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X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Lichfield Festival Friends
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DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20250920T193000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20250920T213000
DTSTAMP:20250925T163530Z
CREATED:20200302T180837Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250925T163530Z
UID:9055-1758396600-1758403800@lichfieldfestivalfriends.org.uk
SUMMARY:The Golden Age of Jazz
DESCRIPTION:The Golden Age of Jazz – At Whittington Church on Saturday September 20th \nNick Dewhurst and Jim Wynn had been described as “an extremely talented duo” in the advertising for this event\, and it was certainly proved true\, demonstrated in enthusiastic applause\, as well as comments from the audience as they left. \nNick is known locally as a trumpeter\, but is also a talented guitarist\, and this concert included both instruments (with further variety provided by flugelhorn and mutes) as well as Jim’s keyboard. “The Golden Age of Jazz” marked the last weekend of the summer by including the Gershwins’ “Summertime”; the wide-ranging repertoire also included music by Fats Wallah and Charlie Parker\, and associated with Sinatra\, Bing Crosby\, and Billie Holliday\, as well as much less familiar pieces. \nOne of the merits of the better-known pieces\, such as “Autumn Leaves”\, “All of me”\, and “Honeysuckle Rose”\, was that it enabled those members of the audience less familiar with jazz to identify and appreciate Nick and Jim’s improvisations on the melodies\, in a way that Suny Rollins’ “Sunnymoon for two” did not. They created a comfortable atmosphere together and with the audience\, with chat about the music between the pieces\, and\, indeed\, in the music – Nick’s reference to a forthcoming Christmas concert led to a few bars of “Jingle Bells” in the next number! \nSt Giles Church\, Whittington\, was an ideal venue\, with excellent acoustics\, and a pleasant area for refreshments created by recent renovations: many thanks to the church for allowing its use. LFF members attending were supplemented by a substantial number of newcomers (Whittingtonians? Fans of Nick?)\, whom we were delighted to welcome: please come again!
URL:https://lichfieldfestivalfriends.org.uk/event/the-golden-age-of-jazz/
LOCATION:Whittington Church\, Church Street\, Staffordshire\, WS14 9JX\, United Kingdom
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://lichfieldfestivalfriends.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/Golden-Age-of-Jazz-2560w-2.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Lichfield Festival Friends":MAILTO:lff@lichfieldfestival.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20250409T201500
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20250409T213000
DTSTAMP:20250509T100316Z
CREATED:20200302T180837Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250509T100316Z
UID:9025-1744229700-1744234200@lichfieldfestivalfriends.org.uk
SUMMARY:Desert Island Discs
DESCRIPTION:LICHFIELD FESTIVAL FRIENDS MEET THE DEAN OF LICHFIELD. \nOn Wednesday April 9th the Right Rev. Jan McFarlane\, Dean of Lichfield\, was\ninterviewed by the Rev. Peter Holliday at a music and conversation event at The\nGuildhall. It was on the lines of Radio 4’s “Desert Island Discs”\, and was organised by\nLichfield Festival Friends\, who raise funds for Lichfield Festival. \nDuring the conversation the Dean spoke of her strong local connections: she was born\nand grew up in Stoke\, and worked as a speech therapist in the area before training for\nthe ministry. She was ordained in Lichfield Cathedral and worked as curate in the\nStaƯord area before moving to various posts in Ely and Norwich\, eventually becoming\nBishop of Repton\, and subsequently returning to Lichfield. She spoke of the strong\nfeelings that the ordination of women had roused at first – she had received death\nthreats! She chose as one of her pieces of music the theme to “The Vicar of Dibley” (a\nsetting of the 23rd Psalm) because the first female priests “owe everything to Dawn\nFrench” who made them accessible. \nHubert Parry’s anthem “I was glad” was included as a reminder of the ceremony where\nshe was installed as Dean; but alongside religious music she chose Andy Williams’\n“Moon River”\, which she had listened to in her grandmother’s kitchen\, and Nat King\nCole’s “Let’s face the music and dance”\, which had helped her keep going through\ntreatment for cancer. \nThe conversation with the Dean took place after the Friends’ AGM\, which was\nparticularly well-attended in consequence! LFF Chair Adrienne Swallow reported on\nthe 9 fund-raising events they had held since September\, and which add to subscription\nincome to make LFF one of the biggest contributors to Lichfield Festival. \nA “good news” story she was keen to talk about was the Festival’s “Music for Schools”\nproject which is currently providing instrumental music lessons for more than 100 local\nschoolchildren: LFF members had generously supported it both last summer\, before the\nscheme started\, and during the week March 18-25\, when The Big Give charity had\npromised match funding for up to £5000 of donations. The target was reached easily\, so\nwith the promised match funding the music teaching is secure for another year\, a\ncontribution to the welfare\, skills and opportunities of local young people. \nThis year’s Summer Festival runs from 8th-20th July\, and details of the programme are\nnow available on-line and in printed brochures
