Florence Fest is a one-day music festival performed in the beautiful village setting of St Peter’s Church in Limpsfield, Surrey. There are two concerts: an 11am Family Concert and a 5pm Festival Concert – inspired by the rich musical history of St Peter’s and the musicians connected to it. Click on the Eventbrite link below for ticket sales.
The festival concert at 5pm will open with a new arrangement by George Morton of Delius’ Intermezzo and Serenade from Hassan (for flute, flugel, cello and harp).
There will be a first performance of a new song cycle by Robert Peate, inspired both by the music of Delius and the bells of St Peter’s. This has been commissioned by Limpsfield Church in collaboration with Olivia Jageurs, and made possible through the generous support of The Delius Trust.
There will be music often played by Beatrice Harrison who is buried at St Peter’s church: Elgar’s Salut d’Amour and ‘Danny Boy’, played by Abigail Hyde-Smith. Tenor Mark Padmore will perform two ‘Songs from the Norwegian’ by Delius, and a new song by Tom Hickox, son of Richard Hickox who made so many recordings of Delius’ music.
Graham Dixon will play Eric Fenby’s arrangement of ‘Cuckoo’, and Mezzo Marta Fontanals-Simmons will sing forgotten songs by a contemporary of Delius, Sussex-based Florence Alyward (1862 – 1950). The concert will close with Vaughan Williams’ Two Vocal Duets.
PROGRAMME:
Serenade from Hassan – Delius
Salut d’Amou – Elgar
Touch Her Soft Lips and Par – Walton
Arabesque – York Bowen
Suo Gan – Gavin Higgins
Love’s Coronation – Florence Aylward
In This Quiet Hour – Florence Aylward
Second Lute Song – Britten
King David – Howells
It was a Lover & His Lass – Vaughan Williams
On Hearing the first Cuckoo in Spring (organ solo) – Delius
Slumber Song – Delius
The Nightingale – Delius
PLAY GRAMOPHONE
Danny Boy (cello solo) – Trad.
5 Fairy Songs – Rob Peate
The Doydon Kestre – Tom Hickox
The Love Song of the Birds – Vaughan Williams
The Last Invocation – Vaughan Williams
Mark Padmore, Tenor
Marta Fontanals-Simmons, Mezzo
Imogen Whitehead, Flugel/ trumpet
Abigail Hyde-Smith, Cello
Chloe Vincent, Flute
Graham Dixon, Organ
Olivia Jageurs, Harp
Freddie Brown, Piano
Did you know that some of the most important musicians of the twentieth century are buried at St Peter’s? Composer Frederick Delius, founder of the London Philharmonic Orchestra Sir Thomas Beecham, and the cellist Beatrice Harrison can all be found in the churchyard.
All ticket sales and donations will benefit Kent-based baby loss charity Abigail’s Footsteps, which provides bereavement care and support. Admission: £20. For ticket sales, visit Eventbrite: