AN "OUTSTANDING" line-up is planned for this year's Celebrate Voice in Salisbury.

Taking place over two long weekends between October 21 to 30, at the Guildhall.

Festival line-up

  • La Traviata
  • Ronnie Scotts’ All Stars
  • The Kate Edgar Singers
  • Joe Stilgoe & The Puppini Sisters
  • Verdi’s La Traviata
  • Gilbert and Sullivan production, Trial By Jury
  • Jess Robinson

Community programme

  • Storytelling
  • Rock music for tots
  • Music making
  • Meditation event

In a new partnership with Salisbury City Council, the festival presents world class performances from La Traviata to Ronnie Scotts’ All Stars, Trial by Jury to Joe Stilgoe and The Puppini Sisters. There is also the community programme featuring a whole host of participatory events for everyone.

The festival’s daytime programming provides a line-up of shows for families, from storytelling to rock music for tots, music-making for babies and their adults and the promotion of wellbeing with a meditation event.

International opera star

Local talent is celebrated with a choral performance from The Kate Edgar Singers, and talented young singers are encouraged to sign up for a taster workshop with the Wiltshire Youth Choir.

The centre piece production, Verdi’s La Traviata, will be headed up by international opera star soprano Linda Richardson in the role of Violetta.

Linda has sung the role for the major UK companies including Welsh National Opera, English National Opera and Opera North.

The Guildhall’s Oak Court Room is set to be the most fitting of venues for the festival’s first Gilbert and Sullivan production, Trial By Jury, with former D’Oyly Carte company member Philip Blake Jones in the role of the Judge, whose poignant play ‘I Lived for Art’ will also be premiered at the festival.

Set at the end of the Second World War, a Jewish holding ghetto, musicians and singers perform for their very existence in an emotional story of love, art and survival.

Edinburgh Festival and TV’s Spitting Image star, Jess Robinson brings her high-octane vocal impersonations to Salisbury. The singer goes from Britney to Barbara in a heartbeat.

World famous jazz club, Ronnie’s Scott’s comes to Celebrate Voice with a new show, The Soho Songbook, and in real coup for the festival, an exclusive partnership between Joe Stilgoe and The Puppini Sisters will be born.

Festival continues to 'flourish'

Festival founder and director Lynsey Docherty said: "I am delighted to be presenting such an outstanding line-up of performers in Salisbury in 2021.

"The calibre of artists shows how Celebrate Voice continues to not only flourish but excel after a period of uncertainty in the arts.

"Our first days of priority booking (to Friends only), ticket sales outsold our whole 2014 festival, which is testament to how far we have come, and how our community loves the work we do.

"Furthermore the stunning and iconic venue provides such inspiration for our performers and creative professionals who are sure to create some truly memorable moments during the festival."

The award-winning festival, which is now in its 8th year, relies on the continuing support of local volunteers, hosts, business sponsors and philanthropists each year.

"Celebrate Voice is not just a festival, it’s a thriving, welcoming and vibrant community, and the fact that so many people come together to make it happen is testament to both the community and the ethos of the festival," adds Lynsey.

"We celebrate all walks of life and ages through the inclusive community programme which engages international artists at all levels of the festival."

How to get tickets

Tickets are available at celebratevoice.co.uk

They go on general sale from 10am on Saturday September 11.

 

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