April 29th to May 8th
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Northill Arts Festival 2011 April 29th to May 8th |
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Arts Festival Contributors
From an idea originally conceived by Martin Turner in the long cold winter of 2009 the Northill Parish Arts Festival has been created by the willing hands of the many interest groups in the parish. The following summarises each of the groups, their role, and a brief summary of their contribution to the event. Further details of can be found in the programme.
St. Mary Virgin Church, Northill
S. Mary Virgin church is the parish church of Northill, Ickwell, Thorncote Green and Hatch. It is a very beautiful mediaeval church with an interesting past, which often reflects the movement of the history of England over the last millennium. The church building is often likened to a small cathedral because of its proportions and size, which are greater than one would expect in a small village. It will be our pleasure to host a number of parts of the Arts Festival and to bring the Festival to a climax with a celebratory Evensong Service on the last night.
The Marylebone Ensemble
is made up of players from the Royal Academy of Music. The core of the group is a wind quintet consisting of a Clarinet, Flute, Oboe, Horn and Bassoon. The ensemble also performs with a piano for certain repertoire. The players have been together for several years and play much of the mainstream repertoire, as well as arrangements, for this combination of instruments and often perform together. Alongside the ensemble the players have won several solo competitions at the Royal Academy, and have worked with some of the main London Orchestras.
For further details of the event hosted by Richard Tyler and the Marylebone Ensemble click here.
Richard Tyler
is a well-known local organist, who as well being the regular organist at St.Mary Virgin, Northill, often gives regular recitals. Richard’s interest in organs goes well beyond playing them and the dissertation for his Masters degree in Applied Acoustics was on the subject of Speech Production in Organ Flue Pipes. Over the past 10 years he has been responsible for two massive and highly successful projects to restore the Compton Organ in Northill church to its full glory. The Compton Organ was originally built in 1922, and given to the church by the then vicar Rev. H.L de Brisay as a thanksgiving for his two sons who had returned safely from the First World War.
Peregrine Recorder Orchestra
Recorders do not mix well with other instruments, so why not a special orchestra of their own? Using 8 sizes of recorder between 6 inches and 6 feet long, and with speciality written scores, the 20 players can produce a great variety of music with a unique twist.Starting life at 20 Caldecote Road in 1985, they transferred rehearsals to Ickwell Village Hall. Members are gathered from the local Society of Recorder Players and other local talent and are conducted by instigator, Ian Farquhar.Having raised much money for various charities over 25 years, they are now a charity in their own right.Reg No. 1111928 www.peregrine-recorder-orchestra.org.uk
Adhoc Swing Band
The Adhoc Swing Band has been in existence for about ten years and was formed by Liz Schofield from two school swing bands in Stratton and Samuel Whitbread Upper Schools. When the students left school, some to become teachers or musicians, they still wanted to carry on playing music together and so Adhoc was created. Since then other friends and colleagues have joined and now there is an established group of players who make up the band. Music is played in the swing style, from many eras up to the present day. It has played concerts in various venues across Bedfordshire and has proved popular at events such as fetes, weddings and parties. The Adhoc Swing Band will be presenting "SWING INTO SPRING" .. ...relax and enjoy the Adhoc Swing Band playing music from the '20's to the present
Bedfordshire Beekeepers Association
The aim of Bedfordshire Beekeepers Association is to provide support for beekeepers in Bedfordshire through education, training and mentoring both for existing beekeepers and those new to the craft, or considering taking it up. There are many aspects to beekeeping from looking after the bees themselves, as well as the environment in which the bees live, to working with the the products of the hive - honey, wax, propolis and royal jelly. Bedfordshire Bee Keepers will be attending the Flower and Hobbies event on Sunday 8th May at Northill Church with a glass fronted demonstration hive containing live bees, honey tasting, candle making and beauty products.
Northill Pageant Drama Spectacular
The Northill Pageant is a history of the Parish from its earliest days up to modern times. A series of eight individual scenes, will give the audience information about Northill and Ickwell, and portray significant events that have shaped our Parish over many hundreds of years.Colourful and informative, at times serious and also with much humour, the Pageant - narrated by Thomas Tompion himself - will involve well over a hundred members of our community, with both 'recognised' local actors and folk who have never 'trod the boards' before. Written and Directed by local resident Ian Ashcroft, it will be a 'thoroughly enjoyable experience'!
Historic Walks
Our guide and narrator, Alan Wakeford, of Upper Caldecote, has been a local history enthusiast for many years with a special interest in the origin of names - of buildings, fields and families. The walk along footpaths will follow the route of the traditional "Three Greens Walk" -Northill, Upper Caldecote and Ickwell, some 4 miles in total, which may include an afternoon tea break at Ickwell Village Hall. Allow 2 1/2 hours in total.
