Rye Arts Festival’s 2015 Programme Launched

This year’s 44th annual Rye Arts Festival runs from 11th to 27th September 2014 and offers 60 events covering classical, folk, country, Cajun and Irish music; literary talks and historical walks; theatre & dance; cinema; comedy; fine art, ceramic and photographic exhibitions and a fashion show.
Classical Music highlights include the welcome return of Euphonia Company with a fully-staged production of Mozart’s deservedly popular Don Giovanni on 12th and also on 26th September. All the singers, and the musicians in the full orchestra, are professionals so this is a must-see event. And the set and costumes have been designed and made by the students of Rye Studio School to give this a local dimension.
Sandwiched between the opera performances are many fabulous concerts, including the amazing vocal talents of Stile Antico at Winchelsea Church on Tuesday 22nd and the guitar playing of young maestro Manus Noble on 14th September.
Contemporary music is of the highest quality the quality this year. We are thrilled to have The Rails, the award-winning folk duo on the opening Saturday 12th. And Altan on the following Saturday are an Irish band par excellence. The Mountain Firework Company provides a winning folk/alternative country formula on 17th Sept. And there is much, much more on offer during the fortnight!
The varied literary programme includes Jamie Doward – the senior reporter for The Observer in London. His debut novel, Toxic, starts with the corpse of a banker on the Dungeness beach, brings in the CIA, terrorism, global finance and the (middle eastern) owner of an airport on the Marsh!
This year we have seen the opening of The Kino in Rye and so cinema has been added to the 2015 programme. We will have local film director and artist Dave McKean narrating his The Gospel of Us, which is based on Christ’s passion but is set in Port Talbot. Derek Jarman’s producer James Mackay will show some of the director’s films shot in Super 8.
So if music, theatre, literature, cinema or informing and inspiring speakers float your boat, check out the 60-plus events between 11th and 27th September in Rye and make sure you don’t miss one of the best Arts Festivals in the UK!
The Box Office will be open for personal bookings at Phillips & Stubbs in Cinque Ports St, Rye, from 9.30am to 12.30pm Monday to Saturday – otherwise you can book tickets online from the website. For more information go to www.ryeartsfestival.co.uk.