Dart Music Festival Gallery - Saturday

Our thanks to official DMF photographer Joe Murtagh who took literally hundreds of fabulous photos throughout the Festival. 

 

Here is a selection from Saturday 17th May - for more please visit Joe's website: http://www.joemurtaghphotography.com/

 

Jay Tamkin in the Market Square

Devonly Voices in the Flavel Chucrh

Company B on the Bandstand Stage

Swing Machine on the Bandstand Stage

Royal Avenue Gardens - lots of happy shiny people having fun...

...and picnicking in the park.

 

Dart Music Festival Gallery - Friday evening

Our thanks to official DMF photographer Joe Murtagh who took literally hundreds of fabulous photos throughout the Festival. 

Here is a selection from Friday 16th May - for more please visit Joe's website: http://www.joemurtaghphotography.com/

FRIDAY EARLY TO LATE EVENING 

The Blues Brothers Collective at the Guildhall

The Christian Garrick Quartet in St Saviour's Church

Christian Garrick

Martin Dale & Jim Mullen at The Flavel

Thomas Ford at the Royal Castle Hotel

Giles Robson and the Dirty Aces on the Bandstand

The Bandstand at Night

Dart Music Festival Gallery - Friday

Our thanks to official DMF photographer Joe Murtagh who took literally hundreds of fabulous photos throughout the Festival. 

Here is a selection from Friday 16th May - for more please visit Joe's website: http://www.joemurtaghphotography.com/

FRIDAY AFTERNOON TO EARLY EVENING

Primary Schools on Bandstand kicking off the Festival

Concert pianist Ji Liu in St Saviour's Church

Esperanto in St Saviour's Church

Sax Appeal in the Market Square

Dartmouth Rock Choir in the Flavel Church

The Gimi Hendrix Experience on the Bandstand

Put On A Poncho and Party at Dart Music Festival

Photo: Tim Porter

Our thanks to Tim Porter (of the Porter Family) for this image of some of the DMF team - Hilary, Julie, Pam, Sue and Marilyn - partying with a poncho at the end of the Festival - don't they look fab..?

Sadly I wasn't around to witness it, but apparently these fun-loving fashionistas persuaded the audience to Put On a Poncho and Party too in the Royal Avenue Gardens on Sunday afternoon - so much so that at the end of the day there was not a spare poncho to be had..!

Great fun - I guess it was one of those 'you had to be there' moments'...

Were you there? Would love to have your poncho pics if you were - just send them in to valdepledge@hotmail.com and I'll do my best to include them on the blog.

Happy Days!

Dart Music Festival update - just fabulous!

Sorry I haven't been able to publish any blog posts for the last few days - been a bit busy...

Just a quick line to give you an update... Things are slowly getting back to normal now and the feedback we're getting for last weekend's Festival is brilliant! Seems like a good time was had by all, and the wonderful weather certainly helped promote the general happy atmosphere around the town for the whole three days.

Joe Murtagh, our official photographer, has taken scores of amazing images which will be appearing on this blog as soon as I have had a chance to look at them properly - can't wait to share them with everyone.

The Counting Team swung into action first thing yesterday and spent the day counting the donations in all the collection buckets and tins - all the signs are good that once again people have been very generous, so a big thank you to all of you who paused to put your cash in the buckets. Couldn't do it without you...

A huge thanks also to all our sponsors who helped make all this wonderfulness happen and of course all the fantastic musicians who made the Dart Music Festival so special - you were amazing..!

Must dash now - things to do - but I'll be back ASAP with some great pics for you to enjoy.

Oh, almost forgot - we still have a few of the popular Festival Sampler CDs (with 24 tracks donated by musicians performing at this year's Festival) left so they will be available to buy online, as they were last year, very shortly. A word of warning though: once they're gone they're gone so - watch this space...

Hope you all had a great time - tell us about your favourite Festival things!

