2004 May Festival
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The annual May Festival at St. Stephen's (now in its ninth year) has become the major event on the South Coast for all lovers of church music, organ music and liturgy.
At the heart of these festivities is the Eucharist, celebrated during each of the three days.

Our special guests this year include Dr. John Bertalot who for many years was the organist of BIackburn Cathedral. He will be talking about his life as a church musician in the lecture. He is also our 2004 composer, and has written a setting of Ave Verum (to be published by Banks of York) for this festival.

Gordon Stewart will be giving the Whitlock Organ Recital. He has an international reputation as an organ virtuoso, and is looking forward to playing our organ for the first time. He also was the organist of Blackburn Cathedral.
We welcome Winchester Cathedral Choir who will be singing evensong on Saturday.

On Sunday evening, St. Stephen's Choir will be joined by Durlston Court School Choir for the Choral Concert, which will include the Charpentier Te Deum, and Fauré Requiem accompanied by orchestra. A new departue for us is the Monday morning chamber music concert, given by the Parry Octet.

This will be followed by a repeat visit to the Pavilion for another "Seaside Organ Concert" which was such a success last year, This year the soloist will be Nicholas Martin who is known as the "Reginald Dixon" of today,
The Monday evening sequence of music and readings is on the theme of the Ascension, with the title "God is gone up!" with music by Finzi, Stanford, Harwood and others.

2004 MAY FESTIVAL PROGRAMME

SATURDAY MAY 1st

10.45 am
FESTIVAL HIGH MASS
St. Philip and St. James
MUSIC: Howells Collegium Regale Motet : Ave Verum – John Bertalot (Festival commission)
PREACHER: Bishop Tim Thornton (Bishop of Sherborne)

2.30 pm
THE FESTIVAL LECTURER. JOHN BERTALOT
'My life as a church musician'
(Sponsored by The Bournemouth Association of Organists)

4.00 pm
THE FESTIVAL TEA
S pread of cakes and sandwiches

5.15 pm
FESTIVAL EVENSONG
The Choir of WINCHESTER CATHEDRAL
Directed by Andrew Lumsden

7.00 pm
THE WHITLOCK RECITAL
given by GORDON STEWART
Internationally renowned organist
(Sponsored by the Whitlock Trust)

SUNDAY MAY 2nd

10.45 am
HIGH MASS
MUSIC: HAYDN ST. NICHOLAS MASS
St. Stephen's Choir and Festival Orchestra
PREACHER: The Very Revd. David Frayne
(Retired Dean of Blackburn Cathedral)
Followed by refreshments at the back of the Church

1.00 pm
THE FESTIVAL LUNCH
At The Norfolk Royale Hotel

7.00 pm
CHORAL CONCERT
CHARPENTIER: TE DEUMFAURÈ: REQUIEM
VIVALDI: Concerto for two trumpets
FAURÈ: PAVANE
St. Stephen's Choir
Durlston Court School Choir Festival Orchestra and soloists.(Sponsored by Durlston Court School Trust)

MONDAY MAY 2nd

10.00 am
LOW MASS
Followed by coffee

11.15 am
MORNING CONCERT
THE PARRY OCTET
Mendelssohn: Octet Holst: St. Paul's Suite

1.00 pm
A "SEASIDE" ORGAN CONCERT
on the Compton organ at the Pavilion
featuring NICHOLAS MARTIN
(Sponsored by the Pavilion Organ Fund)
Free Admission with a retiring collection

3.00 pm
CHORAL EVENSONG

4.15 pm
AFTERNOON TEA

6.00 pm
A SEQUENCE OFMUSIC AND READINGS
GOD IS GONE UP!
(Ascension)
Music by: Finzi, Stanford, Purcell, Harwood.
ST STEPHEN'S CHOIR
ANDREW FLETCHER (Organ)

The Festival concludes with BENEDICTION (15 minutes after the sequence finishes)Music: Tantum Ergo & 0 Salutaris – Fletcher8.00 pm CHEESE AND WINE PARTY(Sponsored by The Society of Mary)

DIRECTOR OF MUSIC: IAN HARRISON
FESTIVAL ORGANIST: ANDREW FLETCHER
LEADER OF THE ORCHESTRA: JANE BULTZ

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