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The West Dorset Magazine, May 6, 2022
Culture Burton Bradstock is set to celebrate its 40th Music and Arts Festival this summer. An initial spring concert on Friday, May 20, including music by a Ukrainian composer, will see the return of the popular festival, which was last held in 2019. Artistic director David Juritz has put together a special programme of music including work by Ukrainian Valentin Silvestrov, in honour of his countrymen and women who are suffering during the war with Russia. During the main three-day festival in August audiences will hear the string quartet by the “father of Ukrainian music”, Mykola Lysenko. This year’s festival will be particularly poignant as its founder, distinguished flautist Mary Ryan, died in April. The spring concert will see David, violin, joined by Anna Hashimoto, clarinet, and David Gordon, piano. The main festival takes place from August 17-19 and the art festival will run in the Village Hall from August 16-21. Chairman Jenny Malyon said: “What a delight to be able to say that we are
FESTIVAL DATES: Clarinettist Anna Hashimoto and pianist David Gordon
Ukraine music to launch village’s 40th arts festival going to go ahead with the 40th Burton Bradstock Festival of Music and Art. “The fact we have had a delay just whets our appetite for the joy of hosting again in our village, the prestigious musicians who come to entertain us. As with everything worth waiting for, perhaps the enforced and rather long interval will make us all the more appreciate the second half! “For the spring concert
n Founder Mary Ryan, who died in April 2022, spent much of her childhood in Burton Bradstock. After studies at the Royal College of Music on an open scholarship she was appointed principal flute of the BBC Northern Orchestra in Manchester. She played concertos with both the BBC Northern and the BBC
David Juritz has put a programme together for us that I know we will all enjoy and we will be meeting old friends who always come to listen to the music, both familiar and less so, to revitalise us all after a very difficult couple of years.” David Juritz said: “I will remember festival founder Mary Ryan with enormous affection. Working with her was always a delight with every rehearsal punctuated by her
Scottish orchestras. On her return to London she co-founded the ground-breaking all-female wind group, the Portia Wind Ensemble. Working with composers such as Richard Rodney Bennett and Sir Harrison Birtwistle the Portia commissioned many new works which they premiered on the BBC.
anecdotes and wry observations. My gratitude for the legacy of concerts she leaves is shared by everyone that remembers her.” The spring concert starts at 7.30pm in St Mary’s Church in Burton Bradstock and there will be a bar in the interval run on a donation basis. Tickets are £12/£8/£6 and can be bought through the Bridport TIC. n burtonbradstock festival.com
Throughout a busy career Mary retained her links with Burton Bradstock and, in 1981, she and her husband, Ronald Gillham, organised the first Burton Bradstock Festival. A combination of hospitality and excellent music soon attracted leading musicians to the village and began a tradition that is still thriving.
