The purrrfect start to the Jazz Festival

HSBC Cheltenham Jazz Festival has started in the purrrfect style with two sell-out performances from legendary diva Eartha Kitt at the Pittville Pump Room, and a star-studded evening of entertainment with Van Morrison at the Centaur.

Eartha Kitt held the audience enthralled as she sang, growled and flirted her way around the Pump Room stage. With her unique sultry style and impeccable comic timing Eartha's performance offered an unbeatable start to the festival and a step by step guide to the purrrfect cabaret performance.

The festival continued in sensational style last night as Van Morrison played to a crowded arena of 2000 jazz fans. In a mesmerising mix of old classics and new jazz sounds Van's performance offered the very best of this iconic artist.

This is just the start of this year's incredible line-up with performances from Jools Holland's leading lady Ruby Turner, unique c ...read the rest of this entry

01-05-2008

Jazz Festival hits iTunes!

The HSBC Cheltenham Jazz Festival 2008 is proud to announce that we are now live on iTunes! By simply logging on to the iTunes Music Store and entering the 'Jazz' section, you will be whisked away to the HSBC Cheltenham Jazz Festival 2008's section featuring singles and albums of this year’s artists.

This offers the perfect opportunity to sample the finest Jazz sounds before hearing them live in Cheltenham. Everything from Eartha Kitt's Purrfect Collection to Mr Scruff's Keep It Unreal can be purchased right now or previewed to get a teaser of the delights that are yet to come!

With a massive pool of MP3s and thousands upon thousands of downloads daily, iTunes really will help get the word and sound out about this year's HSBC Cheltenham Jazz Festival.

23-04-2008

The Times Cheltenham Literature Festival - Sponsorship Launch

We had our very first look at what may be in store at this year's Literature Festival at our sponsorship launch on Tuesday.

Festival Director Sarah Smyth introduced a programme which will this year explore the theme of family - how does the family shape who we are, how we see the world, how we live, how we read and how we write? She also hinted at some of this year's headlining acts who will be lead by Guest Directors Kate Adie and Ian Rankin.

Just a few of the names we hope to welcome in October include Sir Roger Moore, Patrick Stewart and Rick Stein. All names are very much still to be confirmed - but it looks like it will be the biggest festival yet. Full programme and booking will be available in early August so keep checking here for the latest news.

18-04-2008

Jazz Festival artist of the week - The Heritage Orchestra with Bonobo

The almighty 45-piece Heritage Orchestra is developing into one of the most exciting and radical young orchestras in the UK. Their unique approach, integrating the rules of jazz, electronica, DJ culture and contemporary-classical, has hit a nerve with a wide-ranging audience. During the summer of 2004, in the heart of London's East End, the Heritage Orchestra introduced itself to an unsuspecting crowd of revellers drawn in by the unlikely prospect of a full orchestra playing in a club. From thereon, the ensemble has developed its unique style and thrives on its appreciation of all types of music. If it's traditional classical orchestra repertoire you're after, then please look away, as the Heritage insist on cross-genre programming to keep your feet tapping from the very start.

Famous for collaborating with a selection of top-flight musicians, the Heritage make their first ...read the rest of this entry

16-04-2008

An invitation to sing in Carmina Burana

There are many exciting prospects ahead in the 2008 Cheltenham Music Festival - and one of the most exciting takes place on Sunday 6 July, in Cheltenham Town Hall.

The first half features Percy Grainger's The Warriors and Steve Reich's Sextet. In the second half, our newly-formed Festival Chorus will perform Carmina Burana - in Carl Orff's own version for two pianos and percussion, featuring soloists Ailish Tynan, Dan Norman, Alan Opie and conducted by Gareth Hancock.

The Festival Chorus, we hope, will include you!

We have already invited many singers from choirs around the county, but would like to open membership of this new Festival Chorus to those of you who are not currently in a choir! Perhaps you used to be, or perhaps would like to be, but just don't have the time for a more sustained commitment.

We just ask that you can attend the three prior rehearsals on Sunday 22 (6-9 pm) and Sunday 29 June (6.30-9.30 pm) at St Andrew's Church, M ...read the rest of this entry

16-04-2008

Jazz Festival artist of the week - Soweto Kinch

Saxophonist Soweto Kinch is one of the most exciting and versatile young musicians to hit the British Jazz Scene in recent years, combining straight-ahead jazz with funky hip-hop and rap vocals.

Moving to Birmingham, aged 9, Soweto became passionate about jazz and the city has played a crucial role in his unique identity, cultivating his interest in the jazz tradition alongside a passion for Hip Hop Culture. Essentially a self-taught musician he attracted the attention of important Jazz luminaries Gary Crosby and Courtney Pine and went on to win the inaugural White Foundation International Saxophone Competition at Montreux Jazz Festival.

A Life In The Day of B19 is a two part tale which follows ...read the rest of this entry

02-04-2008