King's Lynn festival has more to offer this autumn
King’s Lynn Festival has a wide-ranging autumn season of more than a dozen events following its successful July programme.
As well as top-class concerts there will be a topical talk by BBC TV’s Tom Heap who will bring his current campaign, 39 Ways to Save the Planet, to St George’s Guildhall where he will present a Royal Geographical Society lecture on October 22.
The festival is marking its 70th anniversary with a film, A Glorious Festival Town, focussing on Lynn’s wonderful historic buildings which have provided the setting for so many memorable concerts and other events over the years.
The 45-minute film, which will be shown at St George’s Guildhall on October 22 at 2pm, is introduced by historian Dr Paul Richards. The film was funded by the Audrey Stratford Trust and made by Springboard TV based at Lynn’s College of West Anglia.
Music dominates the three-month season, beginning on October 8 with a 11am coffee concert by the Minerva Piano Trio at Lynn Town Hall.
King’s Lynn Festival Chorus, in partnership with Lynn Festival, will be at St Nicholas’ Chapel on October 16 to stage a concert, entitled IKON, under the baton of their new music director, Ben Horden. The programme will include works by Karl Jenkins, Tavener and Tippett.
The Joe Stilgoe Trio, led by the renowned singer-pianist, returns to St George’s Guildhall stage on October 23, and the following weekend, on October 31, the Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band will no doubt get a warm welcome back for another display of their superb musicianship at the Corn Exchange.
Blazin’ Fiddles, the Scottish folk group which has become a favourite with West Norfolk audiences and attracts more fans from further afield, will be back on November 20 – this time in the spacious St Nicholas’ Chapel.
Baritone Benson Wilson, a recent winner of the prestigious Kathleen Ferrier award, will feature in a coffee concert with Lucy Colquhoun (piano) at Lynn Town Hall on November 6.
There will be a composers’ workshop, led by Michael Finnissey with the Hill Quartet at All Saints Church at 3pm on November 7, followed at 6pm by the quartet playing works by Mozart and Beethoven.
The final coffee concert of the autumn season at the Town Hall will feature Meera Maharaj (flute) and Dominic Degavino (piano) on December 4.
Artist Alison Dunhill was inspired by the quiet and calm of the West Norfolk landscape in lockdown and that is reflected in her latest collection of paintings which will be on show in the Fermoy Gallery on October 1-15 from 11am-4pm.
West Norfolk Artists Association will stage their autumn exhibition – featuring a wide variety of works - in the Fermoy Gallery on November 27-December 11.
Festival chairman Alison Croose said: “Audiences much enjoyed the festival events staged in July and we hope the wide variety and top quality of our autumn season will also be well-supported.”
Tickets for all events are available at the Corn Exchange box office, King’s Lynn, on 01553-764864.
