Beach debris will be transformed into musical instruments for an award-winning festival in Fife this summer.
East Neuk Festival will bring classical musicians from around the world to towns and villages including St Monans, Anstruther, Kilrenny and Crail.
This year’s ENF Big Project will involve community beach cleans from which rubbish will be used to make instruments for a huge performance by the 100-piece Fantastic Plastic Parade Band, in partnership with the Scottish Fisheries Museum and Cellardyke Sea Queen Festival.
Another highlight of the July event will be the The Tallis Scholars giving their first performance of Arvo Pärt’s rarely-performed Kanon Pokajanen in a focus on the Estonian composer.
Announcing this year’s programme festival director, Svend McEwan-Brown, said: “Thinking about ENF’s programme this year began with rubbish, literally!
“We are a coastal festival and I am delighted that composer and instrument maker Graeme Leak will be leading our Big Project to clear East Neuk beaches then turn some of what we uplift into brilliant instruments to play.
“This year is also a time to relish what enduring relationships can bring to a festival.
“The Tallis Scholars, regular visitors for a decade, offer an exceptional, huge work, Pärt’s Kanon Pokajanen – which they sing for the first time.”
Outstanding young musicians Benjamin Baker, Mei Diyang and Maxim Calver will also return to be coached by legendary cellist Valentin Erben and tackle one of the greatest of all chamber music pieces, Mozart’s Divertimento in E Flat.
The 16th festival from July 1 to 5 will also mark 250 years since Beethoven’s birth, focussing on three works he considered to be the music of the future.
Other returning musicians will include pianists Llŷr Williams and Yeol Eum Son, the Calidore and Castalian quartets.
Performing for the first time will be the Belfiato Quintet, harpists Oliver Wass and Esther Swift, organist Tom Wilkinson, Omar Puente Sextet, David Chadwick, Marit Fält and conductor Daniel Blendulf, who conducts the Scottish Chamber Orchestra in the festival’s closing concert.
The festival from July 1 to 5 will also mark 250 years since Beethoven’s birth, focussing on three works he considered to be the music of the future.
Selected concerts will be recorded for future broadcast on BBC Radio 3.
Mr McEwan-Brown said: “Every single event at ENF is unique and curated – something we are all proud of – I hope that there’s something to delight every kind of music lover.”
The programme can be viewed at www.eastneukfestival.com/programme and tickets can be booked from February 13 at
hubtickets.co.uk/eastneukfestival
.
