News from Cheltenham Music Festival
Acting stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Miranda Richardson and Amr Waked announced for Cheltenham Music Festival
Benedict Cumberbatch, Miranda Richardson and Egyptian film star Amr Waked have today been announced as the latest additions to the Cheltenham Music Festival line-up. These stellar actors will perform in three separate performances which combine music with words this July.
Festival Director Meurig Bowen has always been keen to combine words and music throughout the Festival programme…
‘'Music carries with it so many wonderful and moving stories, and it's great to be able to tell these stories in performance alongside the music. It's really exciting to know now that these three superb, and very different actors will be appearing in the Music Festival.'’
Cheltenham Music Festival runs from 4-15 July 2012. Tickets for all events, including those listed below, are available now from cheltenhamfestivals.com / 0844 880 8094
BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH READS WAR POETRY
A success on both stage and screen, award-winning British actor Benedict Cumberbatch’s CV includes an Olivier Award winning performance in Danny Boyle’s theatrical production of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, a starring role in Steven Spielberg’s film version of Michael Morpurgo’s War Horse and a captivating portrayal of Sherlock Holmes in the popular TV adaptation of Conan Doyle’s seminal works. In a Music Festival performance of WW1 Piano and Poetry, that also includes wartime music written for one and two pianos by Ravel, Debussy and Stravinsky, he will be reading a personally chosen selection of poetry and prose from the First World War period.
Event Details: WW1 Piano and Poetry / 7pm, Thursday 12 July / Parabola Arts Centre / Tickets £15
This event forms part of Time Capsule: 1914-18, a series of concerts and talks exploring this turning-point period of history.
MIRANDA RICHARDSON NARRATES THE STORY OF ROYAL MUSIC
Perhaps best known for her comedic roles as petulant Queenie in the BBC’s sitcom Blackadder and devious journalist Rita Skeeter in the film adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Miranda Richardson has had a long and illustrious career, winning two Golden Globes and a BAFTA along the way. We’re thrilled that she will be joining us to tell the story of music written for royal occasions, in a concert that includes music by Handel, Parry, Elgar and Walton. It also includes music by royalty itself - Henry VIII and Prince Albert. Performers include the Cheltenham Bach Choir, Schola Cantorum of Tewkesbury Abbey and the Flowers Brass Band.
Event Details: Royal Music Treasures for the Diamond Jubilee / 6pm, Sunday 8 July / Cheltenham Town Hall / Tickets £12 - £28
AMR WAKED TELLS A TALE OF BAGHDAD ROMANCE
An Egyptian actor with a growing reputation in the UK, Amr Waked’s film credits include the 2005 geopolitical thriller Syriana, alongside George Clooney, and the recent British hit Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, which also starred Ewan McGregor and Kristin Scott Thomas. At the Music Festival he will be narrating the story of the play Hassan - a colourful tale set in ancient Baghdad, and written a century ago by James Elroy Flecker, the son of Dean Close School's first Headmaster. Waked's narration will combine with music written for the first London production in 1923 by Frederick Delius.
Event Details: Hassan / 8pm. Saturday 7 July / Cheltenham Town Hall / Tickets £20 - £25
- Event: Cheltenham Music Festival 2012
- Date: 4 - 15 July 2012
- Where: Venues throughout Cheltenham
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23 June 2012
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