The hope for any festival is that it is not only a success in terms of the big-picture programming, logistics, general audience experience, and the warm reception of each event (all of which is vital, of course, and certainly was achieved thanks to an incredible can-do team of organisers, volunteers, and performers)—but also that there is consistent atmosphere of interactivity, a palpable sense of networked purpose, unique flavours combining together in harmony through positive communication and social connections, pairings and contrasts forming a delicious and balanced meal of music and extra-musical material that gradually grows greater than the sum of its parts. That is a festival. And that is exactly what happened.
What an amazing collection of local and not-so-local audience members we saw coming together over five days to celebrate the piano, music, and creativity more broadly. We are so grateful you came with such intrigue, interest, and passion. Your openness to the known, lesser known, old and new, young and old, and everything else around the edges created such a warm ‘vibe’. A meal doesn’t truly exist until it is experienced, consumed (in the best sense of the word), and, of course, it’s more than just the ingredients. So thank you for making it so special, and for getting stuck in!
I know our performers felt this buzz too. They were always mixing in, stimulating conversations, and enjoying being part of the melange, offering such positive feedback on them whole experience, which is as vital for the festival as the way their individual performances are received. So a huge thanks to them—they were so generous with their time and dedicated themselves to support the entire festival as much as possible.
There were countless socks-knocked-off moments of virtuosity, some gripping and emotional moments of drama, many memorable moments of calm, and so many stimulating conversations around the fringes. It was an honour to hear new works performed, meet new people, and—more personally—combine my hats as a programmer, educator, and composer. The moment that really sticks in my mind, though, is the sunny walk across the square towards the Assembly Rooms hearing the piano outside St Laurence’s blend with someone playing the piano outside the castle, en route to Palmers Hall and buoyed by the anticipation of hearing a world-class musician perform a thrilling programme on a magnificent Steinway D piano there. It brought it all together and made the music even more meaningful.
We can’t guarantee the weather next year, but I think we can guarantee that if the festival returns, it will build on these magical flavour combinations and it will be another occasion not to be missed! Now to think about next year’s menu…