Music

Enjoy a special live recording of Radio 4’s long-running variety show. Clive Anderson and guests offer an eclectic mix of conversation, music and comedy.

The Will Barnes Quartet bring us an auditory treat to Hay Festival. Source of the Severn is their debut album – an evocative, fluid collection mixing hints of Wales with immaculately performed jazz. Will Barnes (guitar) is joined by James Batten (drums), Jack Gonsalez (piano) and Clovis Phillips (bass) – a tight collective of highly experienced jazz instrumentalists. Their original music is a modern take on the classic bebop era with influences of Wes Montgomery, Bill Evans, Pat Metheny and Oscar Peterson, further taking inspiration from the exquisite landscape of Mid Wales and the Marches. The beautiful album artwork by skilled landscape artist Erin Hughes is also very covetable!

Marcel Lucont (Comedy Central at the Comedy Store, Sky Atlantic’s Set List, BBC1’s John Bishop Show) presents a feast of international cabaret. For one night only, he presents: Rob Deering, the UK’s foremost guitar-wielding, loop-layering stand-up comedian; Sara Twister, internationally renowned circus artiste from Berlin; and Jon Udry, winner of British Young Juggler of the Year! Cabaret Fantastique has no fixed abode – a cult hit at festivals worldwide, each programme of entertainment is handpicked by Marcel. You’ll be served up a luscious plate of the finest performers from the world of cabaret, comedy, circus, poetry, magic and music, all held together with dry wit and a dry white.

This is your chance to sing with vocal coach and choir director Juliet Russell, as she teaches the 1980s classic ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’ in honour of Wales’ own Bonnie Tyler. You’ll learn warm-ups, harmonies, breathing and performance techniques in this uplifting, inclusive and energising session. Russell has worked with Grammy, BRiT and MOBO artists. Her TV credits include The Voice and Michael McIntyre’s Big Show.

In a wide-ranging conversation with Welsh-Jamaican reggae artist and presenter Aleighcia Scott, DJ Huw Stephens (BBC Radio 6, BBC Radio Wales and BBC Radio Cymru) reveals how he selected 100 Welsh records for his new book, and how these artists have influenced Wales’ culture, past and present. He analyses highlights in the careers of the most important recording artists Wales has produced, singing in English or Welsh – including Tom Jones, Shirley Bassey, Dafydd Iwan, Max Boyce, Manic Street Preachers, Super Furry Animals, Adwaith and Mace the Great.

Charlotte Church’s childhood and teenage years were a jumble of global superstardom, financial wealth, tabloid intrusion and the accompanying personal strain. Now, she has taken her experiences of chaos and her passion for wellbeing and is a tenacious campaigner for climate action, economic equity, integrated education and political accountability. Church talks to writer and theatre producer Mary Loudon about her campaigning and The Dreaming, her house in mid-Wales which hosts retreats to provide healing, inspire change and cry hope in a troubled world.

Born in Belize, brought up in London’s Tottenham, singer/songwriter/composer Errollyn Wallen talks about her life and work in jazz, pop and classical music. Her book Becoming a Composer combines memoir, observations, diary entries, poems and essays, demystifying the world of composing. Her output includes more than 20 operas and numerous orchestral, chamber and vocal works. She has composed pieces for the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games in 2012, for Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden and Diamond Jubilees and a reimagining of Parry’s Jerusalem for the Last Night of the Proms. She talks to choir director Juliet Russell.

St Mary’s Church in Hay, with its excellent acoustics, is the perfect setting for Hereford Chamber Choir’s performance of its critically acclaimed Dymock Poets Reimagined. This innovative concert focuses on seven contemporary composers and their choral settings of works by the Dymock Poets (who included Robert Frost, Rupert Brooke and Edward Thomas, all connected with the Gloucestershire village). Founded in 1983, Hereford Chamber Choir consists of 25 exceptional mixed voices. Under music director Simon Harper, the choir has a reputation for performing exciting programmes of choral music from the medieval era to newly commissioned works.

Don’t miss the Fontanas’ debut performance at the Festival – you can expect a well-oiled band, ready to hit the heights and have you up and dancing! Soaked in funky Latin and Brazilian influences, the band has found the sweet spot between tight funk grooves and swinging Latin rhythms.

