Locals
turn out for best Prescot Festival yet
(July 2008)
Last month’s Prescot Festival
was an unprecedented success, its organisers said this week.
The fledgling arts and music
festival was created in 2005 as a way for the historic
Lancashire town to contribute to Liverpool’s ’08 Capital of
Culture celebrations. Beginning as a weekend-long series of
concerts, by this year it ran to 10 days and featured more
top quality artists than ever before.
The final weekend saw a
professional chamber orchestra, the St. Helens Sinfonietta,
in the expansive Catholic Church of Our Lady and St
Joseph’s. On the Saturday, Korean pianist Young-Choon Park
presented audiences with a programme running the gamut from
Scarlatti to Beethoven.
A late-night concert the same
day brought folk singer-songwriter John Smith to the town
for the first time. Ambient lighting transformed the gothic
setting of Prescot’s 17th-century parish church
into an intimate space perfectly suited to Smith’s mellow,
hushed tones.
The same venue was packed out
with an audience of 200 on the Sunday night for the
traditional Proms-style, flag-waving finale, hosted by the
ever-popular Fairey Brass Band.
“It has been our best year
yet,” said Founding Artistic Director Dr Robert Howard, “not
just in terms of numbers, but in terms of the whole
atmosphere. Audiences were on air as they left the
concerts.”
A Prescot’s Got Talent night
attracted a myriad of local performers, including folk
singer and guitarist Rachael Dunn.
“We’ve been amazed to see all
these local artists emerge,” said Dr Howard. “That’s a big
part of what the Festival is all about. We’ve got culture
and talent in this town. It’s something to be proud of, and
it’s time we celebrated it.”
The Prescot Festival Needs You
(June 2008)
As the Fourth Annual Prescot
Festival nears, with a gargantuan programme of music and
arts events, organisers are keen to get the local community
involved.
Singers from all over the
region are invited to join the Festival for a special
performance of Vivaldi’s immortal choral work Gloria, on
Saturday 21st June. Ian Wells, of Liverpool
Cathedral, will be conducting the massed choir. Keen
choristers can download full details from the website,
www.prescotfestival.co.uk, or phone Dave Kernick on 0151 493
9392.
Wednesday 25th June
will see Prescot’s Got Talent, a showcase of music
and variety acts from the local area. If you can sing,
dance, or act a little, and would like to be in the
spotlight, Dave Wycherley is waiting to hear from you on
0151 443 5640.
And if you can’t hit the high
notes, but would like to lend your services as a Friend of
the Festival, come along to the Friends’ Pre-Festival Open
Meeting at Prescot Parish Church Meeting Room on Tuesday 3rd
June, 8.15pm. The Festival is always looking for volunteers
to sell raffle tickets, hand out programmes and help events
to run smoothly.
Visit the official website,
www.prescotfestival.co.uk, for full details of the 2008
line-up. Guest artists include folk singer-songwriter John
Smith, classical pianist Young Choon Park, the West
Lancashire Big Band and chamber orchestra St. Helens
Sinfonietta.
Free
opening weekend for arts festival
(May 2008)
A local arts festival is
offering an entire weekend of free concerts. Visitors to the
Fourth Annual Prescot Festival, which begins this Friday,
will be able to enjoy big bands, choirs, organists and
chamber ensembles – all at no charge.
The Festival opens on Friday
night (7.30pm) at Prescot Parish Church with the West Lancs
Big Band, and continues on Saturday evening (7pm) with
Vivaldi’s immortal choral work Gloria. A choir of up
to 100 singers from all over the region will assemble for
the occasion. It will be followed by Light Classics (8.15pm)
with Dave Nicholas, the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall’s
iconic, famously kilted resident cinema organist.
The programme continues on
Sunday at 4pm with an eclectic and innovative concert of
contemporary chamber music by COMA North West. Then, just
down the road at the Zion Chapel, Kemble Street, an
ecumenical service (6.30pm) will feature music and prayers
from the Taizé community, in France.
“We aim to be accessible and
affordable,” said Founding Artistic Director Dr Robert
Howard, “and having a completely open, free opening weekend
goes a long way towards fulfilling that mandate.”
Later events in the 10-day
Festival will include orchestra St. Helens Sinfonietta,
classical pianist Young-Choon Park and folk
singer-songwriter John Smith.
The full programme can be seen
on the official website: www.prescotfestival.co.uk.
Folk sensation Smith to play
Prescot Festival
(May 2008)
He’s a Devonshire lad, he made
his name in the pubs and clubs of Liverpool, and he’s been
described by folk legend John Renbourn as “the future of
acoustic guitar music”. He is singer-songwriter John Smith,
one of the lead attractions at the Prescot Festival this
June.
Smith has made a big impact on
the Merseyside music scene, releasing his debut album,
The Fox and the Monk, in 2006. More recently, he’s taken
his sound nationwide, supporting cult favourite John Martyn
on tour.
His unashamed romanticism and
warm lyricism, combined with his original style – he often
stops strumming his guitar and turns it into a percussive
instrument – make him unique. NME predicted it was “only a
matter of time before he is enormous”.
The team behind the Prescot
Festival are justifiably excited to have Smith on the
programme.
“This guy’s been compared to
musicians of the stature of Nick Drake,” said Artistic
Director Dr Robert Howard. “He’s been singled out by The
Times for his talent. We have a feeling this concert is
going to be something really exceptional.”
Smith will be playing in the
gothic surroundings of Prescot’s 17th-century
Parish Church of St Mary’s. Organisers felt the architecture
and atmosphere would complement the rich sounds of Smith’s
music.
The concert takes place at
9.30pm on Saturday, 28th June. Tickets are just
£7.50, and are available by phoning Ticketweb on 08444 771
000, or by visiting the official website at
www.prescotfestival.co.uk.
Arts Festival Announces 2008
Line-up
(March 2008)
The Prescot Festival of Music and the
Arts has announced Friday 20th to Sunday 29th
June for its jam-packed 2008 programme.
Local musician Dr Robert Howard, Head of
Music at Deyes High School in Maghull, founded the Festival
in 2005 as a way for Prescot to contribute to Liverpool’s
year as European Capital of Culture.
“We’re a hundred percent behind the
Capital of Culture, and felt strongly that a town with such
a rich history and heritage should be involved,” said
Robert. “We’ve grown from being a weekend-long event in 2005
to 10 days in 2007 and 2008. It’s only been onward and
upward.”
The 2008 Festival will be the busiest and
most diverse yet, with concerts by Korean pianist Young-Choon
Park, Liverpool-based folk singer-songwriter John Smith and
Birkenhead Amateur Operatic Society, among others.
There will also be plenty of
opportunities for locals to get in on the act, with a
cabaret-style Prescot’s Got Talent night, art exhibitions,
dance displays and more.
“As usual, we have a broad mix of local,
regional, national and international artists,” Robert
continued, “and all open to everyone at affordable prices.
It’s going to be another top-quality programme.”
Other scheduled artists include Fairey
Brass Band, St. Helens Sinfonietta and a massed choir from
across the North West singing Vivaldi’s Gloria.
All the latest information is available
at the official website,
www.prescotfestival.co.uk.
NOTES: Dr
Robert Howard is Artistic Director, and can be contacted on
07790 516 167. David Kernick is Assistant Editor, and is
available for media enquiries on 0151 493 9392.
Arts
in Prescot is a non-profit, volunteer-run community
group organising & promoting arts & cultural events
year-round in Prescot & the surrounding area. Prescot
Festival is the focal point of Arts in Prescot’s annual
programme.
