The Programme
18th April – 29th May 2010

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Date & Time	Artist and Programme	Venue & Prices
Sunday 18th April 3.00pm	FESTIVAL LAUNCH AND FREE CONCERT The Gilfillan Family Quartet A charming, free Sunday Concert to launch the Festival Daisy (14) - piano, Harry (12) - cello, Tatiana (10) - violin & Natalia (8) - violin, will play a short programme of uplifting music including Bach and Chopin    This exceptionally talented High Weald family ensemble has enchanted audiences in leading concert venues at home and abroad including Cadogan Hall	Trinity Theatre, Church Road, Tunbridge Wells TN1 1JP Tickets: Free entry – donations welcome in aid of the Festival
Friday 7th May 12.30pm	LITERARY LUNCH WITH SANDY GALL CBE Writer & broadcaster Sandy Gall CBE will be our Guest Speaker at our 2010 Festival Literary Lunch, the eighth in the series. An expert analyst and commentator on Afghanistan, as well as the founder of Afghan charities, Sandy will be coming to us fresh from a recent trip to the country.  Guests will be treated to his up-to-date perspectives on this challenging and fascinating land, - the subject of his next book. Sandy Gall was born in Penang & joined Reuters as a foreign correspondent, covering the Suez Crisis, the Hungarian Revolution & the Congo Crisis before joining ITN in 1963.  He was the first ITN journalist to report on the Vietnam War when the US Marines landed in March 1965 and was reporting when Saigon fell and he was forcibly removed by the communist authorities.  During this time he also reported from Cambodia, China, Afghanistan & Africa.  He covered the Six Day War & the Yom Kippur War and in 1972 was famously arrested in Uganda and held for three days in the notorious Makindye police camp.  He was one of the original staff on News at Ten in 1967 and became one of its senior presenters.  He made BAFTA-nominated documentaries during the Soviet war in Afghanistan. In 1986 he established the Sandy Gall’s Afghanistan Appeal (SGAA) which has provided artificial limbs, walking aids and physiotherapy for tens of thousands of people.  In 1987 he was awarded the Lawrence of Arabia Memorial Medal for his work in Afghanistan, presented by HRH the Prince of Wales as Patron of the Royal Society of Asian Affairs. Many of Sandy’s best-selling novels, biographies, non-fiction and travel books are set against the political backgrounds of Africa, Russia and Asia.  He has also covered a variety of topics which reflect the breadth of his career as a foreign correspondent, including the life of George Adamson and his Lions in Kenya.	Hotel du Vin, Crescent Road, Tunbridge Wells TN1 2LY Ticket: £40 Inc. champagne reception, two course lunch with wine, coffee & mints. Tickets from Festival Office, Cottage Farm, Crippenden, Kent TN8 7HJ Tel  01342 851168 Cheques made payable to RTWF Tables seat twelve - please indicate if you would like to make up your own table or be seated with any particular group. Vegetarian option available by request when booking.
Sunday 9th  May 7.30pm	THE AISO QUARTET & FRIENDS  Enescu  Prelude a l’Unisson  Martinu  Three Madrigals for violin & viola  Judith Weir     Bagpiper’s String Trio  Purcell   Fantasia upon one note  Mendelssohn  String Quintet in A Major Op 18 A delightful programme of chamber music inspired by international violinist Ken Aiso with members of the Aiso Quartet & Friends Ken Aiso (Violin) Marcus Barcham-Stevens (Violin) Tom Dunn (Viola) Oliver Wilson (Viola) Robin Michael (Cello)	Trinity Theatre, Church Road, Tunbridge Wells TN1 1JP Tickets: £20/£15 Trinity Box Office 01892 678678  Book Online
Friday 14th May 2pm (timing may change to fit schools’ needs)	CLARINET MASTERCLASS WITH MICHAEL COLLINS Two days before his much anticipated concert with the City of London Sinfonia, one of the world’s most celebrated clarinettists Michael Collins will give a clarinet Masterclass for talented young musicians from local schools.	Trinity Theatre, Church Road, Tunbridge Wells TN1 1JP Tickets: Free entry – donations welcome in aid of the Festival
Sunday 16th May 7.30pm	MICHAEL COLLINS AND THE CITY OF LONDON SINFONIA The Festival’s resident award-winning orchestra, the City of London Sinfonia, will be joined by new Principal Conductor, Michael Collins, one of the world’s finest clarinettists and one of the most engaging of the UK’s new generation of conductors.  Michael will be tonight’s soloist and will also conduct the orchestra.  Together they bring us a programme of magnificent music, including two concertos for clarinet - the first by Gerald Finzi and the second by Aaron Copland, commissioned by Benny Goodman.  Barber  Adagio for Strings  Finzi       Clarinet Concerto  Mozart    Symphony No 29  Copland  Clarinet Concerto Michael Collins is, without question, the most versatile Clarinettist alive today. His dazzling virtuosity and sensitive musicianship has made him a favourite of Conductors, Composers and Audiences throughout the world. Since his success in the first BBC Young Musician of the Year when he was 16, he went on to win several international competitions, including the Leeds Competition for Musicians and the Concert Artists Guild in New York, which led to his Carnegie Hall début, and represented Great Britain at the UNESCO International Rostrum of Young Performers. Michael regularly performed for Her Majesty The Queen, HM Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, and gave a Recital at the request of HRH The Prince of Wales. Michael has performed with the major Symphony Orchestras of the world and has special relationships with many of the world’s leading Chamber Orchestras, in particular CLS.  Michael’s role as soloist has developed into that of director and conductor, which has become a central part of his musical life. Michael is a regular visitor to the world’s leading festivals, appearing regularly at the Cheltenham, Bath Mozart, Aldeburgh, Salzburg, Verbier, San Diego’s Mainly Mozart, and will appear this summer at New York’s Mostly Mozart festival. Since Michael’s first appearance at the BBC Proms, he has returned more times than any other wind soloist including the ‘Last Night’. He was delighted (as was the Orchestra) when, recently, he was appointed Principal Conductor of the City of London Sinfonia.	Trinity Theatre, Church Road, Tunbridge Wells TN1 1JP Tickets: £20 Trinity Box Office 01892 678678  Book Online
