Full line-up announced for 2024 Festival

The 2024 Lynn Festival will burst into life on Sunday, July 14 with Foden’s Band at the Alive Corn Exchange and will continue until Saturday, July 27 with classical recitals and concerts, jazz, folk, talks, walks, workshops and exhibitions.Pianist Alim Beisembayev, winner of the Leeds International Piano Competition, will play a programme of music by Chopin, Debussy and Schubert at the Lady Fermoy Memorial Concert on Thursday, July 18 at Lynn Minster.Also highly regarded on international stages is the Czech group, the Skampa Quartet, who play Schubert, Mozart and Brahms at St George’s Guildhall on July 25.

Early Music Day on Saturday, July 20 at St Nicholas’ Chapel features recorder virtuoso Tabea Debus, who plays Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No.4 with the European Union Chamber Orchestra directed by Hans Peter Hofmann, harpsichordist Masumi Yamamoto, whose late night concert is devoted to Bach’s Goldberg Variations, and the day opens with Peterborough Cathedral’s organist Harvey Stansfield. Tabea will also play her own ‘Earworm’ recital at All Saints on Friday, July 19.The free exhibition, Peace to Pop, showcases British art from 1945-1980. Drawings, prints, painting and sculpture will explore the output of artists who were influenced by the remarkable developments of the post-war period. Artists featured include Eduardo Paolozzi and Peter Blake. The exhibition in the Fermoy Gallery runs from Saturday, July 13 to Sunday, August 4. Workshops, films and talks will also be held, offering further insight into the art of the period. The ever-popular coffee concerts at Lynn Town Hall give audiences a chance to hear the rising stars of the classical music scene. This year’s includes the Elmore Quartet, violinist Harry Kneeshaw, pianist Icknas Maknickas, cellist George Cooke, and the Chloé Piano Trio.

The Festival marks the centenary of a number of key events. Bollywood Brass Band (Friday, July 26) celebrate 100 years since the first Bollywood film. Playing the great tunes and compulsively danceable rhythms, they will take audiences on a fascinating journey from Bollywood’s musical beginnings right up to the present day. The band will also be hosting a dance workshop prior to the performance.The BBC Big Band mark the centenary of the premiere of Rhapsody in Blue with an evening honouring the music of George Gershwin (Friday, July 19).Two events shine a light on the remarkable 1924 expedition, when George Mallory and Sandy Irvine attempted to reach the summit of Everest. The Epic of Everest, a film that captured the breath-taking beauty and historical significance of the expedition, is accompanied by the musicians of The Lucky Dog Picturehouse (Tuesday, July 23). Stephen Venables – the first British climber to reach the summit of Everest without supplementary oxygen – will recount his own ascent in the light of the first pioneering attempts, in a Royal Geographical Society lecture (Monday, July 22).An evening of poetry at Ferry Lane Social Club, by TOAST – Norfolk’s biggest regular poetry show, offers a great night out for everyone. In this special event for the Festival, TOAST will feature winner of the Costa Book of the Year Hannah Lowe, plus Sleep Cousin as featured on BBC Introducing, and Lynn’s very own up-and-coming talent, Savannah Andrews. TOAST will also be holding workshops in local schools before the Festival and make an appearance at Festival Too on June 30.

Events for children and young people include workshops alongside the exhibition: Pop It, Print It, Tote It! a workshop exploring printmaking techniques for ages five-plus (Saturday, July 13), and a Pop Art Drop In (Saturday, July 20) with team from The Workshop, where families can create their very own Pop Art Collage. The Lucky Dog Picturehouse present Action! The (Not So) Silent Family Movie show (Tuesday, July 23) where you can expect honky horns and hilarity, with cartoons and comedies from over 100 years ago.A screening of the Japanese anime classic, Your Name (Saturday, July 20) is accompanied by a talk with film expert and anime geek Dan Ramsden who explains how the genre began and what the difference is from any old cartoon.

Folk music fans will be enthralled by a wide range of songs from Eliza Carthy and Martin Carthy (Wednesday, July 17), and the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain (Wednesday, July 24) offer fun for all the family with their all-singing, all-plucking show of new tunes and old classics. Dance lovers are in for a special treat with Roshni, an intimate crafting of Kathak dance and live music with Sonia Sabri Dance Company (Sunday, July 21). Other highlights include a focus on the music of leading British composer James MacMillan with the Contemporary Consort (Monday, July 22), the Mexican guitarist Morgan Szymanski at All Saints Church, films at St George’s Guildhall, and look out for free pop-up events throughout the Festival in unusual spaces and places in Lynn.The Festival will come to a rousing conclusion on Saturday, July 27 with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra performing Elgar’s Cello Concerto with soloist Bartholomew Lafollette and Dvorak’s Symphony No.8.

Tickets for most events during the Festival are 50% off for under 25s, with further discounts for under 18s for a concert with clarinettist Emma Johnson (Tuesday, July 16) and free tickets for under 16s for the Lynn Festival Chorus concert (Sunday, July 21). Tickets are on sale to the public from Monday, May 13 via 01553 764864 (9am-5pm), online at www.kingslynnfestival.org.uk or in person from the Alive Corn Exchange (10am-5pm). Full programme details at www.kingslynnfestival.org.uk

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