Welcome to the 67th Summer Music Festival here at St Endellion. As headlined at last year’s festival, this year we welcome Paul Daniel as our new Artistic Director. Paul first came to the festival many years ago as a pianist, and then in 2023 returned as a conductor, when he led a stirringly dramatic performance of Elgar’s The Kingdom. The following year, he conducted Brahms’ German Requiem, and then last year an unforgettable production of Falstaff. This year he is going all out as Artistic Director; and I say “all out” as he recently ran his first half marathon, raising money for the festival – this is not in the job description I assure you!
For some years now we have had a commitment to include more young musicians in the ranks of the festival performers. We feel that the Endellion festivals provide a unique way for young performers to participate in music, as well as the social and spiritual contexts of the festival which we hold as equally important. As many of you know, there are fewer opportunities for young people to make music in the UK, and we intend to buck that trend.
Last year saw the first year of a collaboration with Truro Cathedral in Falstaff, and once again we will be welcoming back the choristers in two programmes, as well as singers from the Cornish Youth Choirs who will join us in Turandot. In addition, we will be running our community outreach programme once again, in which young, local string players will come to perform at St Endellion under the tutelage of some of our experienced players (who generously give of their time off from their busy schedules).
Paul has built on last year’s performance of Dido and Aeneas by this year programming excerpts from Purcell’s Fairy Queen, which again provides a fine opportunity for younger singers – many of whom are studying at music college – to perform in solo roles. We have also restructured the way that we charge fees to our participants, so that those who need to can participate in the festival for a lower cost. We aim through these measures to encourage more talented musical performers, and continue to hold hopes that the broader industry will one day receive the sort of support that we receive from you, our dear audience, through donations and subscriptions to the Friends scheme.
I hope that you enjoy all that we have to offer this year and thank you, once again, for your love and support that makes all of this possible.