Taking influence from the likes of the Dap Kings and Banda Black Rio, they’re graced with the inimitable Kay Elizabeth on vocals. Alongside her prowess as a vocalist, Kay is a professional dancer showcasing her skills on the global stage from Rio to Notting Hill, where she has earned the title ‘Queen of Carnival’. Shimmy into a world of rhythm infused with samba swing and electrified by the band’s intoxicating stage presence.

Well known to Hay Music audiences and acclaimed as a “pianist of extraordinary gifts” (Gramophone) and “immense power” (The Times), Clare Hammond is recognised for the virtuosity and authority of her performances. In 2016, she won the Royal Philharmonic Society’s Young Artist Award in recognition of outstanding achievement. In the fine setting of St Mary’s Church, Hammond plays a programme comprising: Clara Schumann: Three Romances Op. 21; Ludwig van Beethoven: Sonata No. 14 in C sharp minor, Op. 27 No. 2 ‘Moonlight’; Samy Moussa: Al’assaut des jardins; Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Sonata in D major, K. 311 and Cécile Chaminade: ‘Impromptu’ Étude de Concert, Op. 35 No. 5 and Étude Romantique, Op. 132.

Christopher Haworth, Associate Professor in Music at the University of Birmingham, discusses the moral, ontological and aesthetic issues that are stirred by the proliferation of so-called deepfakes in twenty-first century popular music. Typically viewed as a form of audio clickbait, cases such as ghostwriter’s fusion of Drake and The Weeknd prompt us to ask what happens when music produced by deepfakes is aesthetically and culturally valuable. How will the legal and moral issues of ‘voice theft’ be resolved if the results are in the public interest?

Jasmine Jethwa’s new EP, Same Streets But I Don’t See You Around, deals with the fallout of romantic heartbreak. Sometimes gentle, sometimes acerbic, it’s laced with a sense of spirituality and candour. Jethwa is inspired by a fusion of Western and Indian culture, influenced by the personal stories of her south London upbringing, and has a natural command for melody and harmonies.

She wasn’t always set on being a musician, first training in dance, contemporary, jazz, ballet, tap and modern. Then she suddenly changed direction to focus on music, and her deft and tender 2020 debut EP Hurricane garnered acclaim from BBC Introducing, gal-dem, The Independent and more. She’s known for her swaying, folk-tinged acoustic pop songs with a full voice that teems with rich emotion. The dance world’s loss is music’s gain.

Get down for an unforgettable sonic spectacle with the multi-award-winning progressive brass band from London. Part choir, part chamber orchestra, part avant-rock band, Perhaps Contraption creates a unique musical experience, melding elements of jazz, art pop and post-minimalism, infused with choreography and theatricality.

Their intense, exuberant shows are something like John Adams meeting Frank Zappa and Sufjan Stevens in an avant-garde collision; staggering through a fairground – beautiful and astonishing, replete with irregular but irresistible rhythms, big choral harmonies and triumphant horns. Catch them fresh from Glastonbury, the EFG London Jazz Festival, Bestival, Wilderness, Southbank Centre and Latitude.

A BBC Radio 3 lunchtime concert series marking the centenary of Gabriel Fauré’s death. This first of four recitals recorded for broadcast explores the music of Fauré and others. James Atkinson (baritone) and Michael Pandya (piano) perform a programme including Fauré, Chausson, Lili Boulanger and Hahn.

Rockfield Studios in Monmouthshire is one of the foremost recording studios in the world, immortalised in the documentary, Rockfield: The Studio on the Farm. The ‘Galileos’ of Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ were born at Rockfield. Black Sabbath, Iggy Pop, Rush, Oasis, Simple Minds, Coldplay, Robert Plant, The Manic Street Preachers and Paolo Nutini have all recorded there. Tiffany Murray, whose memoir My Family and Other Rock Stars is set at the studios, talks to the King of Rockfield, Kingsley Ward MBE, and studio manager Lisa Ward about the legendary location.

