2010 Line-up
Here are the latest details of performances and events at the Sunningwell festival.
Pre-Festival Events |
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| Saturday 20th Feb | Silver + The Limitations Pop Concert, 7.30pm, Sunningwell Hall, £5 |
| Sunday 21st Mar | Nature Talk - Why Birds Are Different By Dr Graham Lenton, 3pm, Sunningwell School Of Art, £5 (adults) Children free if accompanied by an adult |
| Sunday 2nd May | Silver Pop Concert, day time, Abingdon Air Show, Free (as part of Air Show entrance fee). |
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| Friday 28th May | Cafe & gallery 3 - 6pm, Sunningwell Village Hall |
| Wind Of The Willows by Sunningwell School 4pm, Sunningwell Pond, Free |
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| Saturday 29th May | Art Students' Exhibition 10am - 5pm, Sunningwell School Of Art, Free |
| Cafe & gallery 10 - 6pm, Sunningwell Village Hall |
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| Colla Voce, Choral concert 7.30pm, St Leonards Church, £10/£12 |
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| Sunday 30th May | Art Students' Exhibition 10am - 5pm, Sunningwell School Of Art, Free |
| Cafe & gallery 10 - 6pm, Sunningwell Village Hall |
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| The Byrd Chorus Choral/Instrumental Concert, 3pm, St Leonards Church, £10/£12 |
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| Monday 31st May | Art Students' Exhibition 10am - 5pm, Sunningwell School Of Art, Free |
| Cafe & gallery 10 - 6pm, Sunningwell Village Hall |
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| Folk Singers Workshop 2pm, Bayworth Chapel, Free Jon Gomm - Guitar Masterclass, Roger Davies - Songwriting workshop Charlie Barker - Performance of “Eva Cassidy Collection” |
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| Morris Dancers 6pm, by the pond, Free |
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| Breaking With Tradition Folk concert, 6.30pm - 9pm, Sunningwell Pond, £10/£12.50 Breaking with Tradition features three exciting new acoustic performers in Jon Gomm, Roger Davies and Charlie Barker. Each has their own distinctive style of songwriting and performance which makes for a memorable evening. |
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| Tuesday 1st June | Back To The Land Girls Badapple Theatre Company, 7.30pm, Sunningwell Hall, £10/£12 |
| Wed 2nd June | Gulliver's Travels Watermill Touring Theatre, 7.30pm, Sunningwell Hall, £10/£12 |
| Thursday 3rd June | The Last Night of The Pirates On The Pond Opera Anywhere and The East Oxford Community Choir, 7.30pm, Sunningwell Pond, £12.50/£15/£18 |
| Friday 4th June | Third Degree LeBurn on the Pond Soul/Rock concert, 7.30pm, Sunningwell Pond, £10/£12 |
| Saturday 5th June | Cafe & gallery 12 - 6pm, Sunningwell Village Hall |
| Mini Iron Man Competition Tom Alden, 2pm, Sunningwell Pond, Free |
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| Dog Competition 4pm, Sunningwell Pond, Free |
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| The Last Night of The Pirates On The Pond Opera Anywhere and The East Oxford Community Choir, 7.30pm, Sunningwell Pond, £12.50/£15/£18 |
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| Sunday 6th June | Ecumenical worship on the pond St Leonard's & Bayworth Chapel, 11am |
| Cafe & gallery 12 - 6pm, Sunningwell Village Hall |
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| The Gathering Showcase of local bands live on the pond! 2pm, Sunningwell Pond, Free |
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| Remember The Chaos Youth Band, 4.30pm, Sunningwell Pond, Free |
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| The Limitations Covers Band, 6pm, Sunningwell Pond, Free |
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| Braindogs 8pm, the well known Sunningwell Tom Waits sound-alike, Brian Johnson and his band |
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What Makes Birds Different?
3.00pm, Saturday 21st March,
Sunningwell School of Art.
Adults £5. Children free when accompanied by an adult.
An informative and inspiring talk by the ecologist and naturist Graham Lenton. Graham has travelled to and photographed wildlife in over 75 countries and has had many articles and photographs published on natural history, in particular on birds and has been a lecturer at both Oxford Universities. His talk is part of the series of promotional events for the Sunningwell Festival. Buy tickets.
Wind of the Willows starring Sunningwell Primary School
4pm, Friday 28th May: Sunningwell Pond,
FREE
This charming tale will be acted on the infamous stage built at the centre of the village on the pond by the children of Sunningwell Primary School. Bring your picnics and hampers and settle down to be thoroughly entertained. A cafe will be also be available for those that need a fresh warming cup of tea or coffee and a little nibble!
Art Student Exhibition
10am - 5pm, Saturday 29th May - Monday 31st May, Sunningwell School of Art. FREE
As part of Oxfordshire’s Art Week Festival and Sunningwell’s own Festival the Sunningwell School of Art will be exhibiting students' work. Art Week has become an annual event with several hundred visitors to the School’s exhibition each year who enjoy not only a breadth of drawing, painting, sculpture and pottery and abilities from the beginner to the advanced but also the idyllic surroundings and location.
