Chamber music festival returns with nature theme

The 2025 Hastings Chamber Music Festival is back with its most ambitious and varied programme to date, offering a vibrant mix of four chamber music concerts that span an impressive 350 years of repertoire, from the Baroque to contemporary works. Nick Terdre explores what is on offer.

This year’s festival showcases an exciting range of performances, featuring both established musicians and emerging talent, and proudly features a strong representation of works by female composers, all under the theme of ‘Resounding Nature’, says artistic director Jane Gordon.

The festival consists of four concerts performed by four different ensembles over four consecutive days, from Thursday 23 to Sunday 26 October. The performances will take place at Christ Church in Silchester Road and Kino-Teatr in Norman Road, both in St Leonards-on-Sea.

The first concert features the Felix Ensemble performing Richard Strauss’s Metamorphosen Septet and Shostakovich’s Piano Quintet. On Friday The Hermes Experiment offers a richly varied programme ranging from the Baroque elegance of Élisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre to contemporary works by Errollyn Wallen and Caroline Shaw.

The Saturday concert will be preceded by an Artists in Conversation event, with climate scientist Frank Venmans leading a panel discussion on Music and Nature, exploring among other themes how musicians are responding to environmental challenges and how music can amplify ecological awareness.

This evening’s programme includes more Baroque music, by Handel, Locatelli, Telemann, Purcell and JS Bach, as well as Elements, a new commission by Orlando Gough. These works will be played by the Apollo’s Cabinet ensemble using period instruments.

The closing concert on Sunday afternoon will be preceded by another Artists in Conversation event involving a discussion with Sally Beamish, including thoughts on her composition Seafarer and her richly varied musical journey. Seafarer will then be performed by the Rautio Piano Trio, along with Beethoven’s Kakadu Variations, Opus 121a, and Bach’s Passacaglia and Fugue in C Minor, BWV 582.

The Artists in Conversation events are open to all concert ticket holders.

Members of the public are also invited to Open Rehearsals at which they can listen as two of the ensembles prepare for their performance. These will take place at Christ Church from 3 to 5pm on Thursday 23 and Saturday 25 October featuring the Felix Ensemble and Apollo’s Cabinet respectively. No ticket required!

 

Concert 1: Metamorphoses & Resilience
23 October 7pm Christ Church
Felix Ensemble
Tickets

Concert 2: Tree
24 October 7pm Kino-Teatr
Hermes Experiment
Tickets

Concert 3: Elements
25 October 7pm Christ Church
Apollo’s Cabinet
Tickets

Concert 4: Echoes of the Sea and Soul
26 October 3pm Kino-Teatr
Rautio Piano Trio with narrator Oliver Beamish
Tickets

Tickets are priced at £20 plus booking fee. At Christ Church free entry is offered to students, under 18s and those on a low income. At the Kino-Teatr tickets can be purchased on the door without a booking fee.

 

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