URL:https://lichfieldfestivalfriends.org.uk/event/desert-island-discs/
LOCATION:Guildhall\, Bore Street\, Lichfield\, Staffordshire\, WS13 6LU\, United Kingdom
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://lichfieldfestivalfriends.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/DID-e1739447245211.jpeg
ORGANIZER;CN="Lichfield Festival Friends":MAILTO:lff@lichfieldfestival.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20250323T150000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20250323T160000
DTSTAMP:20250509T100236Z
CREATED:20200302T180837Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250509T100236Z
UID:9012-1742742000-1742745600@lichfieldfestivalfriends.org.uk
SUMMARY:The Seven Wonders of the Waterways
DESCRIPTION:A talk by Helen and Andy Tidy. \nAndy and Helen Tidy have a passion for the canal network of this country\, spending half the year living on their narrow boat while towing another! The second boat – called the Jam Butty – is their workplace\, in so far as it carries their delicious selection of jams\, chutneys and marmalades for sale at the various locations they visit. \nTheir lifestyle is making the preserves (500 jars made last week!) and selling them at food fayres at  appropriate places on their travels. \nThey were keen to tell us about engineering wonders of the canal system\, and they had identified eight intriguing structures to make water go uphill or to move narrow boats from one level to another. This included the Welsh aqueduct and Helen described how frightening it is\, crossing so close to a significant drop on either side of you! \nThey went on to tell us of the Anderton boat lift\, the Bingley Five Rise\, and the astonishing Caen Hill lock flight with 29 locks over 2 miles to be negotiated. The Standedge Tunnel was also described to us – three and a half miles\, needing to be “legged” to get through! \nThey also told us of some of the traditional canal people\, their ways of living\, and their assorted difficulties – all changed now\, as nowadays canals are used much more for pleasure than for industrial\npurposes. \nAndy and Helen gave us a fascinating insight into the wonders of the waterways. \nIva Davies
URL:https://lichfieldfestivalfriends.org.uk/event/waterways/
LOCATION:The Cathedral Hotel\, 62 Beacon Street\, Lichfield\, WS13 7AR\, United Kingdom
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://lichfieldfestivalfriends.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/Waterways.jpeg
ORGANIZER;CN="Lichfield Festival Friends":MAILTO:lff@lichfieldfestival.org
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20250223T150000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20250223T160000
DTSTAMP:20250509T100334Z
CREATED:20200302T180837Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250509T100334Z
UID:9007-1740322800-1740326400@lichfieldfestivalfriends.org.uk
SUMMARY:Whistling through Changing Times
DESCRIPTION:A talk by Simon Topman. \nWhistles are everyday items\, and we don’t think about where they come from. But it was in 1884 that\nJoseph Hudson manufactured the first whistle used by football referees. Shortly afterwards the police\nwere looking for an effective way for their members to summon support: Hudson offered a whistle\, which the police force found highly effective. \nThe large order for police whistles that resulted was the start of the Acme Whistle Company\, whose MD\nSimon Topman gave the Festival Friends a lighthearted and lively account of the creation of these\ntwo whistles\, and of the many others the company has made during the 140+ years it has existed. \nSome 6 million whistles are made each year\, with 60% exported to America\, for daily use by police\,\nreferees\, bird watchers\, teachers\, and many others. We were shown – and heard – several examples of\ndifferent whistles\, including a dog whistle (too high for human hearing!)\, a duck call whistle\, a water\nproof life-saving whistle\, even a whistle with a lion roar! More than 80 variations are currently being\nmanufactured today in their Birmingham factory\, to which visits can be made by arrangement. \nSimon told us of his delight at the wonderful advertisement Acme whistles received in the dramatic\nclimax of the film “Titanic”\, when the company name was clearly visible on the whistle being used to try\nto locate survivors after the sinking – free advertising worldwide! \nA very interesting talk. \nBarrie Atchison
URL:https://lichfieldfestivalfriends.org.uk/event/whistling/