STOP PRESS! Dart Music Festival wristbands

As they proved so popular last year, I am pleased to report that the Dart Music Festival wristbands will be on sale for all three days of the Festival from the Amenity Hut in Royal Avenue Gardens, from certain DMF collectors, and from the Guildhall venue in Victoria Road. 

This year they are in funky new colours and sport the DMF logo, still cost just £5.00 per day, and as always all proceeds from wristbands sales go towards funding the Festival.

Wear your DMF Wristband with pride - and have a great time...!

Dart Music Festival Venues

Just in case you have never experienced the many and various joys of Dart Music Festival before, here is a quick run-down of all the venues...

THE BANDSTAND MAIN STAGE - this year for the first time we are hiring in a stage. We had a trial run a few weeks ago and all the signs are that it will be brilliant...! (Let us know what you think after the Festival). The stage is situated in Royal Avenue Gardens and hosts many different performances this year, with some seating available. Music is free with donations requested via yellow collecting tins and bucket. Use of the Royal Avenue Gardens is by kind permission of South Hams District Council.

THE MASONIC HALL - Situated in Lower Street with a large yellow banner outside, use of this venue is by kind permission of the Freemasons. In the event of really good, sunny weather, events at this venue will be transferred to Bayard's Cove Fort. Please check each day to make sure - there will be signs outside the venue if this is the case. Bayard's Cove Fort is situated at the end of Bayard's Cove and is made available by kind permission of English Heritage. Performances will be held over Saturday and Sunday and start at 11.30 am.

THE FLAVEL ARTS CENTRE - Situated in the centre of town behind the Flavel Church, the main Auditorium, Studio and Library are all part of the events being staged. Some events are ticketed (but still free with retiring collection) to ensure a place - please check with the Box Office 01803 839530. The Music Festival Committee thanks the Flavel for use over the Festival.

THE FLAVEL CHURCH - Situated in Mayor's Avenue just past the Nat West Bank, the Church will be holding workshops, performances and Songs of Praise.

THE OLD MARKET SQUARE -Situated in the centre of town, there will be music on Friday after the market has closed and throughout Saturday and Sunday. Shops and cafes will be open and there will be a bar sponsored and run by Bays Brewery. Collections will be made via yellow collecting tins and buckets.

THE GUILDHALL - Situated in Victoria Road just up from the Old Market, there will be a large yellow banner outside the venue. Please see previous blog post for fuller info on this main venue.

ST. SAVIOUR'S CHURCH - Situated at the top of Anzac St in the centre of town, this beautiful ancient (but newly refurbished) venue will be hosting classical performances over the weekend as well as the Festival Eucharist on Sunday morning.

ST. PETROX CHURCH & CASTLE TEA ROOMS - Situated next to Dartmouth Castle out at the mouth of the river - so allow at least half an hour to walk (but it will be worth it..!). A ferry service operates throughout the day from the South Embankment - details on the back cover of the Programme.

DECKS@IVY LANE YOUTH VENUE - Situated in Ivy Lane, just off Victoria Road in the centre of town. This venue is home to events for young people throughout Saturday and Sunday, with workshops, performances and a 'Dartmouth's Got Talent' competition.

There is also music in many of the pubs, hotels and restaurants throughout the town every day - full performance details in the DMF Programme, on sale now online or from local outlets.

16th, 17th & 19th May 2014

www.dartmusicfestival.co.uk

Dart Music Festival at The Guildhall. Parties, music, films and fun...

Before... (2013)

We're off...!

 ...The Guildhall has been trimmed up with bunting, balloons and blow up instruments this morning - and the Old Girl really does scrub up well, if we do say so ourselves.

Our thanks to Tracey, Maggie and Brian at the Town Council for being so helpful this morning when we were setting up. 

