Diverse line-up of music and culture (From Stroud News and Journal)

Diverse line-up of music and culture

THE Stroud and District Arts Festival returns this week with a diverse line-up of classical and folk music, film, poetry and theatre.

The Festival opens at Stroud's Farmers Market on Saturday, May 7 with a free concert by Peter Miln and Daniel James of Firebrand, playing fiddle and mandocello, between 11am and 1pm.

It is followed by a concert featuring The Capella Singers and Viva Voce at Holy Trinity Church, by Stroud Hospital, on the same day.

The concert for unaccompanied voices features Brahms, Mendelssohn and the Gloucester Psalms by Mark Blatchly. The concert takes place at 7pm on May 7.

Also on May 7, the first showing of Stroud Before Traffic Lights, a film that explores the town's rich industrial past, is premiered at St Laurence's Church Hall at 7.30pm. Stroud Before Traffic Lights will also be shown on Thursday, May 12.

The Stroud Subscription Rooms plays host to the Sunday, May 8 concert by the Gloucestershire Symphony Orchestra, which will be premiering Christopher Boodle's Concertino for Organ and Small Orchestra, with the composer as soloist.

There will also be music by Haydn and Dvorak. The concert takes place at 7.30pm.

On Wednesday, May 11 internationally renowned pianist Mark Bebbington comes to Christ Church, Nailsworth at 7.30pm to play an exquisite solo concert featuring music by Schubert, Chopin and Liszt.

The same night, and also at 7.30pm, fine local poet Sheila Simmonds reads from her latest book of poems, The Receding Corridor, at Stroud Library.

She will be accompanied by cellist John Sadler, who has either composed or specially chosen the music.

More information, and tickets for all the events, is available from the Stroud tourist information office. The Festival runs until Sunday, May 15.