History
		The Festival Today
		Membership Information

The story of the Petersfield Musical Festival begins in 1897 when sisters Edith and Rosalind Craig Sellar, from Compton in West Sussex, visited the Kendal Festival of Music. They were so impressed by the enthusiasm and spirit of the Festival at which local choirs came together to perform and compete, that they decided to start a similar annual event in Petersfield. In 1901 the first annual Petersfield Musical Festival took place and the Festival celebrated its centenary in 2001.

Many eminent composers and musicians have been associated with the Festival over the years. The list includes Vaughan Williams, Gustav Holst, Sir Adrian Boult (who conducted the Festival for 25 years), Sir Malcolm Sargent, Vernon Handley, Evelyn Barbirolli, Isobel Ballie, Nina Milkina, Denis Brain, Julian Bream and Lesley Garrett. Recent conductors have included Mark Deller, William Llewellyn, Jonathan Willcocks and Nicholas Wilks.

The Festival was competitive for many years, but in 1975 competitions ceased and programmes based around major works from the choral repertoire were arranged, these being more in keeping with the expectations of the time.

Young people have increasingly been important to the Festival and there are now two evenings completely devoted to music performed (and sometimes composed) by local youth.

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The Petersfield Musical Festival runs for a week in March to format that has proved popular and successful. The first and final Saturdays see the Festival chorus joined by a professional orchestra to perform major choral and orchestral works. A Festival Service is held on the Sunday and the Youth concerts are on the Monday and Wednesday. Since 1984, the Petersfield Orchestra has given one of its series of concerts in the Thursday slot and this concert normally includes a concerto. The Friday evening is given over to a variety of events, often of a celebrity nature including concerts by The London Brass Virtuosi, The National Youth Jazz Orchestra, The Charleston Chasers, Swingle Singers and Clare Teale.

In 2005, two new Festival conductors shared the choral programme.  John Bawden who presided over the Rossini "Petite Messe Solennelle" and Paul Spicer who conducted the Bach "St John Passion".  Paul Spicer, who is perhaps best known as the conductor of the Finzi Singers with whom he has made 15 recordings, has accepted an invitation to conduct the choral concerts for the 100th Festival in 2006

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Membership Information

  If you would like to sing in the Festival there are two possible routes:


1. To join one of the choral societies making up the Festival Chorus (the areas covered include Alton, Denmead, Fernhurst, Froxfield, Petersfield and Rogate)
2. To become an "individual singing member"

For information on either route please contact the choir secretary:
Sally Maybury Tel 01730 821541 email sad@maybury.fsnet.co.uk

If you would like to become a Friend of the Petersfield Musical Festival and receive priority booking, news of future events and the chance to meet conductor and soloists, contact:
Laurie Redstone 01730 260952 email: laurie.redstone@ntlworld.com

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