Malcolm Arnold Festival heads online for two-day digital celebration of composer

The annual Malcolm Arnold Festival returns next weekend with an online two-day celebration of the multi-faceted Northampton composer and his music.

The event is usually held at the town’s Royal & Derngate theatre, however, it is unable to take place there due to Covid-19 restrictions.

Instead, for the first time the festival is heading online and will be free to watch on Saturday, October 17 and Sunday, October 18.

It will be broadcast from Festival Director Paul Harris’ studio using pre-recorded events inter-cut with both live and recorded music and informative introductions and discussions.

It will be launched by Professor Colin Lawson, Director of the Royal College of Music where Malcolm Arnold studied.

Mr Harris, said: “The Malcolm Arnold Festival is one of the eagerly anticipated annual events taking place at the venue which contribute towards the life-blood of arts festivals in the Northamptonshire region.

“Disappointing though it is not to be able to welcome our audiences in person, our online presence is providing a great opportunity to focus on a wealth of smaller chamber pieces every bit as inventive as the composer’s larger works he is perhaps better known for, and to reach out to listeners across the globe, something Sir Malcolm would have relished.

“This year’s theme, ‘A Man of the People’, sums up the essence of Malcolm’s drive.

“He was a consummate communicator and had a deep desire to reach the widest audience possible through his music.”

Among the recital performers recording especially for the event will be flutists Jenny Dyson and Emma Halnan who are featuring in, among other works, Arnold’s Wind Divertimento and his Trio for flute, viola and bassoon.

Peter Fisher will give a violin recital, while Roger Coull will be joined by pianist Lynn Arnold for the Violin Sonata No. 2.

The Amos Miller Brass Quintet will perform Three Shanties and the first Brass Quintet, while pianist Scott Mitchell will be performing selections from the ballet The Three Musketeers.

Classical guitarist Hugh Millington, will be marking the half-century of the Fantasy for Guitar, edited by Julian Bream, who gave the first performance at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in May 1971.

Signing off in style will be a recording of the exuberant Fantasy for Audience and Orchestra, a work commissioned by the BBC for performance at the Last Night of the Proms in 1970.

There will also be a selection of guest discussion spots from Janet Hilton, Ellie Fox and Timothy Bowers.

This year’s roster of guest speakers will include broadcaster and festival regular John Griff, who will be focussing on Malcolm Arnold’s work with film director, David Lean.

Credited with writing more than 100 film scores, this was a particularly fruitful genre for the composer and in 1957 he won an Academy Award for the music to Lean's epic The Bridge on the River Kwai.

Other collaborations with David Lean included The Sound Barrier (1952) and Hobson's Choice (1954).

Next year will see 'Malcolm Arnold 100' – an international celebration for the composer's centenary.

The online festival can be watched at www.malcolm-arnold-festival.livevideostream.co.ukFor more information, visit www.malcolmarnoldsociety.co.uk