LOCATION:The Cathedral Hotel\, 62 Beacon Street\, Lichfield\, WS13 7AR\, United Kingdom
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://lichfieldfestivalfriends.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/whistling.jpeg
ORGANIZER;CN="Lichfield Festival Friends":MAILTO:lff@lichfieldfestival.org
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20250201T193000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20250201T220000
DTSTAMP:20250213T115354Z
CREATED:20200302T180837Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250213T115354Z
UID:8995-1738438200-1738447200@lichfieldfestivalfriends.org.uk
SUMMARY:Lichfield Festival Friends "A Taste of Scotland"
DESCRIPTION:An evening with tutored whisky tasting\, plus entertainment and refreshments with a Caledonian flavour. \nI’m not sure what I was expecting from the whisky tasting experience\, but the event was a full on Burns night.  From the haggis being piped in – by a real piper – to the singing of Auld Lang Syne at the end it was a brilliant evening. The whisky talk was detailed but fun was interspersed with music and poetry\, and some very nice Scottish related snacks. There had been talk of a Gay Gordons at the end\, but the hall was far too full for dancing – maybe next time. If there’s a repeat of this I’ll be there. 5/5
URL:https://lichfieldfestivalfriends.org.uk/event/taste-of-scotland/
LOCATION:Holy Cross Parish Hall\, Upper St John Street\, Lichfield\, WS14 9DX\, United Kingdom
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://lichfieldfestivalfriends.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/Taste-of-Scotland-2560w.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Lichfield Festival Friends":MAILTO:lff@lichfieldfestival.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20241216T193000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20241216T220000
DTSTAMP:20251110T103951Z
CREATED:20241025T100837Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251110T103951Z
UID:8960-1734377400-1734386400@lichfieldfestivalfriends.org.uk
SUMMARY:Christmas Echoes
DESCRIPTION:A programme of words and music for the festive season.\nAustin & Archer Productions presents Christmas Echoes\, an entertaining compilation of light-hearted poetry\, music and drama for the festive season. \nDate: Sunday 15th & Monday 16th December\nTime: 7.30pm\nPrice: £19 per person\, includes a glass of mulled wine and festive canapés\n£2 of the ticket price will be donated to the Lichfield Festival Friends. \nBook online or contact the events team on 01543 414822 or email events@thegeorgelichfield.co.uk\n BOOK TICKETS
URL:https://lichfieldfestivalfriends.org.uk/event/christmas-echoes-2/
LOCATION:The George Hotel\, Bird Street\, Lichfield\, WS13 6PR\, United Kingdom
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://lichfieldfestivalfriends.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/Christmas-Echoes-e1729762052808.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Lichfield Festival Friends":MAILTO:lff@lichfieldfestival.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20241215T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20241215T220000
DTSTAMP:20241025T125905Z
CREATED:20200302T180837Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241025T125905Z
UID:8951-1734291000-1734300000@lichfieldfestivalfriends.org.uk
SUMMARY:Christmas Echoes
DESCRIPTION:A programme of words and music for the festive season.\nAustin & Archer Productions presents Christmas Echoes\, an entertaining compilation of light-hearted poetry\, music and drama for the festive season. \nDate: Sunday 15th & Monday 16th December\nTime: 7.30pm\nPrice: £19 per person\, includes a glass of mulled wine and festive canapés\n£2 of the ticket price will be donated to the Lichfield Festival Friends. \nBook online or contact the events team on 01543 414822 or email events@thegeorgelichfield.co.uk\n BOOK TICKETS
URL:https://lichfieldfestivalfriends.org.uk/event/christmas-echoes/
LOCATION:The George Hotel\, Bird Street\, Lichfield\, WS13 6PR\, United Kingdom
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://lichfieldfestivalfriends.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/Christmas-Echoes-e1729762052808.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Lichfield Festival Friends":MAILTO:lff@lichfieldfestival.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20241109T190000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20241109T223000
DTSTAMP:20250107T171938Z
CREATED:20200302T180837Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250107T171938Z
UID:8994-1731178800-1731191400@lichfieldfestivalfriends.org.uk
SUMMARY:Lichfield Festival Friends "Call my Bluff" Wine Quiz
DESCRIPTION:The Call My Bluff Wine Quiz has rapidly become an established part of the LFF’s year – well\, with wine tasting\, quizzing\, prizes\, friends\, fun & laughter\, and a “ploughman’s platter” for supper\, can you wonder it’s popular?  \nOur wine tasting event is based on the TV word game which ran from 1965 – 1988\, with 6 wines to try and 3 panellists vying for your trust: Who will persuade you? Who’s telling the truth? \nTickets cost £18.00 –  and are available now via the link below. Contact 01543 419233 or 07866 587317\, if further information or assistance is required. \n BOOK TICKETS
