Frome Festival

The Frome Festival is festival of music and culture held annually in Frome, Somerset, England since 2000.

Frome Festival
Frome Festival Opening Procession 2005
GenreMusic festival
Location(s)Frome, Somerset, England
Years activeannual
Founded2000
FounderMartin Bax

Martin Bax, a former mayor of the town,[1] conceived the Frome Festival and ran it from its inaugural occurrence in 2000 until 2007,[2] for which he received the MBE.[3] In 2008 Martin Dimery, was appointed as his successor.[4]

The festival programme offers classical music, jazz, folk to indie, literature and drama, film, dance, workshops and free events.

Venues

More than 160 events are held at various venues in and around the town.[5] These include the two theatres in Frome: The Memorial Theatre which was built in 1924 in memory of the fallen of the First World War,[6] whilst the 240-seat Merlin Theatre is part of the Frome Community College campus.[7]

The Cheese and Grain, a former farm produce warehouse which was converted into a market and concert hall in 1997, has a capacity of up to 800 and hosts regular pop concerts.[8] Frome's only cinema, the Westway, is in Cork Street in the town centre.[9] There is also an arts centre, The Black Swan,[10]

Festival events

In 2005, Van Morrison played to three thousand in the grounds of Marston House a nearby stately home.[11] Steeleye Span appeared and more than two hundred players and singers performed Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius, at the festival's annual Summer School.[12]

2006 welcomed Paul Merton, and also included Tony Benn, Roy Bailey, The Troggs, Barry Cryer, Miles Kington, Peter Donohoe, The Mangledwurzels, Rory McLeod and John Tams.[13]

In 2009, 187 events took place over the ten days, including The Levellers, The Imagined Village, Imelda May, Adrian Edmondson’s band The Bad Shepherds, and Still Black Still Proud, starring Pee Wee Ellis, South Africa's The Mahotella Queens, and London-based Ghanaian rapper Ty.

The ninth Frome Festival paid special tribute to Benjamin Baker, the Frome engineer who designed the Forth Railway Bridge, with a series of talks and exhibitions.

References
  1. Dimery, Martin. "Frome Festival gears up for its eighth year". BBC Somerset. BBC. Retrieved 9 June 2015.
  2. "Paul Merton makes return festival visit". Mid Somerset Guardian. This is Somerset. 17 December 2009. Archived from the original on 19 September 2012. Retrieved 27 March 2010.
  3. "Birthday honours: list in full". The Independent. 17 June 2006. Retrieved 27 March 2010.
  4. Dimery, Martin (3 July 2008). "Frome Festival gears up for its eighth year". BBC. Retrieved 27 March 2010.
  5. "Frome Festival". Frome Festival. Retrieved 29 September 2008.
  6. "Frome Memorial Theatre". Frome Memorial Theatre. Retrieved 29 September 2008.
  7. "Merlin Theatre". Merlin Theatre. Retrieved 29 September 2008.
  8. "The Cheese and Grain". The Cheese and Grain. Retrieved 29 September 2008.
  9. "Contact Us". Westway Cinema. Retrieved 28 December 2017.
  10. "The Black Swan". Black Swan Arts. Retrieved 29 September 2008.
  11. "Reviews". Frome Festival. Archived from the original on 19 July 2011. Retrieved 12 November 2010.
  12. "Frome Festival - 1st to 10th July". Mendip District Council. 2005. Archived from the original on 11 June 2011. Retrieved 27 March 2010.
  13. "Frome Festival 2006". Frome Festival. Archived from the original on 9 April 2010. Retrieved 27 March 2010.
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