Shakespeare and Windsor
Windsor Festival to celebrate centenary birth of Founder, Yehudi Menuhin
25/07/16 13:45 Filed in: What's On
Annual arts festival celebrations to focus on centenary of the birth of Festival Founder Yehudi Menuhin, The Queen’s 90th Birthday and Shakespeare’s 400th anniversary
Windsor Festival, the highly respected annual arts festival, will be located within and around the grounds of Windsor Castle taking place from 18 September 2016 to 2 October 2016. This year the Festival programme observes three significant anniversaries: The centenary of the birth of Yehudi Menuhin, one of the founding artistic directors of the Festival, The Queen’s 90th Birthday and Shakespeare’s 400th anniversary.
The centenary of the birth of Yehudi Menuhin is marked by three concerts in the Waterloo Chamber featuring violin concertos:
• On Thursday, 22 September in Centenary of Yehudi Menuhin: Mozart, Violinist Tasmin Little is joined by the English Chamber Orchestra in the Waterloo - Chamber, Windsor Castle, where she will play Mozart’s Concerto No. 4 in D major
• On Saturday, 24 September, Centenary of Yehudi Menuhin: The Four Seasons includes Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, Bach’s Concerto for Two Violins, and Vaughan Williams’ The Lark Ascending – all famous works which are central to the violin repertoire. The concert will take place in the Waterloo Chamber, Windsor Castle
• On Tuesday, 27 September, The Philharmonia, Windsor Festival’s Associate Orchestra visit us with the supreme violinist Vadim Repin in Centenary of Yehudi Menuhin: Bruch. The Philharmonia will perform Bruch’s Violin Concerto and Beethoven’s masterpiece, the Pastoral Symphony in the Waterloo Chamber, Windsor Castle.
The Queen’s 90th Birthday has been celebrated widely, but we bring our own tribute to Her Majesty through music:
• A special concert, “Celebrating The Queen’s 90th Birthday” will take place on Monday, 26 September at 19:30 in St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle. The concert is a unique gathering of choirs, all with special links to The Queen, with a popular programme of music inspired by and featured in Her Majesty’s life.
Shakespeare’s 400th anniversary is celebrated in a multitude of ways with discussions and walking tours, as well as through the music inspired by his plays:
• “Shakespeare and Windsor: A 400th Anniversary Walk” will take place on Monday, 19 September at 10:30am starting at the Royal Windsor Information Centre. Accompanied by our expert guides, this walk visits locations in Windsor associated with Shakespeare and his play The Merry Wives of Windsor, a story of marriage, wealth, jealousy and lies, all brought to life with appropriate literary quotations along the way.
• “Romeo and Juliet through Music” will take place on Tuesday, 20 September in St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle at 19:30. The work of William Shakespeare has stimulated composers throughout the last 400 years. In the magnificent surroundings of St George’s Chapel, the exceptionally talented orchestra Orpheus Sinfonia will bring their own abundant enthusiasm and energy to this fabulous programme, featuring some of the foremost examples of his legacy.
Martin Denny, Windsor Festival Director, said: “This year Windsor Festival is particularly special as we have the honour of celebrating the centenary of the birth of Yehudi Menuhin, one of the founding artistic directors of the Festival, and the inspiration behind our International String Competition. In particular, the three centenary concerts, performed by the best violinists in the world, brings a new level of programming to the Festival. I hope that you will find much in the fortnight which attracts and delights you, and I look forward to enjoying these festivities with you.”
For a full list of this year’s programme and to book tickets, please visit: www.windsorfestival.com or follow @WindsorFestival on Twitter.