Sherborne Abbey
Festival 2025

A Festival of Firsts

This year marked the beginning of a new chapter, as John Jenkins took up the role of Festival Chairman and Ana Laura Manero stepped into the spotlight as our new Artistic Director. Together, they brought fresh energy, creative depth, and a renewed focus on musical outreach. Ana’s thoughtful programming – alongside her visible passion for education and outreach – shaped a Festival that felt both rooted and renewed.

A standout moment was the sold-out debut recital at The Sherborne, the town’s stunning new arts centre, featuring Ana herself alongside her husband, cellist Arturo Serna. Their captivating programme of Songs Without Words (including Elgar, Rachmaninoff and Piazzolla) was not only musically sublime, but also a moving glimpse into the heart behind this year’s renewed artistic vision.

Festival-Chairman-John-Jenkins-and-Ana-Laura-Manero

Headline Moments

Some of the UK’s finest musicians graced our stages this year…

Florilegium made their Sherborne debut with star soprano Rowan Pierce, offering a rich and poetic programme that charmed audiences with its intimacy and elegance. Full of Baroque colour and nuance, their performance was a masterclass in musicianship – refined, expressive, and full of heart.

Saturday night saw internationally renowned cellist Natalie Clein draw a full house to the Abbey for an unforgettable performance with the Iuventus Chamber Orchestra. Her interpretation of Haydn’s Cello Concerto in D was spellbinding – expressive and deeply moving, with many describing it as a true Festival highlight.

On Tuesday evening, the Abbey was transformed by candlelight and the soaring voices of Armonico Consort, who led a sublime journey through centuries of choral music. The programme – from Renaissance masterpieces to contemporary harmonies – cast a timeless spell, perfectly matched to the Abbey’s ethereal acoustics.

Another outstanding moment came on Bank Holiday Monday, when distinguished organist Thomas Trotter gave a stunning recital – one of the true highlights of this year’s Sherborne Abbey Festival.

Our Festival Chairman John Jenkins shares his reflections:

“Organ enthusiasts were treated to a memorable experience on 5 May when world-famous organist Thomas Trotter gave a magnificent recital as one of the highlights of this year’s Sherborne Abbey Festival. Appointed Birmingham City Organist in 1983, Thomas last played in Sherborne in 2001.

Thomas chose an inspired programme for his Bank Holiday appearance, introducing the works with fascinating facts and background. After his exquisite playing of Bach’s much-loved A minor Prelude and Fugue and a Voluntary by the eighteenth-century composer John Stanley, we were propelled into the 21 st century by the Dutch minimalist Bert Matter’s Fantasy on Von Gott will ich nicht lassen. With a summer festival theme clearly in mind, next came three of Thomas’s masterly organ transcriptions: At the Dance from Eric Coates’s Summer Days, Leroy Anderson’s The Last Rose of Summer and the joyful Dargason from Holst’s St Paul’s Suite. The final work in the programme was Canadian Rachel Laurin’s virtuosic Variations on a Theme by Sweelinck, in which the audience – with the provision of a video screen – were awestruck by an amazing pedal solo in the penultimate variation, one listener observing that ‘Thomas makes his two feet sound like a whole orchestra!’. After this stunning tour de force, Thomas’s splendid encore was another of his transcriptions, Elgar’s Pomp and Circumstance March No.1, a timely tribute to the Land of Hope and Glory as we honoured the 80th anniversary of VE Day.

Thomas remarked that he had greatly enjoyed his visit to Sherborne and to our beautiful Abbey. His many fans will undoubtedly be looking forward to his return to another Festival.”

Two exceptional concerts at The Gransden Hall added further sparkle to the week’s programme.
A programme entitled Words of Women, given by soprano Susanna MacRae and pianist Claire Habbershaw, treated us to a fascinating – and at times highly amusing – exploration into the world of 20th-century and contemporary song.

Meanwhile, James Gilchrist, one of the country’s finest tenors, joined forces with star French horn player Ben Goldscheider and their brilliant pianist Anna Tilbrook for a glorious concert of Beethoven, Schubert, and Schumann, ending with a truly memorable performance of Britten’s haunting Serenade.

Schools at the Heart

Nowhere was this spirit of youthful talent and collaboration felt more strongly than in the school and student-led performances.

Students from Sherborne School, Sherborne Girls, Leweston, and The Gryphon School shone in concerts throughout the week. From the joyful energy of the Sherborne School Swing Band and the elegant harmonies of the Sherborne Girls Madrigal Society, to the musical maturity of Leweston’s Schola Cantorum, these performances were a glowing testament to the dedication of both students and teachers.

Grants

A Week to Remember for Local Pupils

A truly unforgettable afternoon unfolded when pupils from Sherborne Abbey Primary and Milborne Port Primary joined Armonico Consort for a very special AC Academy concert in the Abbey.

