Organisers of this summer’s Deal Music & Arts festival have lined up 50 events over 10 days between July 7-16.
This year the festival will celebrate the 80th birthday of composer David Matthews – artistic director of Deal Festival from 1989 to 2003.
We’re supporting the festival again this year by renewing our corporate sponsorship of the event.
This year’s festival also sees the debut of its new artistic director, composer Luke Styles, who was the first Glyndebourne Young Composer in Residence and the first composer in residence at the Foundling Museum in London since Handel.
Musical pioneer
As part of their national tour, the festival is presenting the National Youth Jazz Orchestra in a tribute to Ray Charles, featuring the Strictly Come Dancing singer Tommy Blaize.
The festival also celebrates Trevor Pinnock with The English Concert. Pinnock is renowned world-wide as a harpsichordist and conductor who pioneered the modern revival of early music performance.
There will be walks, late-night events, a poetry day, an organ crawl and even a DJ with a playlist, while Old Time Sailors, who performed for the festival in 2021, are returning by popular demand.
Witty and stylish adaptation
Walmer Castle will be the venue for Changeling Theatre’s production of Love’s Labour’s Lost. Shakespeare’s play about young love is one of his early comedies and is widely believed to be the prequel to Much Ado about Nothing. With luscious costumes, original music and set in a beautiful location, there will be much to enjoy in this witty and stylish adaptation.
A new Literary Festival, which runs as part of Festival 2023, has been introduced and will be curated by Gavin Esler and Christopher Cook, chairman of the festival’s trustees, in partnership with Deal Book Shop. Speakers will include Philippa Gregory, one of the world’s foremost historical novelists, as well as Polly Toynbee and newspaper columnist Simon Heffer.
Supporting the local community
There’ll be a range of music, theatre and arts, including a core of classical music from leading chamber ensembles, singers and orchestras, featuring composers from the baroque through to the present day.
Mark Scutchings, managing director of Hearbase, said: “Being part of Deal Music & Arts is about supporting an important cultural festival that is part of the community. As a local business we are keen to be able to support the creativity, innovation and the commitment to the community that is at the heart of this event.”
For the full programme of events visit the Deal Music & Arts website here
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