An al fresco farce for all the family! When fashionable 18th century London society comes to take the waters in the spa-town of Bath, comic confusion, daring duels and romantic entanglements abound. At the centre of it all is heiress Lydia Languish, who is determined to elope with the penniless Ensign Beverly rather than marry the eligible Jack Absolute. Come and sample the sparkling wit and whirlwind plot of The Rivals, a Restoration Comedy which has delighted audiences for over 250 years with its collection of comic characters, including the formidable Mrs Malaprop, a creation so famous for the way she mangles the English language that her name is now immortalised in the dictionary. This brand new adaptation combines Richard Brinsley Sheridans masterpiece with Rain or Shines fast and furious comic flair. What 3 Words Location -///centrally.animal.listen

Emma Johnson Folk Song Suite (Fantasy on Three folk songs: The Lark in the Clear Air, Down by the Salley Gardens and Tom he Was a Piper's Son) Glazunov Reverie Oriental for clarinet and strings Shostakovich String Quartet No. 8 in C minor Mozart Clarinet Quintet in A major, K581 Internationally acclaimed solo clarinettist, recording artist, composer and lecturer Emma Johnson is joined by the thrilling Gildas Quartet for an evening of music including a premiere. All exploring a rich emotional and cultural landscape through chamber music, together, these works span styles and centuries yet share a focus on melodic beauty, textural interplay, and the expressive potential of chamber forces. Emma Johnson’s Folk Song Suite brings familiar tunes like The Lark in the Clear Air and Down by the Salley Gardens to life in a vibrant and heartfelt reimagining, echoing the folk influences subtly present in Shostakovich’s haunting and introspective String Quartet No. 8 in C minor. Glazunov’s Reverie offers an exotic and dreamy sound world, aligning with the lyrical expressiveness found in both Johnson’s and Mozart’s works. Mozart’s timeless Clarinet Quintet in A major, a cornerstone of the clarinet repertoire, rounds out the programme with elegance, grace, and the seamless blend of clarinet and strings that has captivated audiences for centuries

Claude Debussy Cello Sonata Rebecca Clarke Rhapsody Mel Bonis Cello Sonata in F major, Op. 67 César Franck Violin Sonata Our first ever Festival Weekend kicks off in grand style with a performance by the acclaimed British cellist Laura van der Heijden and thrilling Welsh pianist Jâms Coleman. This richly expressive programme weaves together four works that blur the lines between Romantic passion and Impressionist colour. Debussy’s Cello Sonata is a masterclass in nuance and atmosphere, blending subtle harmonies with emotional depth. Clarke’s Rhapsody continues in this spirit, combining sweeping lyricism and bold textures, rooted in both late-Romantic and early 20th-century idioms. Bonis’s Cello Sonata in F major offers warmth and elegance, revealing the voice of a long-overlooked Romantic composer whose music is lyrical and heartfelt. César Franck’s Violin Sonata, though written for a different instrument, resonates throughout the program with its cyclical structure and emotional intensity. Together, these works form a tapestry of rich sonorities and deep expression, shining a light on the evolving voice of French and Franco-British chamber music at the turn of the century.

Beethoven: Piano Trio in E flat Major Op. 1 No. 1 Bernstein: Piano Trio (1937) ​Ravel: Piano Trio in A Minor (1914) Bringing our first ever Festival Weekend to a rousing finale are the acclaimed Trio Lalique. Described as 'superb' and 'sensational', the Trio Lalique was founded in 2022 by pianist Ilya Kondratiev, violinist Yuri Kalnits and cellist Julia Morneweg, each already a renowned chamber musician in their own right. Their debut as a group in the prestigious Pharos Arts Foundation series in Nicosia (Cyprus) was praised for its virtuosity and musical artistry alike. Between them, they have performed as soloists and chamber musicians at many of the world’s greatest concert halls, including London’s Southbank Centre, King’s Place, Zurich Tonhalle, Munich’s Gasteig, Suntory Hall and the Great Hall of Moscow Conservatoire, as well as at major festivals. Outside of their work as a trio, Ilya, Yuri and Julia also collaborate in larger chamber music formations as part of the acclaimed London ensemble ChamberMusicBox. .