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The
famous Floating Stage on the River Thames will play host to Dame
Kiri Te Kanawa, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, superb tenor Jos茅
Cura, in his only UK appearance in 2004, and a host of top quality
classical, world and contemporary music, comedy, theatre and visual
art.
The
five-day Festival, packed with stars as diverse as award-winning
young British violinist Chlo毛 Hanslip and ex-Spandau Ballet
man Tony Hadley, is expanding its programming and hours on the Sunday
evening.
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| K.Hazel
Oconnorhoc |
Tickets
allow Festival goers access to a feast of at least six events during
the course of an evening - as well as to perhaps the best selection
of wining and dining available at any English arts festival. Each
evening has an supporting programme of visual arts and street theatre
and reaches its spectacular climax with a fireworks display that
turns the River Thames into a kaleidoscope of colour, light and
sound!
This
year's mix of musical entertainment includes legendary guitarist
John Williams and Friends playing music from Africa, the London
Philharmonic Skiffle Orchestra playing Cajun, Cossack and Country
Blues and jazz from Georgie Fame and Keith 'Mr Hefty Jazz' Smith.
The
Festival's emphasis on new talents sees brilliant New Zealand pianist
Stephen de Pledge playing alongside Chlo毛 Hanslip and a visit
from the violinist Si芒n Phillips. Also taking centre stage
will be I Fagiolini with 'The Full Monte', their strikingly novel
interpretation of Monteverdi madrigals, plus a date with hugely
charismatic a capella sextet The Magnets.
Something
unique to the Henley Festival is the Vienna Vegetable Orchestra,
who will be paying their second visit to this country to entertain
festival-goers with an amazing selection of carrot concertos and
squash symphonies. The 10-strong musical team play on a tasty selection
of seasonal vegetables - which they then cook as part of the performance!
Reduced
Shakespeare Company bring their own popular brand of theatre to
the Festival.
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| Dame
Kiri Te Kanawa |
Visual
arts are on the agenda: sculpture show, Whit and Whimsey, features
new and existing work by leading British sculptors Margaret Lovell,
Marzia Colonna, Stephen Duncan, Ros Newman and others. There is
a free visual art event on Saturday afternoon, which is followed
in the evening with fireworks over the river, accompanied by music,
including the premiere of a new adaptation of Wagner's Ride of the
Valkyries, as well as the finale of Saint-Sa毛n's mighty organ
symphony.
The
Family Fiesta on Sunday entertains with - among others - terrific
Scottish musicians The Peatbog Faeries, streetwise Union Dance and
their particular fusion of capoeira, jazz, street dance and ballet.
The composer Barry Russell and local people will also be presenting
a specially commissioned piece from the Festival's outreach project
for the year VoiceWork. The piece promises to be a 'fantastical
collage of words, voices and electronics'. The presenter for the
Family Fiesta is none other than C成人论坛's Adrian Dickson.
Henley
Festival 2004 runs from 7th to 11th July and tickets go on sale
to the general public from 8th March 2004. For further information
and tickets contact the Festival Box Office on 01491 843404. For
online information visit the website at
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