Organisers of one of the UK’s most prestigious classical music events, the Cheltenham Music Festival, have announced three new additions to the 2012 bill, in the form of stellar actors Benedict Cumberbatch, Miranda Richardson and Amr Waked.
The festival, which will take place in various locations across Cheltenham from Wednesday 4 to Thursday 15 July 2012, already features an impressive musical line-up including violinist Nigel Kennedy, cellist Steven Isserlis and the renowned Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra – and the latest additions are sure to tempt more than a few more local culture vultures.
First up will be Egyptian actor Amr Waked narrating a tale of a Baghdad romance, Hassan, on Saturday 7 July 2012 at Cheltenham Town Hall. With his reputation in the UK ever-growing on the back of film credits including Syriana alongside George Clooney and more recently Salmon Fishing in the Yemen with Ewan McGregor, organisers are certain he will impress the Cheltenham audience.
Then on Sunday 8 July 2012 at Cheltenham Town Hall, Blackadder's Queenie, or to younger readers, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire’s Rita Skeeter, the BAFTA award-winning actress Miranda Richardson will be taking the stage. She will be hoping to delight the crowd with stories about music written for royal occasions, in a concert that will include music from the likes of Handel, Parry, Elgar and Walton.
And last but by no means least, Benedict Cumberbatch will be reading a handpicked selection of First World War poetry and prose to an audience at Parabola Arts Centre on Thursday 12 July 2012. Best known for recently starring in Steven Spielberg’s box office hit War Horse, Cumberbatch has a long list of accolades to his name, and hopes to captivate the crowd with his exceptional narration accompanied by wartime piano music from Ravel, Debussy and Stravinsky.
Festival director Meurig Bowen said: ‘Music carries with it so many wonderful and moving stories, and it’s great to be able to tell these stories in performance alongside the music.’
Tickets for Amr Waked range from £20 to £25, Miranda Richardson range from £12 to £28, and cost £15 to see Benedict Cumberbatch.
For more information about the festival, line-up and venues, see Cheltenham Music Festival or call 0844 880 8094.
© SoGlos
Thursday 28 June 2012
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