The exhibition takes place in the high ceilinged Common room of the old village school with its high windows and polished wood floors that are reminiscent of old school days, but where now a vibrant, creative atmosphere prevails. Come and explore the artwork and the facilities including the purpose built pottery where the shelves are filled from floor to ceiling with students’ pots and sculptures.
Perhaps we can inspire you to come and create here too? Exploring and viewing is thirsty work so you’ll be glad to know that the Cafe will be serving the all important refreshing cup of tea or coffee with a little snack.
Colla Voce, Choral concert
7.30pm, St Leonards Church, £10/£12
Colla Voce return to the Sunningwell festival with a programme of sacred and secular choral music for a summer’s evening.
Colla Voce (meaning ‘with the voice’) is a vocal ensemble, formed by a group of friends who have sung together in a various groups around Oxford over many years. Their musical interests are catholic in taste, ranging from early music through the classics to the classical and popular music of the twentieth century so look forward to a programme of lovely music in a lovely setting on a lovely summer’s evening…
The Byrd Chorus
3pm, Sunday 30th May, St Leonards Church,
£10/£12
A choral and instrumental concert with The Byrd Chorus performing a selection of English masterpieces from Dunstable to Purcell, including “Sing unto the Lord a new song” Purcell, “Haec Dies” Byrd, “The Cries of London” Gibbons, “O Bone Jesu” Carver, “Chaccone” Purcell.
Folk Singers Workshop
2pm, Monday 31st May, Bayworth Chapel, Brumcombe Lane, Bayworth.
FREE
Three workshops to entertain and instruct with Jon Gomm providing a Guitar Masterclass, Roger Davies a Songwriting workshop and Charlie Barker a performance of “Eva Cassidy Collection”. Once the hard work is completed visit the cafe and stay for some Morris Dancing and a folk music concert performed by Breaking with Tradition.
Breaking with Tradition, Folk music concert
6.00pm for 6.30pm concert, Monday 31st May, Sunningwell Pond,
£10/£12.50
Breaking with Tradition features three exciting new acoustic performers in Jon Gomm, Roger Davies and Charlie Barker. Each has their own distinctive style of songwriting and performance which makes for a memorable evening. Check-out the workshop happening earlier in the day at the Bayworth Chapel where Jon Gomm will be providing a Guitar Masterclass, Roger Davies a Songwriting workshop and Charlie Barker a performance of “Eva Cassidy Collection”.
'Back To The Land Girls' by the Badapple Theatre Company
Sunningwell Village Hall, 2nd June
Tickets £12 concessions £10
The Land Girls Of Yorkshire is a delightful, light-hearted comedy inspired by true stories gleaned from Land Girls who toiled to help feed the nation during the dark days of the Second World War.
The production is in mid-tour and if you get the chance to go and see it do, as it is a joyful and uplifting experience.
The full house at Suddaby's Crown Hotel in Malton certainly enjoyed it, and with two former Land Girls in the audience the opportunity for the occasion to be quite poignant was rejected in favour of frequent and spontaneous laughter at Kate Bramley's witty and well observed script.
The dialogue is beautifully paced, and while you would expect the subject matter to deal with the facts and fashions of the day, Bramley cleverly digs beneath such veneers to expose the anxieties and aspirations of her two female characters.
Buff, (Natalie Bennett) with her confident, brash Scouse exterior, finds herself billeted with Biddy, (Lois Creasy) a Yorkshire lass whose innocence cautions her against Buff's ambitions to form relationships with any or all of the American servicemen and Italian prisoners of war who reside nearby, including Giovanni, played on screen by Colin Moncrieff.
There are lots of lovely subtle lines, such as Buff wondering if meeting these men might affect her density, and the mention of Walter Pigeon (the Brad Pitt of the day) reminding them more of their hunger for food than love.
The play subliminally offers an interesting comparison between today's consumer-obsessed society and an age where the lack of material possessions did not mean a famine of fun. With none of our contemporary distractions, Buff and Biddy explore their dreams, hopes and plans, and have the time to find themselves. But Buff's ambitions to become a singer prove to be the making of Biddy.
The characters grow on you, and it is a credit to the skills of Bennett and Creasy that by the end of the play you feel you really know the characters they portray. The stage production is inventive too, and Jez Lowe's music really defines the era and literally sets the tone.
This is a production brimming with creativity and talent and a large feather in the cap for Badapple Theatre"
YORK PRESS REVIEW 'THE LAND GIRLS OF YORKSHIRE'- By Jon Butler 19th June 2009
The Watermill Touring Theatre present 'Gulliver's Travels'
Sunningwell Village Hall, 2nd June
Tickets £12 concessions £10
GULLIVER'S TRAVELS
By Jonathan Swift
In a new adaptation by Toby Hulse
Directed by Ade Morris
Lighting by Lawrence T Doyle
Imagine a land full of corruption, led by conceited and weak politicians, where the baser instincts of human nature reign supreme and only the faint hope of redemption remains...sound familiar?
