THE ENGLISH MUSIC FESTIVAL IS DELIGHTED TO ANNOUNCE that it is playing its part in restarting
music-making in the UK, and that our Autumn Festival will be going ahead this year. We have
been very aware of the plight of musicians in this country, so many of whom have lost so much
work and, therefore, income since concerts stopped in March, and we have been deeply
concerned about the future of concerts and live music in the wake of the lockdown. We are
therefore doing what we can to rectify matters by arranging events, starting with an Autumn
Festival at St Mary’s Church in Horsham, Sussex, which has been designated a COVID-secure
venue.
Our Festival opens with a recital given by violinist Rupert Marshall-Luck and pianist Duncan
Honeybourne. Both musicians have been acclaimed world-wide for their concert performances
and recordings, Marshall-Luck’s performances having been praised as “perfect in intonation,
phrasing, rich and luscious violin tone – in fact, everything”; while Honeybourne’s playing has
been commended for its “suave confidence” and its “terrific intensity and touches of panache”.
Their recital for the Autumn EMF includes Elgar’s Violin Sonata, composed in 1919 just a few
miles from the concert venue.
Duncan Honeybourne enjoys a colourful and diverse career as a pianist and in music education.
Reviews have commended his “glittering performances” and “suave confidence”, “terrific intensity
and touches of panache”, and “intellectual and physical stamina”. His recital for the Autumn EMF
explores works and composers with strong connections to Sussex and thus forms a perfect
complement to the setting of St Mary’s Church.
Emma Halnan has performed at major venues worldwide. She has performed live on BBC Radio
3’s “In Tune” on multiple occasions, as well as being broadcast on BBC Radio 2’s “Friday Night is
Music Night” as soloist with the BBC Concert Orchestra. She works regularly with harpist
Heather Wrighton and together they have appeared at venues including Wigmore Hall and St.
James’s Piccadilly as well as at the Norfolk & Norwich Festival. Their recital for the Autumn
EMF includes Vaughan Williams’s well-loved “Fantasia on Greensleeves” alongside a number of
scintillatingly colourful works by contemporary composers.
The early music ensemble Ensemble Hesperi has been acclaimed nationally for its performances,
with reviewers stating “The rapport between these players was obvious, as was their infectious
enjoyment in the music”, and praising their “virtuosic and delightful playing”. Their concert for
the Autumn EMF is a fascinating exploration of London’s musical life in the seventeenth century,
with intriguing figures such as Godfrey Finger and Johann Christoph Pepusch appearing alongside
such well-known composers as George Frederick Handel and Francesco Geminiani.
ENGLISH MUSIC FESTIVAL RETURNS TO LIVE MUSICMAKING IN AUTUMN FESTIVAL IN HORSHAM.
