'We are enormously proud': Banbury Early Music Festival nominated for international award
Banbury Early Music Festival has been nominated for an award at an upcoming international music awards ceremony.
The festival, which returns for its third year this month on Saturday, September 26 and Sunday, September 27, is up for the Audience Project of the Year award at this year’s REMA (Réseau Européen de Musique Ancienne) awards.
Founded and directed by local early musicians Dylan McCaig, Heidi Fardell and Alison Kinder, Banbury Early Music Festival attracts hundreds of music fans from across the county to the town for performances, markets and workshops.
The festival is not only one of the UK’s newest music festivals specialising in medieval, Renaissance and Baroque music, but is also one of the country’s fastest growing.
Dylan, Heidi and Alison, alongside musicians and festival organisers from around the world, will travel to Bruges, Belgium, for the awards, held on November 25.
Speaking about the nomination, they said: “Seeing the name Banbury Early Music Festival recognised on an international awards shortlist is something we are enormously proud of.
“From the beginning, we wanted to create something firmly rooted in Banbury but ambitious enough to attract outstanding musicians and audiences from across the country. We strongly believe that people should not have to travel to a major city to experience world-class music and culture.
“This nomination belongs just as much to our audiences, volunteers, musicians, workshop participants, supporters and the wider Banbury community as it does to us. To see Banbury represented on a European stage is incredibly exciting.”
The directors say Banbury Early Music Festival was created with the aim of developing an audience and creating a community centred around early music in Banbury, rather than simply putting on a series of concerts.
Alongside performances from local and professional musicians from further afield, the festival also features workshops, markets and activities at several venues across the town.
The directors of the festival added: “Internationally renowned artists, local musicians, school pupils, amateurs and complete newcomers can all be part of the same weekend. That mixture is what makes the festival so exciting.”
For more information about this year’s festival, including how to purchase tickets, visit: https://banburyearlymusicfestival.weebly.com/