2025 events

Festive Classics is a member of Bromsgrove Arts Alive, which promotes, champions and encourages involvement in the arts, culture and heritage in Bromsgrove and the surrounding area

'Music at Lunchtime' events at the New Guesten Hall, Avoncroft Museum of Historic Buildings - all presented as part of Bromsgrove Festival 2025

Wed 25 Jun 2025	Celebrity Recital - Craig Ogden - A household name to listeners of Classic FM and Radio 3, critically and popularly acclaimed with a string of No.1 recordings to his name, Australian-born Craig is one of the most successful classical guitarists of his generation. The BBC Music Magazine described him as "A worthy successor to Julian Bream". His relaxed style of presentation, the diversity of his repertoire and virtuosity have made him a firm favourite with audiences. He has an international career as a soloist and chamber musician in recital, a prolific recording artist and as a concerto soloist with orchestras around the world. His performance for Festive Classics will reflect the wonderful variety within the guitar repertoire and include music by Torroba, Scarlatti, Villa-Lobos and Rodrigo - along with his warmth and sense of humour that charms every audience. Craig Ogden's website
Wed 2 Jul 2025	A Kaleidoscope of Music - Julia Åberg & Jackie Tyler - Julia (violin) and Jackie (cello) are long-standing members of the CBSO. Their musical partnership goes back a long time, and well beyond orchestral music. It encompasses chamber music, performances on period instruments as well as work in special schools and with those living with dementia. The duo was formed during the covid pandemic, building an uplifting repertoire of music with enduring popularity to convey hope and to keep the spirits up. Julia and Jackie will guide you through a kaleidoscopic selection of music arranged for violin and cello, taking you on a musical journey through the centuries, performing many familiar tunes and some lesser-known melodies, being suitable for audiences of all ages and musical tastes.
Wed 9 Jul 2025	Home Service: A musical celebration of life on the Home Front to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day - Actor/singer and pianist Michael Lunts - The music and humour of the Second World War inspired and uplifted a whole generation during Britain’s darkest but finest hour. In this latest musical show, Festive Classics regular Michael Lunts draws on this rich vein of material evoking the hardships, humour and heroism of those men and women fighting the war on the Home Front. Against a backdrop of blackouts, bombs and rationing, the wireless, through the B.B.C.’s Home Service, fought back with a barrage of entertainment while ENSA earned its affectionate nickname providing ‘Every Night Something Awful’! Using authentic broadcasts, songs and music from the period, along with first-hand accounts of life in war-time Britain, Michael brings to life the Forties in all its grit and grandeur. Michael Lunts' website
Wed 16 Jul 2025	French Horn Fireworks - The Birmingham Horn Sound - The Birmingham Horn Sound is a Midlands-based group of french horn players dedicated to performing original and specially-arranged horn-ensemble music. Founded in 2010, the group provides opportunities for like-minded hornists to explore and experience the diverse world of horn ensemble repertoire. It has performed at various venues across the Midlands, notably in Birmingham and Worcester. The core membership is drawn from the horn sections of the Birmingham Philharmonic Orchestra and Chandos Symphony Orchestra. Many group members are graduates of prestigious UK music institutions such as the Royal Academy of Music, Royal College of Music, Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and Royal Northern College of Music. The group's repertoire extends beyond traditional valved horns, encompassing instruments like Wagner tubas and natural horns, offering a rich and varied sonic palette. The concert will be of mostly classical works, including some lighter numbers and solo items.

To enquire about 'Music at Lunchtime' events, or for any other query, please email us.