FESTIVAL COMMEMORATION: 65TH ANNIVERSARY of the NORMANDY LANDINGS, LIBERATION and D-DAY on 6 JUNE 2009
.. Week 6 in Detail plus Special Features.
Supporting Project 65 has been created to honour the memory of the men of the Coup de Main force that captured the bridges on the Caen Canal and River Orne on D-Day 65 years ago.
www.project65.net
A former Chatham, Kent boy Barry Tappenden is featured in Bedfordshire on Sunday: 5 April issue
Run in the footsteps of our D-Day heroes
Town Crier is facing the challenge of a lifetime as he gears up to run 65 miles for a veteran’s charity. Click HERE for the full story in the Week 6 Features page.
Saturday 6 June
Festival Church of St Peter de Merton with St Cuthbert, Bedford
Biggleswade Sea Cadet Band plays the Festival in town in the morning and outside St Peter's at lunchtime - FREE!
2 pm A Tribute to Alfred Deller presented by
David Allsopp ~ Counter Tenor, former King’s College Cambridge Choral Scholar and Westminster Cathedral Lay Clerk £5.00*
This is the Festival’s tribute to the Kent beaches from where so many small boats and larger vessels set out to cross the Straits of Dover many times to bring ‘the boys’ back to the UK as German troops chased them across Europe, they stranded on the Normandy beaches with only water ahead of them. Alfred Deller 1912—1979 was born and educated at Margate, Kent and did much to have the counter tenor voice recognised as something very special. David Allsopp was a chorister at Rochester Cathedral and went on to join the Choir of King’s College, Cambridge after which he spent three years in Westminster Cathedral Choir, moving on last summer to pursue a freelance career as a soloist and consort singer. Previous solo appearances have included many performances of works of Bach and Handel, both in England and abroad, although he also performs more modern repertoire. Forthcoming engagements include a return to Maulbronn, Germany in September for Handel’s Israel in Egypt. www.davidallsopp.com
4 pm Amity Singers from Jersey to include a Jersey Cream Tea £10.00*
The Amity Singers of Jersey, was founded in 1973 by John Farnon, mainly to sing music from the Renaissance. After 36 years, the repertoire has broadened and includes folk songs, Negro Spirituals, and a lot of 20th century religious and secular music. The choir also sings popular jazz and blues numbers from the big band era and has been praised for its ability to move comfortably from one musical style to another and often in different languages. They have regularly visited France during the summer months to sing in some of Brittany and Normandy’s beautiful churches and in 2003, to celebrate their 30th anniversary, they visited Prague, and were delighted to be able to sing with the Prague Singers who were the worthy winners of Jersey’s International Choir Festival in 2002. Elizabeth Farnon became MD on her retirement from Beaulieu Convent. . . John, now, just sings!
7.30 pm “Summer is icumen in”
Concord Singers- from Bedford £10.00*
Concord Singers celebrate their 30th anniversary in 2009 as a well established professional standard choir based in Bedford. With their Music Director, Mary Lock, they sing for pleasure and to raise money for charity encompassing a wide repertoire and joining with other local choirs for major works in Bedfordshire. The Festival Team is delighted to have Concord not only performing today but also as co-hosting and acting as musical liaison with Amity Singers and the Festival Organiser for this special day. www.concordsingers.org.uk
Day Pass £18.00 A saving of £8 on three wonderful international professional concerts.
Sunday 7 June ~ Elstow Abbey
10 am Communion
The AMITY SINGERS from Jersey join Elstow Abbey
Monday 8 June at 2.15 pm FREE
Bedford Central Library ~ GOOD AFTERNOON
ANDY COLLIER: musician & canals historian
~ CANALS & WATERWAYS ~
www.musicalandy.com
* TICKETS FROM BEDFORD CENTRAL BOX OFFICE 01234 269519
* ONLINE www.bedfordcornexchange.co.uk/events/whats-on 
Bedford Jersey Arts festival
1 May – 5 July 2009 in Bedfordshire UK
Celebrating 70 years of friendship 1939—2009
“Victoria College, Jersey children evacuated to Bedford School during the Nazi Occupation of Jersey in WWII”
site under construction
visit often-watch the site develop
This website is an ongoing project started in late January 2009.