Penge Music Festival

It was August 2023, a few months after Penge Music began. ​ Jess suddenly said, "I think we should hold a Music Festival".

There was a pause as we digested this startling idea.

"Yes, let's do it!" - and out came the diaries. 

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Our first festival took place in April 2024 and included a children's concert as well as local choirs and instrumentalists. The whole event was fabulous with a tremendous buzz of excitement throughout - and so we decided to hold another festival in 2026!

We established Penge Music Festival to celebrate music in the local community, bring people together, and introduce people to new and wonderful genres they might not have tried before. 

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Our 2024 edition included a tremendous number of musicians, from children just beginning their musical adventure, to seasoned professionals. The five events were as follows:-

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Festival Friday - similar to Open Mondays but grand in scale!

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Children's Concert including three children's choirs and young pianists. The children sang divinely and the pianists performed with confidence and great sensitivity to the music;

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Saturday evening welcomed Zanyar Hesami togther with SOL band. Zanyar performed with astonishing virtuosity on the saz and daf, and SOL sang traditional kurdish songs with sweetness and heartfelt emotion;

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Sunday afternoon brought us the Three Choirs Festival Concert. Three local choirs that performed in very different styles thrilled and inspired us with their range of vocal music;

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The festival was brought to a close with Iona Duncan on the harp. She enchanted us with traditional pieces as well as her own compositions, and also performed duets with Vicky Rockport on flute. 

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