The New England Bach Festival is seeking new members for its committee, particularly people who can become involved in chasing funding and sponsorship.
This year’s festival was highly regarded artistically, but lost money, leaving the coffers virtually empty. Government funding is increasingly difficult to obtain and the future of the festival depends on other sources of funding.
The Bach Festival was established in 2003 by Terry Norman, with Caroline Downer taking over as artistic director for the second festival and Benjamin Thorn for the third and subsequent festivals. This year’s festival was the sixth. The aim of the festival has always been to present the best possible baroque performances using visiting and local musicians. Concerts attract both local and visiting patrons, from as far afield as Melbourne and Queensland.
Bringing in outside performers, including ones with international reputations and careers such as Hans-Georg Wimmer, Fiona Campbell, Neal Peres da Costa and Lars-Ulrich Mortenssen, is important since they give the festival high quality performances but they also help develop local musicians and students through collaborations and master classes. The master classes, which are organised in conjunction with NECOM, have been a very valuable part of the festival.
The Annual General Meeting of the Festival will be held at the Uniting Church on Thursda, September 20 at 7.30pm. Everyone is welcome, with the hope to finding the people and enthusiasm to continue this valuable part of Armidale’s cultural life. Anyone interested in further information can contact Benjamin Torn on 6772 5889.