The singer-songwriter, record producer and former British Army officer regales us with tales loosely based on fact, from his questionable Norfolk roots, eccentric family, boarding school antics, misjudged military service, to his rise to music stardom and tour escapades. His 2004 debut album Back to Bedlam, featuring the single You’re Beautiful, sold over 11 million copies and was the best-selling album of the 2000s in the UK. His new album, Who We Used to Be is out in October. Blunt talks to writer and presenter Matt Everitt.

Explore the seductive and scandalous life of Lord Byron through a performance of his extraordinary narrative poem, Don Juan. Pianist Clare Hammond and actor Tama Matheson, using music by Felix Mendelssohn, Ludwig van Beethoven, Hélène de Montgeroult, William Grant Still and Isaac Albéniz, celebrate Byron’s inimitable wit in this bicentenary year of his death.

The hit musical Hadestown has recently opened in London’s West End, after an epic journey from Canada to Broadway, winning eight Tony Awards on the way. In this special event, Hadestown creator Anaïs Mitchell and members of the UK cast introduce us to the musical and perform excerpts from the show. Mitchell shares stories about the show’s early years and answers questions about its inception and its runaway success.

Hadestown intertwines two love stories in the underworld of Greek mythology – that of young dreamers Orpheus and Eurydice, and that of King Hades and his wife Persephone. Grammy-winning singer-songwriter and BBC Radio 2 Folk Award-winner Mitchell originated Hadestown as an indie theatre project and album. She then transformed the show into a genre-defying new musical, picking up a Tony Award for Best Musical and a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theatre Album. Blending modern American folk music with New Orleans-inspired jazz, it is one of the most streamed cast albums of all time.

What do Billie Holiday, Irish fiddle music and reggae have in common? Which iconic pubs, clubs, community centres and record shops across the UK have inspired Black musical genres? What political and economic moments in history have shaped Black identity and experience in the UK and how, in turn, have these shaped contemporary British culture? At this event marking the publication of Boakye’s Musical World, George the Poet’s Track Record: Me, Music and the War on Blackness, and a major British Library exhibition, Beyond the Bassline: Black British Music, curated by Dr Gray and Dr Riley, our expert panel reflect on personal encounters with music as a political and shaping force, and on six centuries of African musical contribution to the UK and the world.

A BBC Radio 3 lunchtime concert series marking the centenary of Gabriel Fauré’s death. In this second of four recitals recorded for broadcast, Charles Owen (piano) performs a programme including Fauré, Chopin, Chaminade and Ravel.

Join the alto saxophonist for an evening of uplifting music. Whether playing a proud role in his local Leicester community, lending his talents to perform for the city’s first Black mayor George Cole or paying homage to his Afro-Caribbean roots with songs charged with the righteous energy of reggae music, musician and spoken word artist Marcus Joseph aspires to be an instrument of change.

A BBC Radio 3 lunchtime concert series marking the centenary of Gabriel Fauré’s death. In this third, and slightly longer, of four recitals recorded for broadcast, the Leonore Piano Trio and Lawrence Power (viola) perform Le Beau’s Piano Quartet in F minor, Op 28 and Fauré’s Piano Quartet No 2 in G minor, Op 45.

Prepare for a unique evening of music and storytelling from musician Johnny Flynn and nature writer Robert Macfarlane. The pair have released two albums, the most recent 2023’s The Moon Also Rises, described by the Guardian as “uplifting and muscular English folk stylings, courtesy of Flynn, with ancient and modern themes interwoven in these co-written lyrics”.

Flynn is a singer, composer, musician and actor who tours with his own band and regularly composes for film, TV and theatre. He is currently appearing as Richard Burton in Jack Thorne’s play The Motive and the Cue, directed by Sam Mendes. Macfarlane is author of books including Underland and The Old Ways, and with Jackie Morris as illustrator, is the author of The Lost Words and The Lost Spells.

Don’t miss this recital performance and conversation with singers from Welsh National Opera’s young artists programme. The musicians perform a mix of well loved opera classics and some traditional Welsh folk music, accompanied by WNO players. A conversation with the artists offers the chance to find out more about life on the road with the UK’s largest touring opera company.

