Running from 8th to 13th May, the 11th anniversary season of the Liberation Festival saw a number of standing ovations with thousands of delighted audience goers and children thanks to the Outreach. The Festival started with an opening day on 9th May with a musical walk around St Ouen’s Manor thanks to the kind support of the Seigneur Charlie Malet de Cataret.
Led by blue badge guide Ned Malet de Cataret, the crowds were serenaded at key locations by a violin and accordion music.
Following the walk there was an atmospheric concert at 6pm in St Ouen’s church performed by Harriet Mackenzie and Milos Milijocevic. The concert included a Jersey premiere of a piece by Deborah Pritchard for solo violin called Inside Colour and Gulag - a description of life inside a camp in Siberia played by solo accordion.
On Friday 10th May after a very full day of outreach a selection of international soloists performed a festive Shostakovitch five pieces for 2 violins and piano, Beetoven’s Archduke Trio and a second half of Schubert’s Quintet supported by UBS. Such luminaries as Ning Feng, Isang Enders, Wu Qian, Rosamund Ventris and So Ock Kim performed with charisma and much virtuosity.
The festival believes strongly
The outreach events began educational visits to the schools with jazz workshops thanks to the One Foundation. Jazz stars Clare Teal and Jason Rebello plus string quartets, and a duo led a series of interactive workshops learning about the creative process and improvisation. A series of musical therapy classes also took place thanks to grants in 6 care homes.
The final two days of the festival saw a Broadway Gala with Rodney Earl Clarke and Georgi Mottram performing a series of showtunes including Ol’ Man River, and All through the night from Cole Porter’s Anything Goes, conductor Dominic Ferris performing Rhapsody in Blue, a Jersey Sings choir with VCP and JCP schools, and the JADC cast of Les Miserables to a series of standing ovations.
Jazz at the Showground
Then on the final day at Jazz at the Showground a packed house enjoyed Moya, ENRO, Retro Gramophone and Clare Teal and her trio joined by Harriet Mackenzie to showcase the jazz outreach work in It Don’t Mean a Thing.
