Norfolk and Norwich Festival
norfolk norwich festival art festival held annually norwich england one oldest city festival england held since tracing root back initially conceived fundraiser norfolk norwich hospital history purely classical musical festival saw performance many famous artiste composer conductor recent year festival moved away focus diversified include variety circus performance contemporary music dance visual art childrens event today norfolk norwich festival art organisation based norwich england primarily responsible eponymous international art festival held annually may event also held throughout wider county norfolk festival organisation work creative learning scheme across norfolk support art council england norwich norfolk council received funding become bridge organisation art council england festival established triennial event support ongoing construction norfolk norwich hospital grew earlier musical fundraiser hospital dating back far including annual performance oratorio norwich cathedral early day festival mainly held st andrew hall st peter mancroft event consisted primarily oratorio large scale choral work performed norwich festival chorus strong noted premiere time included last judgement german romantic composer conductor louis spohr see list oratorio th century triennial festival continued develop reputation throughout victorian edwardian period suspended first world war revived patronage norwichs first female lord mayor ethel colman saw premiere significant classical work including edward elgar sea picture sung clara butt e j moerans rhapsody centenary concert based norfolk folksong frank bridge enter spring ralph vaughan williams job masque dancing arthur bliss morning hero also benjamin britten hunting father oftrecounted story festival vaughan williams intervention stop orchestra mocking yearold britten work vaughan williams told presence greatness referring young composer want play britten work would play vaughan williams premiering five tudor portrait festival musical festival also attracted prestigious musical director including sir henry wood sir thomas beecham sir malcolm sargent norman del mar vernon handley festival became annual event following agreement director festival norwich fn fn started first annual festival art music norfolk devoted organising wide range activity embracing art music industry norfolk director triennial approached proposal fn would run two consecutive year triennial continuing every third year however triennial decided annual event agreed case fn would cease functioning three year direction marcus davey director roundhouse london scope festival changed classical music cater larger variety music theatre dance visual art part widening festival scope new art initiative called first norfolk norwich festival visual art week begun evolved norfolk norwich open studio open gallery event significant change moving festival october may direction jonathan holloway artistic director melbourne festival australia year jonathan artistic director chief executive norfolk norwich festival audience increased turnover quadrupled festival took delivery creative partnership norfolk part uk flagship creativity school programme composer visited festival period include philip glass ute lemper michael nyman john cale laurie anderson terry riley ray davy david bedford also performed festival programme featured michael clark company doigts de la main ontroerend goed nofit state circus circus ronaldo forced entertainment amongst others featured artichoke dining alice chouf ouchouf mariano pensotti mariza kronos quartet among others recent musical commission include dan jones music seven ice cream van holloway succeeded william galinsky formerly organiser cork midsummer festival ireland october announced daniel brine would taking festival director saw festival go hiatus caused covid pandemic return festival main east anglian participant creative learning school programme working norfolk school creative partnership scheme cut government festival receive total £ million annually art council england enable become bridge organisation developing art opportunity child young people acting bridge art education sector sir henry wood – sir thomas beecham – norman del mar vernon handley richard philip heather newell marcus davey jonathan holloway – william galinsky – daniel brine present norfolk norwich festival