We think you'll approve of our efforts... With a whole host of lovely plants on loan from Gardentime - thank you very much you kind people - the Hall is all set for tonight's Sponsors' Party with live music from Hot Club of Stonehouse with Becky Brine and a great bar from Bays Brewery, and will then be used for Thursday night's special Music Festival Film from Dartmouth Film Society, which this year is 'Muscle Shoals'. There will be the usual bar and a buffet and guest tickets on sale at the Windjammer Inn from 7.00 - 7.30pm - tickets are £6 for non members and £3.50 for members, to include buffet.

After (2013)

The Guildhall - as a main Festival venue - is also host to an amazing fourteen different acts this year and quite frankly we can't wait... It's such a popular venue with a fantastic atmosphere, and as well as Bays' bar this year there will be a Saturday Cafe run by volunteers from local charity Dartmouth Caring - thank you ladies, I am sure it will be great! 

We must also thank the Deep Blue Sound Co for managing the sound throughout the Festival - much appreciated, chaps...

Full performance details of the acts on at the Guildhall this weekend in the DMF Programme - we look forward to seeing you there...

16th, 17th & 18th May 2014

www.dartmusicfestival.co.uk 

Jade Gall and Jonathan Watts come to Dart Music Festival

Jade Gall

Jade Gall is a classically trained saxophonist who graduated in 2013 from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama as a Master of Arts in Music Performance. 

She studied with Lara James and Gerard McChrystal during her time there and she is now going onto pursue her love for the Tenor Saxophone by increasing the awareness for this fantastic instrument.

Jade is very keen in promoting the saxophone as a worthy classical concert instrument, especially the tenor saxophone, which is where she feels most at home. She is always actively organising concerts in and around the Devon Area.

Although Jade is a classically trained saxophonist, she loves to play in other styles of music. Jade plays tenor saxophone for Michael Campari and the Solar System and has stood in for other Devon based bands which include Freshly Squeezed and the Simmertones. Jade will be performing with Jonathan Watts during the Festival.

Jonathan Watts

 Jonathan was born in South Wales and studied music at the University College of Wales in Cardiff.

He graduated with a B.Mus degree in 1980 followed by a Masters Degree in ‘Baroque Keyboard Techniques’ a year later. He then studied organ with James Dalton at Queens College Oxford

Jonathan is equally at home giving organ recitals, playing harpsichord and accompanying instrumentalists and singers. He is the conductor of the 160 Dartington Community Choir and is heavily involved in the annual International Summer School at Dartington as accompanist to many of the world’s leading musician

The Programme will include a variety of works by:
 J.S. Bach, Paul Creston, Singelee right the way through to more recent works by saxophonists Rob Buckland, Nigel Wood and Andy Scott. 

For full performance details check the DMF Programme, on sale now online or locally.

 

16th, 17th & 18th May 2014

www.dartmusicfestival.co.uk 

 

 

Dart Festival Chorus at Dart Music Festival

 Rehearsals for Dart Festival Chorus’s 2014 concert are well underway.

This year the choir is under the expert musical guidance of guest conductor David Davies, Assistant Director of Music at Exeter Cathedral. 

The choir was the first group to hire The Cube in the new Dartmouth Academy building, which only opened 10 days before their first rehearsal, and they tell us they are really enjoying the space and the lovely acoustics!

Dart Festival Chorus is the Music Festival’s very own choir. It is made up of singers from choirs across South Devon, who come together each year and perform a festival concert on just three rehearsals. Jonathan Watts is the choir’s guest accompanist for this year’s concert, which is entitled The Grand Tour.

Following in the footsteps of the young and wealthy of the 18th and 19th centuries, the programme takes the audience on a musical journey around Europe. The itinerary begins in England and takes in France, Italy, Austria, Germany and Belgium before heading back home across the Channel.  On your travels, expect to hear some beautiful choral works by Mozart, Haydn, Vivaldi and Fauré, to name but a few.

 See you at the Festival - don’t forget your passports!

 Full performance details in the DMF - on sale online or locally now.

16th, 17th & 18th May 2014

www.dartmusicfestival.co.uk