East Cape Philharmonic Orchestra manager Gill Barnett gives her choices for festival visitors this weekend:
My first festival experience was as a Rhodes student in the late ’70s on a shoestring budget – free accommodation as a sub-warden in one of the festival residences, and ushering at every possible performance to get free entrance! In the years since then I’ve been a regular visitor, and nothing can match that déjà vu feeling, standing in the Village Green munching Kaiser Kartoffeln at lunchtime.As ECPO manager, the festival nowadays always means catching up with good friends made through past performances with the orchestra. I naturally scan the Main and Fringe music sections of the programme first, but always find interesting and exciting productions in other areas too.
AFRICAN EXPLORATIONS (today at 6pm)
Chamber music by South African composers with Liesl Stoltz. The most superb flautist and exceptional musician, the research which has culminated in her programme is fascinating and it promises to be a really outstanding concert.
IF I LOVED YOU (July 4 and 5)
Pianist Christopher Duigan, baritone Federico Freschi and saxophonist David Salleras present “melodies from the world of popular song, classic musicals and the world’s concert stages”. All three are brilliant musicians, so I know I’ll love it.
THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING GUY BUTLER and PERSPECTIVES ON GUY BUTLER
Laurence Wright’s lecture, The Importance of Being Guy Butler (this morning SUBS SAT at 9.30), and the panel discussion, Perspectives on Guy Butler (on Monday, July 2,) sound unmissable for anyone who knew this wonderful man. Having studied under him at Rhodes, I love the idea of paying tribute to him, and celebrating the centenary of his birth.
FILM
The Film programme’s ballet Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (July 7) and theatre productions Macbeth (which screened yesterday), Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (today at 1pm) and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (July 5) filmed live at Royal Opera House and National Theatre performances in London really caught my attention, sound fantastic, and I want to see them all!
THE BLUE NOTES TRIBUTE ORKESTRA (tomorrow at 8.30pm)
On the jazz front, I think The Blue Notes Tribute Orkestra is going to be incredible at the Standard Bank Jazz Festival. There are sensational home-grown Eastern Cape musicians remembering legendary jazz band The Blue Notes. Led by Marcus Wyatt, it will be amazing.
The East Cape Philharmonic Orchestra is performing in the Festival Gala Concert at the Guy Butler Theatre tomorrow subs SUN at 3pm (sold out). It also will present a free Children’s Concert at noon on the Monument steps (arrive early if you want a seat).