Arts festival swings into action (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Arts festival swings into action

THE 56th Stroud and District Arts Festival begins on May 10 and runs until May 19.

The opening event is choral evensong in St Laurence's Parish Church, sung by local choirs, followed the next day by a tenor and organ recital from Christopher Boodle and Michael Power.

The Subscription rooms will host an exciting concert given by the string section of the Orchestra of St John's, with tenor Mark Tucker, and an evening of English rural music and song of Thomas Hardy's time, given by the Mellstock Band, which will also be performing at Archway School.

The Space in Lansdown will see a return of Gabriel Woolf who read from the works of Dylan Thomas two years ago. He will also take up the Hardy theme, reading his poetry and prose.

Further afield, local choir Il Piccolo Coro will sing music for the two Queen Elizabeths at Minchinhampton Parish Church and the Emerald Quartet will give an afternoon concert at Wycliffe Junior School's Studio Theatre, where Rosamund Shelley will also perform The Classics of Cabaret.

Back in Stroud, former BBC Young Musician of the Year and renowned concert pianist Anna Markland will be giving a recital at St Laurence's Parish Church.

Throughout the week local artist Ian Shearman will exhibit his paintings in the George Room at the Subscription Rooms and the Stroud Choral Society will be giving its May concert which happens to coincide with the Festival.

Six local poets will read their work at Stroud Library and the winners of a poetry competition for young people in the Stroud area will be invited to read their work at 12 The Hill, Merrywalks - the revival of an old tradition.

The last event, long after the official end of the Festival, takes place on June 30 at the Leisure Centre when the Stroud Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Jonathan Trim, will perform works by Wagner, Tchaikovsky and Berlioz, with pianist Samantha Newbold, a former Gloucestershire Young Musician of the Year.

Tickets from the Stroud Tourist Information Centre at the Subscription Rooms, from the box office on 01453 765199 or e-mail on stroud.tic@dial.pipex.com