This year’s Cheltenham Festival, from the July 2 to 18, features new and existing works from the Chester and Novello catalogues. Throughout the festival there will be performances of miniatures written to celebrate the Festival's sixtieth anniversary and Michael Berkeley’s tenth as the Festival Director, which will also be his last; John Tavener, Hugh Wood, Brian Elias, and Peter Maxwell Davies are all contributing pieces.
Other highlights include several world premieres: ‘the other side of silence’ by Simon Holt, commissioned by the Nash Ensemble; Brian Elias’ ‘Talisman’ by the National Youth Orchestra Sinfonietta with bass-baritone Paul Putnins; the Schubert Ensemble and soprano Patricia Rozario perform John Tavener's‘Schuon Lieder'; a new work by Stuart MacRae performed by clarinetist Michael Collins; and the world premiere of Richard Blackford’s ‘Rowing in Eden' will be given by soprano Harriet Fraser and pianist William Hancox. /ahref="http:>/html>