Biggleswade and District Art Society
Founded 1984, presently 92 members, 18 of whom live in Northill Parish. Monthly meetings in Biggleswade feature demonstrations and art history presentations with occasional painting days in local locations. Professionally tutored workshop sessions are usually held during the Winter. Exhibitions of around 200 paintings by members are held twice yearly in Northill Village Hall - the best art gallery in the County ! The Exhibitions regularly attract around 1000 visitors. The Spring Exhibition is usually held in mid-April, but the Society has moved to May this year in order to conribute to this first Northill Arts Festival.
Ickwell May Day Committee
The May Day Committee was formed in 1945 to perpetuate the Ickwell May festival which had taken place, according to church records, since at least 1563 and originated from a pagan festival celebrating the coming of spring. The festival has dancers from Old Warden and the surrounding villages in the Northill parish. The procession of village school children, Old Scholars and Morris Men walk from Northill to Ickwell behind their queen and, following the crowning ceremony on the green, dance for her pleasure. The afternoon has dances by school children and adults of all ages and includes invited dance groups too. Step back in time with us, there is no better place to be on a sunny afternoon.
Historic Film Shows
Peter Maudlin is a third generation farmer living in Upper Caldecote. Grandfather Charles Maudlin commenced business as a butcher (now The Stores, Hitchin Road) and purchased the farm plus 19 acres around 1919, commencing with arable and dairy farming. Peter started recording "village life" on 8 mm cine about 1957. Horse- hoeing, hand milking, farm machinery, agricultural labour, village businesses and May Day festivities are all captured, latterly on video, both media now having been converted to DVD, and Peter will be giving a rare showing of some of these films as part of the Arts Festival.
Northill Branch of the WI
Northill & Ickwell WI was formed in November 1989 with 20 members. Mollie Martin was the first President, Jenny Deverell the first Secretary and Barbara Osborne the first Treasurer. They met in the evening of the third Tuesday of the month in Northill Village Hall and this remains the same to the present day. We now have 32 members and will be celebrating our 21st birthday in November 2010. For the Arts Festival, we are planning to hold an arts and crafts exhibition in the church hall in Sand Lane over 2 days and refreshments will be served.
St Mary Virgin Flower Team
St. Mary Virgin Church flower team began in its infancy with Mabel Norman in the 1950s. She would pick flowers from her garden and together with half a dozen village ladies would meet in the Church every Saturday morning and clean the brasses and arrange the flowers, at that time in brass vases, not in oasis on pedestals. They were placed on the high altar and the lady chapel alter.
Glass vases were used to decorate the window sills and the font steps for the festivals in the church calendar. As Mabel's health began to fail Margaret and Archie Webster befriended her and eventually Margaret took over the church flowers. She invited more ladies to help and gradually the need for a rota system became the obvious way forward.
The team grew in strength and number and today we have 23 ladies on the rota.
We now have two ladies working together on a two weekly basis which means that each team of two people only arrange and fund their own flowers twice a year.
All members of the team are invited to come along to the church for festivals on the Saturday morning prior to the festival to decorate the church as a team. Flowers are provided by the team organiser purchased from donated or activity raised funds. The organiser is responsible for making sure there are enough funds available and also to circulate rotas to all team members. New members are always welcome. We hope that you will come along to enjoy our beautiful church which will be decorated with flowers and hobby crafts.
Northill Bell Ringers
An active band, ringing every Sunday morning and on special occasions, the ringers practice on Monday evenings when valuable advice for the newer members is provided by those more experienced.Two years ago the bells and structures were over-hauled which has improved the quality of performance and has attracted favourable comments by ringers from around the County. Our oldest bell, the 2nd, is 500 years old in November 2010, and will be celebrated with an Open Day.For the Arts Festival a quarter peal of around one hour will be rung by the home team on the final Sunday, and a full peal, taking longer, will be performed by more experienced ringers from neighbouring churches on the Saturday April 30th.
Maypole Heritage
Maypole Heritage was founded in 1986 by a group of people who had a common interest in the local history of Northill Parish, i.e. the villages of Northill, Ickwell, Upper Caldecote, Thorncote Green and Hatch. During the winter the society has visiting speakers on a wide variety of topics and in the summer it goes on guided visits to places of local interest. Maypole Heritage has built up a varied collection of old photographs, maps, scrapbooks, articles, family memorabilia contributed by the members and people associated with the villages. During the Northill Arts Festival Maypole Heritage will be putting on an exhibition of some of this material to show the history of Northill Parish.
Thursday Club
Thursday Club is a group that meets in members homes on the first Thursday in the month. Members are looking forward to serving teas while the Swing Band plays at the Festival.
Formed in the early 1960's, the group organized fund raising events, notably the Harvest Supper in the old Harvey Hall, to provide treats for the children in care at Manor farm, Sandy.
When May 1st fell on a weekend, members would be serving cooked breakfast in the Ickwell Club room to the early revellers. In 1994, the group inaugurated the Annual Pancake Race, a tradition that continues today in the hands of the Investment Club, and Friends of St Mary.
Nowadays, with the closure of Manor Farm, the group supports the children in care at Keech Hospice, through events such as Valentine Dances and candlelit evening celebrating Christmas.
