Mayor launches a new town music festival

As the inaugral year for the Havant Music Festival, there will be 13 musical concerts during the event, which will run from March 30 to April 9.

The opening concert, in St Joseph’s Church, West Street, will be given by the prestigious Chichester University Chamber Orchestra and Symphonic Choir and will include music by Purcell and Vivaldi.

In the remaining 10 days there will be two folk evenings, the Brent quartet performing The Last Words of Christ by Haydn, contemporary jazz and soul singers.

There will also be performances by a local women’s choir, a children’s music workshop, a film of the Beatles on tour, a classical guitarist, the well-known Solent Male Voice Choir, and a special evening in the Meridian Centre, put on by the Urban Vocal Group and helped by the bands of Music Fusion.

The final evening, in St James’s Church, Emsworth, will be baroque music played by a section of the Havant Orchestra.

Councillor Ponsonby said: ‘I am really delighted that we have been able to organise this in such a short time.

‘At the end of September last year, I attended a concert put on by the talented young people of the Urban Vocal Group.

‘The theme for my year of office is health and wellbeing – singing and music has been shown to contribute to better health, as well as helping to form friendships.

‘I do hope lots of people will come and enjoy the rich variety of music taking place in various venues centred on the Havant town and nearby.’

There will also be bucket collectons at the event for the mayor’s three charities – Off The Record; St Faith’s Big Build; and Sands, the stillbirth and neonatal death charity.

For more info take a look at the event at facebook.com/havantmusicfestival.

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