Friday 21st May 7.30pm	WELTE ORGAN CONCERT WITH D’ARCY TRINKWON Part of the Salomons Organ Recital Series One of the leading international concert organists of his generation, D’Arcy has been rightly described in the press as “The Nureyev of organists”; his extraordinary pedal technique is famous and he will perform a typically varied, colourful and thrilling programme – including some works specifically to show off the remarkable Welte organ.  The unique Welte organ, built in 1914 and recently restored to its full playing glory is housed in the splendid oak-panelled Victorian Science Theatre – an important and fascinating historic venue.  The setting of this magnificent 36 acre estate is breathtaking; so arrive early to enjoy the views of the rolling parkland and lakes and take refreshments on the terrace.  Why not book in for pre-concert supper?	Salomons Broomhill Road Southborough TN3 0TG Tickets: £15 (Friends of the Welte Organ £7.50) from 01892 507609 or email Salomons
Sunday 23rd May 7.30pm Louis de Bernieres Alison-Stephens Craig Ogden	AN EVENING OF MUSIC AND POETRY Author LOUIS DE BERNIÈRES, ALISON STEPHENS (Mandolin) and CRAIG OGDEN (Guitar) in an exhilarating entertainment of music and poetry. The author of Captain Corelli’s Mandolin joins with the UK’s leading exponent of the classical mandolin and one of the world’s most celebrated guitarists for this charming soiree and unusual celebration of music and poetry. Sponsored by Louis de Bernières won many awards for his first novel, The War of Don Emmanuel’s Nether Parts, published 1990 and has been winning plaudits ever since.  His latest book, Notwithstanding is a charming collection of stories about life in the English village in which he grew up.  The author of Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, which must be on everyone’s favourite book list and became a Hollywood blockbuster, is actually an accomplished  Mandolin player himself – as well as playing the  flute, clarinet and guitar professionally.  However, tonight he performs with the voice, leaving the Mandolin and Guitar to those who are recognised as amongst the world’s finest players. Alison Stephens was the first graduate of mandolin from Trinity College of Music, London.  In addition to concertos and recitals, she is a frequent broadcaster, including presenting her own BBC Radio 4 Show which was nominated for a Sony Award.  Alison regularly plays for all the leading orchestras and ballet and opera companies and in many film scores. Her recording with Craig Ogden of the Music from the Novels of Louis de Bernières was Chandos’ fastest ever selling classical CD. Australian, Craig Ogden is the youngest instrumentalist to have been honoured by the Royal Northern College of Music, where he now teaches, with a Fellowship in recognition of his achievements.  One of the new generation’s most prominent players, BBC Music Magazine dubbed Craig “a worthy successor to Julian Bream”.  Craig’s performances have taken him around the world playing in the top concert halls.  Amongst his many widely-acclaimed recordings, his three solo Rodrigo guitar concertos with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra were described by  as “one of the most winning performances I have encountered” whilst Rodrigo’s daughter wrote “This recording has confirmed your position amongst the greatest guitarists”. Ogden and de Bernières travelled to Spain to make a BBC Radio 3 programme together about Segovia in 2007.	Trinity Theatre, Church Road, Tunbridge Wells TN1 1JP Tickets: £20 Trinity Box Office 01892 678678  Book Online
Saturday 29th May 4.00pm Participants are welcome to arrive anytime after 4pm to enjoy the glorious view of the Kent Weald from the field of the venue	SAGRADO – Space to Listen Cuban opera singer Iliana Machado and Kenichiro Aiso, Japanese concert violinist, offer a soothing experience combining classical music and meditation. Iliana and Ken believe in the power of music to influence the life of the listener. There will be Visualisation (guided meditation) followed by music by Bach, Faure, Schubert, Handel, Bartok and others.  Music will be interspersed with silence.  There will be no applause during the event.  Just listen and explore and connect with the universal energy.  There will be time to talk about the experience after the event. This is what previous Sagrado participants said:    “I was moved to tears by the music and by the performers, who seemed to speak to the audience straight from their hearts.”   “Their music awakened new and unexpected emotions within me.  This was one of the most moving performances I have heard.”   “I found the music and the singing covered me with waves of emotion that I had not expected.”   “The initial meditation and the fact that you are encouraged to listen to Iliana and Ken with your eyes closed allows you to experience their music on a deeper level than is usually the case at a conventional concert.”	Daneby Hall, Fordcomb, Tunbridge Wells TN3 0RP Tickets: £8 if purchased in advance by sending a cheque made payable to M Nicholls to Daneby Hall. £10 on door. Coffee, tea and soft drinks available

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