FROM SHADOWS TO LIGHT: MUSICAL JOURNEYS IN CONFLICT & PEACE
PERFORMANCES AND EVENTS 2025
Box Office opens Thursday 8 May
EVENT 1
NEW VIRTUOSI!: BROMPTON STRING QUARTET
Saturday 7 June, 2.00pm – 3.00pm
Tickets: £5 - £15
Joseph Haydn, Peter Fribbins, Ludwig van Beethoven
EVENT 2
FROM SHADOWS HOPE SHALL RISE –
THE MUSIC OF REFLECTION AND RENEWAL
Saturday 7 June, 5.00pm - 7.20pm
Tickets: £5 - £20
Marking the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, this special concert brings together outstanding local musicians to reflect on themes of remembrance and hope.
Hertfordshire Festival Community Concert Band
Chris McGinity
Hertford Chamber Choir
Manvinder Rattan
EVENT 3
PENTECOST FESTIVAL SERVICE: MUSIC FOR CHOIR, HANDBELLS, AND ORGAN
Sunday 8 June, 10.00am - 11.20am
Free Admission
Celebrate Pentecost in a special festival service led by the Reverend Simon Cutmore at All Saints’ Church, Hertford. The Choir of All Saints’, directed by Martin Penny, will present a selection of specially chosen works, including Cecilia McDowall’s Celestial Fire. Tower bells will ring before the service, followed by organ solos, hymns, handbells, and choral performances.
EVENT 4
GUIDED WARTIME HISTORY TOUR OF HERTFORD
Sunday 8 June, 2.00pm – 3.00pm
Tickets: £5
Step back in time with a guided tour uncovering Hertford’s wartime history. Explore key sites and hear stories of resilience and adaptation during times of conflict. Period costumes are optional for those who’d like to add a historical touch.
VENUE TO BE CONFIRMED
EVENT 5
SOUNDBITES: SARAH-JANE BRADLEY AND JAMES FRANCIS BROWN IN RECITAL
Wednesday 11 June, 1.00pm to 1.55pm
Free Admission
Sarah-Jane Bradley - viola
James Francis Brown - piano
ROBERT SCHUMANN
JAMES FRANCIS BROWN
LLOYD MOORE
JOHANNES BRAHMS
EVENT 6
SONGS OF FRIENDSHIP AND ADVENTURE - MAKING MUSIC TOGETHER ACROSS GENERATIONS
Thursday12 June, 3.30pm - 4.30pm
This special event marks the culmination of an educational music project designed for local primary school students, aligning with the festival theme, Shadows to Light: Musical Journeys in Conflict and Peace. Commemorating 80 years since the end of World War II, the project connects young participants with older generations through music and storytelling.
VENUE TO BE CONFIRMED
EVENT 7
ILLUSTRATED TALK – HERTFORD DURING THE WAR: THE EVACUEE STORY I
Thursday 12 June, 5.00pm to 6.00pm
Tickets: £5
An opportunity for grandparents, grandchildren, and everyone in between to explore Hertford’s wartime history through the experiences of evacuees. This illustrated talk brings personal stories to life, reflecting on feelings of displacement and disorientation, while highlighting how music has offered comfort and a sense of belonging in times of upheaval.
VENUE TO BE CONFIRMED
EVENT 8
THE EVACUEE STORY II – A 1940s JAZZ CELEBRATION
Friday 13 June, 7.00pm - 8.15pm
Tickets: £5 - £15
Audiences will be transported by timeless classics, including: There’ll Be Bluebirds Over The White Cliffs of Dover, I’ll Be Seeing You, Tuxedo Junction, Stardust, and more.
Chris Eldred Trio Chris Eldred (piano) Jess Radcliffe (vocals) Loz Garratt (bass)
EVENT 9
THE LANDSCAPE OF THE WANDERER: THREE PICTURES BY PAUL NASH
Saturday 14 June, 10.30am - 12.00pm
Tickets: £5 - £12.50
Art historian Barry Dodge and composer James Francis Brown examine the life and legacy of wartime artist Paul Nash.
EVENT 10
RELAXED REHEARSAL WITH HERTFORDSHIRE FESTIVAL STRING ORCHESTRA
Saturday 14 June, 2:00pm - 2:45pm
FREE EVENT
Christopher Braime – conductor
Families with very young children, and people who may not ordinarily be able to observe the traditional ‘silence’ when attending live music events, are welcomed to watch and hear a professional orchestra at work. Noise may be made!
EVENT 11
FESTIVAL FINALE: ORCHESTRAL CONCERT – FROM SHADOWS TO LIGHT
Saturday 14 June, 7.30pm - 9.00pm
Tickets: £5 - £20
The Hertfordshire Festival String Orchestra
Conductor: Christopher Braime
Tenor: Guy Elliott
Solo horn: Chloe Harrison
MUSIC BY:
EDWARD ELGAR
BENJAMIN BRITTEN
GUSTAV HOLST
RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS
FRANK BRIDGE
THROUGHOUT THE FESTIVAL
MUSIC IN MIND – LIVING WITH DEMENTIA
During the Festival period, specially trained musicians share the gift of music with selected care homes throughout the county of Hertfordshire via interactive online sessions for people living with dementia, including their carers and families. For those living with the condition, participating in music can bring not only an improvement in symptoms, but a sense of joy and elation for those taking part.
In collaboration with Sing from the Heart