FESTIVAL 2008
 

Thurs 25th September - Sat 4th October

About us:

Hexham Abbey Festival was founded in the Queen's Coronation Year of 1953. Its Mission is 'to provide a high quality festival programme of music and the arts centred on the historic Hexham Abbey, appealing to and involving a broad range of audiences and developing new creative ideas.'

In the 1980's, under artistic director Terry Atkinson, the Festival Chorus was formed and it has played a vital part in the festival ever since. The highlight of each year's programme is the Candlelight Concert in which the magical atmosphere created by the light of a thousand candles brings the music to life with extraordinary power.

The Festival's current Director is Graham Coatman ....

SOME say you don’t choose your career, your career chooses you. This is certainly the case for composer, musical director and accompanist Graham Coatman, artistic director of Hexham Abbey Festival. "My parents told me that as a child I would sit in my high chair and conduct whatever music happened to be on the radio at the time. I suppose that’s where it all started really. It was my mother who really got me interested in music. I remember her taking me to my first piano recital when I was only about eight. I realised that was what I wanted to do."

After a degree in music at Bristol University, and postgraduate study at Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, Graham has enjoyed a varied career in theatre and concert hall. "I have had some great opportunities, and I am keen to encourage others to enjoy music as I do." More recently 2001-5, based at Beaumont Street Studios in Huddersfield, Graham led Making Waves, a large scale Youth Music programme of projects and workshops. This resulted in the writing and performance of three musicals. It also gave 40 young bands the chance to get studio time to record demos. Overall, 3,000 youngsters were helped by the initiative. "It was great; so many young people were given an opportunity to shine."

"I am very keen to involve the people of Hexham in showing the world what we can do here and that artists coming to the town will recognise what we have to offer. There will be a diverse range of entertainment, to include film, exhibitions, theatre and young people’s events."

Graham has drawn up three principal objectives, the three I’s - to make the Festival individual, innovative and inclusive. "The inclusive element probably underpins the planning for all areas of the festival programme. In raising the profile locally, regionally and nationally, we’d like to make Hexham the place to take an autumn break and enjoy a real cultural mix."
[abridged from an article in the Hexham Courant of 29 Sept 2006 by Gemma Somerville]

Hexham Abbey Festival is a registered charity number 245282