This hilarious and striking adaptation of Gulliver’s extraordinary journey is true to the spirit of Jonathan Swift’s original stunning, fantastical adult satire. It not only leaps 300 years of progress like a tiny Lilliputian sea, it strikes a deep chord of human truth, laughter and empathy over the centuries. This imaginative new production will delight, shock, and thoroughly entertain just as Swift intended.
Suitable for adults and older children.
The Last Night of the Pirates on the Pond
by Opera Anywhere & The East Oxford Community Choir
7.30pm, Thursday 3rd June & Saturday 5th June,
£12.50/£15/£18
"This was a wonderfully entertaining evening, with good music, a talented cast and laughs a-plenty. Superb.”
Nicola Lisle, Oxford Times, August 2007
Opera Anywhere will be performing a very special adaptation of Gilbert & Sullivan's 'Pirates Of Penzance' and incorporating it into their traditional 'Last Night Of The Proms On The Pond' production. Working with Amy Standish, director of the recently performed family opera double production, The Pavlova Wind Quintet, East Oxford Choir and Opera Anywhere's handpicked singers and musical director, this show promises to be a real cracker.
Third Degree LeBurn on the Pond
Friday 4th June, 7.30pm, Sunningwell Pond, £12/£10
The Sunningwell Festival is delighted to welcome back Sunningwell’s estranged musical patriarch! LeBurn has been greatly missed but we are delighted to welcome him back with his band to perform a unique one off gig on the pond.
Their tasty mix of Soul, Funk, Reggae, Rock and Blues makes for quality, danceable and memorable entertainment. Fronted by flashy guitarist and singer LeBurn this entourage is guaranteed to delight music lovers. This is the real thing. No sugar coated, cream filled wannabe pop idol rubbish here. This is real music for the soul of man and heart of woman. These are the grooves that will make people move. LeBurn’s live show can only be described as pure power and passion tempered with maturity.
LeBurn drew much attention and praise from many of the world’s best performers. Assisted by the brilliant bass player and emotive vocal talents of the London urban legend known only as SPY, the soulful SAX and great harmonies of the one and only Mr James Vargas plus the gifts of the incredible percussive perfectionist Mr Chris McCartney these musos are ready willing and able to do the job – in style.
LeBurn is a man on a mission. A lifetime mission to explore new peoples and civilizations. To go boldly where no man has gone before. To change the sound of the world! One gig at a time! We are delighted his mission includes the Sunningwell Festival.
Fun exercise with Tom Alden
2pm, Saturday 5th June, Sunningwell Pond,
FREE
Tom Alden, our local fitness guru will put you through your paces with the Sunningwell mini iron man competition. An event where individual and team work will be tested. The more teams we have the merrier; each team will have three members: one aged around 10 years old (to be supervised), the second member 13-19 and the third member over 20. All the teams will set off at once and will be run like a relay.
Winners will come in many forms - naturally the fastest, but also wo/man of the match, most grit, most dirtiest, most tenacious..... So, this sounds like one for the family - Grandparents, Dads & Mums and Children come along, have some fun, bring your picnic and once you are all done in and collected your prize stay for a fantastic evenings' entertainment with The Last Night of the Pirates on the Pond. This is all about having fun and is just one of the many exciting events that together form the Sunningwell Festival.
Dog Show
4pm, Saturday 5th June: Sunningwell Pond,
FREE
A dog show of delights. Proud owners and their dogs will be tested on serious and important matters –to avoid intense over preparation and training all will be revealed on the day. Come along, have some fun and then rest up with your picnic, enjoy the cafe or bar and stay for the Last Night of the Pirates on the Pond.
Ecumenical worship on the Pond
11am, Sunday 6th June, Sunningwell Pond
Where better to hold a morning service than in the glorious surroundings of an idyllic south Oxfordshire village and on its pond? This is the last day of the Sunningwell Festival and it starts with an opportunity to reflect and give thanks before finishing in a flurry of music and activity with no less than FOUR FREE concerts.
The Gathering concert & performances from local bands
Sunday 6th June, Sunningwell Pond, FREE
2pm The Gathering
A showcase of local bands make up The Gathering concert. Come and listen to how it’s done and discover the next hot thing and remember you heard it at The Sunningwell Festival first.
4.30pm Remember the Chaos, Youth Band
Remember the Chaos is a Screamo/Hardcore/Electro band with members Callum Hurst, James Kent, Lee Rutter, Matt Watson and Timmy C all from Oxford. Come and support the band and lose yourself in the music before singing along to well known songs with The Limitations concert on next.
6pm, The Limitations, Covers Band
It’s only right to give The Limitations its limelight on this the final day of the Sunningwell Festival given their large fan base and the bands’ support all the way back to the early days of promoting the Festival. Now it’s time to sing and dance along or just simply be entertained before having a well earned drink or cup of tea before the final performance of the Sunningwell Festival.
8pm, Braindogs, Rock Concert
What a bang. Better than any finale firework display, Braindogs, with the well known Sunningwell Tom Waits sound-alike, Brian Johnson and his band will rock the Sunningwell Festival to a close.