help. Volunteers told the researcher how important Artsreach is to their villages, providing social contact for local people, raising money for the hall and the community and bringing professional shows to their villages. One hall promoter said: ‘We get an internationally award-winning group for £10 a ticket with no transport costs for the audience.” The full report is available to read on the Artsreach website, where you can also see the Artsreach spring programme—www. artsreach.co.uk
Fund-raising start to the year CONCERTS IN THE WEST
THE 2020 series of Concerts in the West opens with a stellar trio at three fund-raising recitals, on Friday 17th January at Bridport and Ilminster arts centres and Saturday 18th at the Dance House, Crewkerne.
Andrew Marriner (clarinet), Alasdair Beatson (piano) and Michael Petrov (cello) are all established performers individually, but on this occasion they will be playing together for Concerts in the West. Andrew Marriner was the principal clarinet for the London Symphony Orchestra for more than 30 years and is a patron of Concerts in the West, as was his father, the late Sir Neville Marriner who was a founder patron. Also a patron, pianist Alasdair Beatson works prolifically as a soloist and chamber musician. He has played for Concerts in the West many times and is renowned as a sincere musician and intrepid programmer. His wide repertoire includes Beethoven, Brahms, Mendelssohn, Schubert and Schumann. The outstanding cellist Michael Petrov was an ECHO Rising Star in the 2015/16 season. He has performed at major concert halls including the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Cité de la Musique Paris, Musikverein Vienna and Kölner Philharmonie. As a soloist Michael has appeared with the Philharmonia, Bournemouth Symphony and CBSO Youth Orchestras, as well as the Munich Chamber and English Chamber Orchestras.
Music at the David Hall SOUTH PETHERTON
START the New Year at the David Hall with two of the best bluesmen around—Paul Jones and Dave Kelly, coming to the Somerset venue on Thursday 9th January at 8pm. The two seasoned, erudite entertainers bring a guitar, harmonica, two authentic voices and an envious repertoire of songs and reminiscences. On Friday 17th from 5.30pm, the David Hall hosts a Richard Huish College gig. Expect an evening of upbeat entertainment from student performers going solo or teaming up as a band, covering genres from pop to funk and folk. Song-writer Steve Knightley, half of favourite West Country folk duo Show of Hands, will be giving some Pass Notes at the David Hall on Saturday 25th. The year has also begun with some good financial news, as the David Hall has been chosen by Tesco in Ilminster and Co-op shops across the region as a recipient of the stores’ community giving schemes. Owned and run by Petherton Arts Trust, which is a charity, the venue is renowned for its folk, blues and acoustic music gigs, plus theatre and film; and, more recently, entertainment for children. “As a charity, we are grateful for any funds given to the David Hall,” says the administrator Emma Westerman. GP-W Tel. 01308 423031 Marshwood+ January 2020 75