Two Moors Festival
Encyclopedia
The Two Moors Festival is an annual classical
music festival
based in Devon
and Somerset
, England
.
The festival covers the largest geographic area of any United Kingdom
festival, being based in the towns and villages of Dartmoor
and Exmoor
.
of Foot and Mouth disease closed access to large part of the English countryside. The festival was held to bring some light relief and encourage people to return to the rural areas in Devon.
It has become an annual event, with a concerts being staged at venues across Dartmoor
and Exmoor
.
During the preparations for the 2007 festival, on 10 April 2007 a £45,000 Bösendorfer
piano being delivered to the home of John and Penny Adie, the organisers of the festival, was dropped by delivery company G&R.
The Two Moors Festival is controlled by Two Moors Festival Limited which has charitable status.
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
music festival
Music festival
A music festival is a festival oriented towards music that is sometimes presented with a theme such as musical genre, nationality or locality of musicians, or holiday. They are commonly held outdoors, and are often inclusive of other attractions such as food and merchandise vending machines,...
based in Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
and Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
The festival covers the largest geographic area of any United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
festival, being based in the towns and villages of Dartmoor
Dartmoor
Dartmoor is an area of moorland in south Devon, England. Protected by National Park status, it covers .The granite upland dates from the Carboniferous period of geological history. The moorland is capped with many exposed granite hilltops known as tors, providing habitats for Dartmoor wildlife. The...
and Exmoor
Exmoor
Exmoor is an area of hilly open moorland in west Somerset and north Devon in South West England, named after the main river that flows out of the district, the River Exe. The moor has given its name to a National Park, which includes the Brendon Hills, the East Lyn Valley, the Vale of Porlock and ...
.
History
The festival was started in 2001 after the UK critical outbreak2001 UK foot and mouth crisis
The outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in the United Kingdom in 2001 caused a crisis in British agriculture and tourism. This epizootic saw 2,000 cases of the disease in farms in most of the British countryside. Over 10 million sheep and cattle were killed in an eventually successful attempt to...
of Foot and Mouth disease closed access to large part of the English countryside. The festival was held to bring some light relief and encourage people to return to the rural areas in Devon.
It has become an annual event, with a concerts being staged at venues across Dartmoor
Dartmoor
Dartmoor is an area of moorland in south Devon, England. Protected by National Park status, it covers .The granite upland dates from the Carboniferous period of geological history. The moorland is capped with many exposed granite hilltops known as tors, providing habitats for Dartmoor wildlife. The...
and Exmoor
Exmoor
Exmoor is an area of hilly open moorland in west Somerset and north Devon in South West England, named after the main river that flows out of the district, the River Exe. The moor has given its name to a National Park, which includes the Brendon Hills, the East Lyn Valley, the Vale of Porlock and ...
.
Format
The concerts are held at eleven rural towns and villages across Dartmoor and Exmoor, featuring established global performers as well as young, local musicians. There is a competition in the form of the festival's Young Musician's Platform. There are workshops to give local schoolchildren the chance to learn a classical musical instrument. Many of the local schools are unable to offer such lessons, and workshops reach 700 youngsters who would otherwise miss out.During the preparations for the 2007 festival, on 10 April 2007 a £45,000 Bösendorfer
Bösendorfer
Bösendorfer is an Austrian piano manufacturer, and a wholly owned subsidiary of Yamaha. The brand is known for producing pianos with a uniquely rich, singing, and sustaining tone...
piano being delivered to the home of John and Penny Adie, the organisers of the festival, was dropped by delivery company G&R.
Previous performers
- Julian Lloyd WebberJulian Lloyd WebberJulian Lloyd Webber is a British solo cellist who has been described as the "doyen of British cellists".-Early life:Julian Lloyd Webber is the second son of the composer William Lloyd Webber and his wife Jean Johnstone . He is the younger brother of the composer Andrew Lloyd Webber...
(cello) - Geraldine McGreevey (soprano)
- Mark PadmoreMark PadmoreMark Padmore is a British tenor appearing in concerts, recitals, and opera.Born in London 8 March 1961, and raised in Canterbury, Kent in England. Padmore studied clarinet and piano prior to his gaining a choral scholarship to King's College, Cambridge...
(tenor) - Sarah Williamson (clarinet)
- Tamsin Waley-Cohen (strings)
- Sir Thomas AllenThomas Allen (singer)Sir Thomas Boaz Allen, CBE is an internationally renowned English operatic baritone. He is widely admired in the opera world for his voice, the versatility of his repertoire, and his acting - leading many to regard him as one of the best lyric baritones of the late 20th Century...
(baritone) - Dame Felicity Lott (soprano)
- New London Chamber EnsembleNew London Chamber EnsembleThe New London Chamber Ensemble is a wind quintet formed in 2001.The nlce performs works such as Berio's Opus Number Zoo, Saint-Saëns' Carnival of the Animals and new commissions by Edward Longstaff and John Woolrich...
(wind quintet)
Organisation
- Patron: HRH The Countess of Wessex
- Trustees: Lady Acland, JP; Des Belam; Dr Stephen Head; Anthony Sampson; Malcolm Smith; Anthony Warren
- Artistic Director: Penny Adie
- Project Director: John Adie
- Festival Advisors: Bishop of ExeterBishop of ExeterThe Bishop of Exeter is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Exeter in the Province of Canterbury. The incumbent usually signs his name as Exon or incorporates this in his signature....
; Lady Elizabeth Kitson, DL; Rowan Peto; Sir Stephen Waley-Cohen, Bt.; Julian Lloyd WebberJulian Lloyd WebberJulian Lloyd Webber is a British solo cellist who has been described as the "doyen of British cellists".-Early life:Julian Lloyd Webber is the second son of the composer William Lloyd Webber and his wife Jean Johnstone . He is the younger brother of the composer Andrew Lloyd Webber...
The Two Moors Festival is controlled by Two Moors Festival Limited which has charitable status.