URL:https://lichfieldfestivalfriends.org.uk/event/lichfield-festival-friends-call-my-bluff-wine-quiz/
LOCATION:Holy Cross Parish Hall\, Upper St John Street\, Lichfield\, WS14 9DX\, United Kingdom
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://lichfieldfestivalfriends.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/wine-quiz-e1727720137364.jpeg
ORGANIZER;CN="Lichfield Festival Friends":MAILTO:lff@lichfieldfestival.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20241019T190000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20241019T220000
DTSTAMP:20241106T182623Z
CREATED:20200302T180837Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241106T182623Z
UID:8912-1729364400-1729375200@lichfieldfestivalfriends.org.uk
SUMMARY:Lichfield Festival Friends Quiz
DESCRIPTION:It’s always nice to know that our events have been enjoyed\, and the contributions of members who write reviews are much appreciated. It’s a bonus when a visitor offers compliments\, so it’s a pleasure to include these comments from Ron and Sandra \n“I’d just like to comment on last Saturday’s quiz at Martin Heath Hall: Sandra and I thought the evening was a complete success. It was very well presented by quiz masters Barrie and Phil\, and the questions were interesting and sensible general questions that spanned all ages and abilities. The fish and chip supper was top quality. Please invite us again next time.” \n 
URL:https://lichfieldfestivalfriends.org.uk/event/lff-quiz-october-2024/
LOCATION:Martin Heath Hall\, Christchurch Lane\, Lichfield\, WS13 8AY\, United Kingdom
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://lichfieldfestivalfriends.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/LFF-Quiz-October-2024-Event.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Lichfield Festival Friends":MAILTO:lff@lichfieldfestival.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20240903T193000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20240903T213000
DTSTAMP:20240911T143429Z
CREATED:20200302T180837Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240911T143429Z
UID:8867-1725391800-1725399000@lichfieldfestivalfriends.org.uk
SUMMARY:Junyan Chen plays Beethoven\, Amy Beach\, Liszt and Bartók
DESCRIPTION:The piano recital given by Chinese pianist Junyan Chen in The Hub\, Lichfield\, had been advertised as an exciting event and certainly gave the large and appreciative audience an evening to remember. \nJunyan Chen first played in Lichfield in 2022 as a Lichfield Festival Young Artist\, while she was still a student at the Royal Academy of Music when she played the two works by Beethoven and Liszt which began and ended this recital. To these three more works were added – Variations on Balkan Themes Op. 60 by Amy Beach\, written in 1904; the Liszt Funerailles S.173/7\, written in 1849; and 3 Bartok Studies\, from 1918\, with fast and furious pace and incisive rhythms. \nThe work by Amy Beach was unfamiliar to many in the audience but was immediately enjoyable and accessible\, giving the pianist a chance to showcase a wide variety of moods and tempi. The final piece\, the Liszt Piano Sonata in B minor is now seen as a pinnacle of his work and is a fixture in the concert repertoire\, with a fearsome level of difficulty making this performance all the more impressive; the music was extremely dramatic with the full extent of the keyboard used in a quiet opening\, furious scalic passages\, lovely lyrical moments and great confident use of rubato – there was no danger of this performance not being appreciated. \nJunyan has a growing reputation as one of the world’s top young pianists\, and her next challenges are the 2024 Leeds Piano competition (11th to 21st September) and the International Piano competition of Orleans in October and November. As she said when she introduced herself to us\, this recital will help her preparations for the competitions (she played without music for the whole performance). We must wish her well in her future career and thank her for a memorable evening of music. \nProgramme \nBeethoven Piano Sonata No. 28 in A Major\, Op.101\nAmy Beach Variations on Balkan themes\, Op. 60\nLiszt Funérailles\nBartók 3 Studies for piano\, Op. 18\nLiszt Sonata in B minor\, S.178. \nLichfield Festival Friends are very grateful for sponsorship for this event from Nigel O’Mara\, and from Tony Davis and Darin Qualls
URL:https://lichfieldfestivalfriends.org.uk/event/junyan-chen/
LOCATION:The Hub at St Mary’s\, Market Square\, Lichfield\, WS13 6LG\, United Kingdom
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://lichfieldfestivalfriends.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/Junyan-Chen-16x9-1.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Lichfield Festival Friends":MAILTO:lff@lichfieldfestival.org
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