3rd July 2023
A Summer of Music, Art and Horticulture at Great Comp Garden
With the history of a suffragist to unveil, a 50th musical anniversary to enjoy and exhibiting nurseries fresh from RHS Chelsea medal-success, there's much to celebrate this summer at Great Comp Garden in Kent.
Once home to the famed Lambardes of Sevenoaks, a base for women’s hockey and cricket in Edwardian times, and laterly the home of the Great Comp Music Festival, the house and gardens have a serious musical and heritage pedigree.
'Mini Glyndbourne'
With a 50th anniversary to celebrate the Great Comp Music Festival is anticipating a golden summer in 2023, delivering a series of eight major concerts every weekend in July and August.
Attracting artists with international reputation the annual Music Festival has been described as a ‘mini Glyndbourne’.
Hosted in the 75-seater Stables Theatre on site at Great Comp Garden, the annual event is known mainly to chamber music enthusiasts in west Kent.
Nigel Britten,chair of the Great Comp Music Festival is instrumental in putting together a programme that pleases many tastes from classical to folk and featuring artists who perform on the country’s top stages.
Nigel explains: “This special 50th Anniversary year has been a delight so far - it’s been wonderful putting the programme together and we can’t wait for people to experience the unique Great Comp experience. The garden is glorious on a summer’s evening, and after enjoying a picnic in the grounds, there’s nothing better than taking your seat in the intimate Stables Theatre to be treated to some of the best chamber music stars in the world.”
A special Ukraine concert has been organised by the Trust this year to support Lviv Children’s Hospital. Nigel explains: “we wanted to celebrate the ‘Spirit of Ukraine’ with some wonderful Ukrainian artists performing their country’s music and poetry.”
'Ukrainian artists' including Dvi Doli, the two bandura (harp) players (Kateryna Trachuk and Julia Kogut-Kalynyuk), and 2nd from left, Alla Sirenko - pianist, composer and organiser (and President of the Ukrainian Cultural Association in the UK).
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