The second Carwithen Music Festival took place from Thursday 10th until Sunday 13th July 2025, honouring Haddenham-born composer Doreen Carwithen and enabling local residents to experience a wealth of incredible musical talent.
Festival Director, Mark Chivers, did a wonderful job in organising a series of concerts featuring world-class musicians who would normally be playing only in major international concert venues, with admission prices to match those august places. Yet the Carwithen Music Festival enabled us to enjoy incredible technical virtuosity and magnificent musicality without even needing to leave the village, and at ticket prices that would have amazed an unrepentant Scrooge!
Those who had the good fortune to attend one or more of the concerts would have enjoyed some truly memorable performances. Those who let this opportunity slip by missed a real musical treat!
The Festival celebrated Doreen Carwithen's life, with almost every piece of music performed having some connection with Doreen or her family. You can read more about her by clicking on the PDF linked to this webpage.
The Festival comprised a series of concerts (and a presentation of the film "Boys in Brown" with the sound tack by Doreen Carwithen) as summarised below:
Concert 1
The distinguished Piatti String Quartet opened the festival with a beautiful programme of British Chamber Music, including music by Vaughan Williams, Ina Boyle, William Alwyn, John Ireland and String Quartet No.1 by Doreen Carwithen
Concert 2
Violinist Fenella Humphreys, and Pianist, Nicola Eimer, played music that featured in Leah Broad's Royal Philharmonic Society prize winning book, Quartet. The repertoire included Violin Sonata by Ethel Smyth, Midsummer Moon by Rebecca Clarke, Violin Sonata by Dorothy Howell, Ballade by Freda Swain and Violin Sonata by Doreen Carwithen
Concert 3
In a late morning 'coffee time' concert, Masquerade String Quartet (members of which include local residents Mark & Liz Chivers) played film music by Doreen Carwithen, as well as pieces by William Alwyn and Vaughan Williams.
Concert 4
The internationally renowned Tenor James Gilchrist and Pianist, Anna Tilbrook, came to the Festival with a fantastic evening of British Songs, including Orpheus With His Lute, Silent Moon, and A Winter's Willow by Vaughan Williams. The repertoire also included Der Fichtenbaum, Hochgebirgsleben, Hor Ich Das Liedchen Klingen, Tiger Tiger and Serenade by Doreen Carwithen.
Concert 5
The fifth concert was a late night Jazz session which the fabulous Julie Maguire returned to the Festival with her extraordinary band (featuring Simon Bates on saxophone) to play and sing classics from the Great American Songbook.
Concert 6
International concert pianist, Clare Hammond, gave a Sunday lunchtime concert during which she played an impressive programme of English masterpieces, having recorded the Carwithen Piano Concerto with the BBC Concert Orchestra for Radio 3. Her pieces included On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring by Frederick Delius, Sonata alla Toccata by William Alwyn, and Sonatina by Doreen Carwithen
Concert 7
For the Festival finale, Debbie Wiseman brought her TV Score for series two of Wolf Hall (The Mirror And The Light, BBC TV) to Haddenham, played by the Locrian Ensemble of London (who played on the original soundtrack) with extracts from Hilary Mantel's novel read by the Bafta decorated actor Anton Lesser. This concert also featured images from the TV Series to create a multimedia experience.
Our sincere thanks go to all the musicians and especially to Festival Director, Mark Chivers. His sterling work in creating this event, highlighting the achievements of Doreen Carwithen and bringing together such a distinguished group of musicians, was very much appreciated by all the attendees.
A series of images capturing an essence of the Festival is featured in the Galleries section of this website, and the editor extends his thanks to Carol Mason who kindly assisted in taking some of the photographs.
