another spectacular line-up has been planned for this year’s Frome Festival which runs from 8th-17th July
The line-up, say the organisers, will help cement the festival’s place as one of the leading community festivals in the country with a heady mix of music, literature, drama, comedy, films, photography and exhibitions.
Frome Times can reveal that Cara Dillon, BBC Radio 2 folk award winner; top Irish musician Imelda May; and BBC radio 4 legend John Shuttleworth are among those appearing while the European Union Chamber Orchestra – made up of many of the leading musicians in Europe – will also be performing, described as a “huge first for the festival”.
There will also be a world record attempt when Words of Frome aim to get into the Guinness Book of Records with the biggest ever gathering of story book characters.
“We’ve got another absolutely fantastic line-up,” said Stephen Tate, one of the festival organisers. “More than 180 events have been planned and so much is being packed in, that we’re spilling over into an extra week.
“There’s a huge jazz line-up including Jon Lloyd, an impressive classical programme and the return of old favourites like Harpeth Rising whose career has really taken off since they appeared at the festival last year and are another example of the festival showcasing real up-and-coming talent. There’s a wide range of other attractions with, as usual, something for everyone.”
Organisers have been working on this year’s programme since the last festival came to a close and say that the programme contains a mix of old favourites and new acts to help keep the festival’s fresh and creative atmosphere alive.
Festival director Martin Dimery said, “We’ve literally just sent the programme to the designer, so it’s all finalised. We’re very happy, it’s very full – it always is!
“The Frome Festival is a year-round operation really and as soon as one festival ends we’re receiving applications from performers and artists for the next.
“The format of the festival is tried and tested and it works very well. With some of the great attractions, people come from all over. Tourism goes up 80% during the festival. You can visit Frome for the day anytime, but a festival keeps people here. And we’ve found that artists will actually choose to come to Frome as opposed to big cities, as they’re more comfortable here.”
Last year the festival celebrated its 10th anniversary, with 23,000 people attending events, almost equalling the population of Frome. This year, the community festival will continue to offer the town an impressive variety of music (modern, folk and classical), literature, drama, comedy, films, photography, exhibitions, green issues, fashion, local history, science & technology and multi-media presentations.
Frome Times is again one of the sponsors and you will be able to read about all the attractions in full in the coming weeks.
For more details, visit www.fromefestival.co.uk
• The festival invites anyone who wants it to last another ten years to sign up as a Friend of Frome Festival. It costs £15 a year. Contact the festival office on 01373 453889 of visit the website and click on the “Friends” link.
