Haydn festival hits all the right notes
Organisers of a classical music festival in a Shropshire market town have hailed this year's event as the best in its 30-year history.
Despite Franz Joseph Haydn (1732 – 1809) having never visited Shropshire, for three decades, an annual festival honouring the Austrian composer has been held in Bridgnorth.
The 29th Haydn Festival, which took place last week (June 6-10) has seen some of the country's leading classical performers descend on the town.
Hundreds of people flocked to Bridgnorth for the various concerts celebrating the life and work of the Austrian virtuoso.
Among the classical artists making an appearance was, Jennifer Pike (MBE), who arrived on Friday for her concert at St Mary's Church on Saturday.
The renowned violinist started playing at the age of five. Since also won the BBC Young Musician of the Year Award.
The 33-year-old was performing with the English Haydn Orchestra at St Mary's Church on Saturday.
Also at the festival was the Valencia Baryton Project, which showcased favoured string instrument, the baryton, at the festival for the first time.
Organiser of the Haydn Festival, Mike Proudman, said this year's event had been the best yet in the three decades they had been putting on the festival in Bridgnorth.
He said: "Everybody said it was the best yet in our 30 years of putting on the festival, although this was only the 29th due to missing a year because of Covid, but people really enjoyed the music, which has been amazing."
He added that the festival saw 1,500 people flock to Bridgnorth over the last week to see the various concerts and recitals.
"This year we were very lucky to get Jennifer Pike who played Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto and she was sensational, but then this is somebody who played before Prince Charles when she was just 13."
He added that preparations were now underway for the 30th Haydn Festival set to take part in the town next summer.
"I think for the 30th festival we have to do something on Haydn's Creation. This is is the piece of music that he was inspired to write about the creation of the universe when he visited Herschel's newly constructed telescope in Slough in the 1790s."