Led by the charismatic Christopher Monks, the workshop-turned-performance brought ancient music vividly to life. The children sat on stage alongside professional singers, learning how to breathe and hold themselves like a singer, how to shape beautiful tone, and how music written nearly a thousand years ago can still move people today.

Christopher shared the dramatic stories behind the music – how some composers risked their lives simply to write or perform it – and the children were captivated. They gasped in amazement as the Armonico singers demonstrated their individual voice parts before blending them in glorious harmony. When Christopher asked, “Did you enjoy that, guys?” a delighted chorus of “YESSSS!” rang out through the Abbey.

Primary School Children having singing lessons in Sherborne Abbey

Music, Community and a Volunteer’s View

One of the most heartwarming concerts took place in the Big School Room, where the Sherborne Town Band, together with Festival Brass – a specially formed ensemble of some of the country’s finest players of early instruments – presented a dazzling and imaginative programme that traced the history of brass instruments.

Festival volunteer Frances, who helps lead our Front of House team, shared this reflection:

“Those of us who live in Sherborne are familiar with the cheerful sound of the Town Band playing concerts in the Pageant Gardens, performing the Last Post at the War Memorial on Remembrance Sunday and carols in Cheap Street, but this Festival Concert exceeded our high expectations.
Andy Fawbert had devised a fascinating programme which began with a cave-man making his way across the stage, playing a cow horn. From this intriguing opening we were treated to highly talented musicians making musical sounds on a series of historic instruments, from conch shells through cornettos (not an ice cream, a medieval recorder with a brass mouthpiece), natural trumpets, sackbuts and even an ophicleide.
It was fascinating to hear about the development of brass instruments through the ages and to hear them played so musically. You would not have had any idea how difficult these historic instruments are to play.
The second half was a dazzling display of big brass band sound with familiar marches and fanfares, but also the Elegy from A Downland Suite by John Ireland, demonstrating how a brass band of this calibre can play with sensitive emotion as well as gusto.
We were all delighted with this spectacular concert as we made our way home, humming those stirring tunes.”

It’s moments like this that show what the Festival is all about – and for many of our brilliant volunteers, the reward is not just being part of a close-knit team, but experiencing unforgettable music up close.

Another cornerstone of the Festival community is the Sherborne Festival Chorus – offering a platform for around 140 local amateur singers to perform some of the great choral works each year, accompanied by the professional Chameleon Arts Orchestra. The Chorus’s dedication is clear in the months of weekly rehearsals leading up to the Festival, ensuring performances are delivered to a consistently high standard. This year’s opening night was no exception, with a superb programme that saw the Chorus in full voice for Haydn’s Te Deum in C, followed by a radiant performance of Mozart’s Exsultate, jubilate, sung by regular Chorus soloist Amelia Monaghan. The evening culminated in a powerful and moving account of Mozart’s Requiem – a dramatic and fitting highlight, and a proud showcase of local talent at its finest.

Spotlight on Rising Stars

The Festival’s final evening brought together young musicians from The Gryphon School and Bournemouth University, in a thrilling programme that included Vivaldi’s Gloria and a standout solo from flautist Laura Jones, a Year 13 Gryphon student bound for the Royal College of Music.
This inspiring collaboration – another Festival first – featured students from across the university and arts institutions, including members of the National Youth Choir, and provided a fitting crescendo to a week celebrating emerging talent.

Space for Everyone

As ever, Sherborne Abbey remained at the Festival’s heart – a sacred and awe-inspiring space for candlelit choral works, jubilant orchestras, and everything in between.
But the Festival also reached far beyond the Abbey walls, with events in Cheap Street Church, the Big School Room, The Gransden Hall, and – for the first time – The Sherborne, offering audiences a range of musical experiences.

One of the most eagerly anticipated events once again was Opera at The Plume – an atmospheric evening of music and storytelling that continues to sell out year after year, bringing a touch of operatic magic to the heart of Sherborne.

Importantly, over half of this year’s events were free to attend, and under-18s continued to enjoy free entry to all concerts. The variety on offer ensured that there was truly something for everyone.

Behind the Scenes

The Festival simply wouldn’t happen without its dedicated volunteers, generous Patrons, and the support of our community. We’re especially grateful to Porter Dodson, our headline sponsor, whose team joined in this year with sleeves rolled up – passing canapés and topping up glasses at our Patrons’ event!

To every audience member, volunteer, artist and supporter – thank you. Whether you came to one event or many, you helped create a Festival that was truly marvellous.

Porter Dodson employee handing out canapes

Sherborne Abbey Festival 2025 was a joyful celebration of everything music can be – uplifting, moving, and shared.

With Ana and John at the helm, plans for 2026 are already taking shape. Keep an eye on our website and socials for updates — we can’t wait to welcome you back!

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