A BBC Radio 3 lunchtime concert series marking the centenary of Gabriel Fauré’s death. In this last of four recitals recorded for broadcast, the Leonore Piano Trio performs Fauré’s Piano Trio in D minor, Op 120 and Ravel’s Piano Trio in A minor.

Enjoy a half-hour open air performance between events. Singing is fun with Hay Community Choir – good for mental health, feeling you’re part of a whole. Come along and have a listen as the Choir share their joy in music.

A wonderful opportunity to sing with musicians from Welsh National Opera. Come and learn some classic operatic repertoire in this fun, interactive workshop, suitable for all ages and with no singing experience needed. This is a family-friendly event where everyone is welcome. At the end of the workshop the WNO singers will answer all your questions in a Q&A session.

Daisy Goodwin brings to life a woman whose extraordinary talent, unremitting drive and natural chic made her a legend: Maria Callas. Goodwin’s new novel Diva draws on Callas’ life growing up in Nazi-occupied Greece, her fame as a soprano and her relationship with Aristotle Onassis, who then abandoned her to marry former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy. Writer and television producer Goodwin is author of My Last Duchess and The Fortune Hunter. She wrote the screenplay for Victoria, the eight-part ITV series about the early life of Queen Victoria. Goodwin talks to The Bookseller’s programme director Miriam Robinson.

Legendary Welsh superstar Bonnie Tyler recounts how she carved out an extraordinary career that is still going strong. From her early days growing up in a tiny mining village in South Wales to her career as a club singer, which led to her accidental discovery by a talent scout, she charts her incredible rise to fame. Her memoir Straight from the Heart tells the story of how a shy, music-loving teenager called Gaynor Hopkins came to record some of the most iconic songs of all time, including ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’ and ‘Holding Out for a Hero’, achieving chart success all over the world. Tyler has always determinedly followed her own path, breaking down barriers and leading the way for other female artists. Her roots remain firmly in her beloved Wales, and she’s bringing her down-to-earth, candid outlook to Hay Festival.

Nitin Sawhney brings to Hay Festival his most recent album, Identity, packed full of collaborations with his favourite artists. Sawhney says: “I’m working and collaborating with artists who are proud of who they are and whose work is defined by that pride. This album is a sonic collage of music, strong voices and self-validation. The album is a love letter to who we all are.” Expect an eclectic set influenced by Indian and Spanish styles, along with blues, soul, funk, electronica and pop.

The Ivor Novello Lifetime Award-winning writer, composer and producer is one of the most distinctive and versatile musical voices around. He has worked with the likes of Paul McCartney and Sting and scored numerous films and television series. He’s established as a world-class producer, songwriter, touring artist, BBC Radio and club DJ, multi-instrumentalist, composer and cultural/political commentator.

Smokin Jo – Joanne Joseph – is the only woman to win the prestigious International DJ of the Year Award. Reclaimed by an absent mother after years in care, she led an unpredictable childhood and drifted towards Soho when barely a teenager, where she joined other fish out of water who lived through dance music. She became Smokin Jo (after Smokin’ Joe Frazier) and one of Britain’s top DJs. She shares stories from her life of transitions, farce and, above all, freestyled endurance, including meeting Russian oligarchs’ sons, clinically insane promoters, Naomi Campbell and Arabian princesses spending hundreds of thousands of dollars for glorified karaoke sessions.

The comedian, playwright and broadcaster shares stories from her memoir, One Ukrainian Summer, about coming of age in the former USSR. It’s 1993, Viv is about to turn 21 and is on a study year abroad, supposedly immersed in the language, history and politics of a world that has just ceased to exist: the Soviet Union. Instead, she is immersed in Bogdan Bogdanovich, lead guitarist of a Ukrainian punk rock band. They meet in St Petersburg, where he promises that if she can get through a Russian winter, he will give her “one Ukrainian summer”. At parties, gigs and bars, Groskop and her new friends argue over the best places to find Levi’s jeans. No one debates the precise location of the border or the brightness of the future. Good times are here to stay, because the Soviet Union is finished. Isn’t it? She discusses her new book with Charlotte Higgins, the Guardian’s chief culture writer.