Nicola Lisle talks to organiser Rodney Beacham about this year’s Bledington Music Festival

Some people put their feet up when they retire, or take up a new hobby. Rodney Beacham decided to start a music festival in his local church.

Fifteen years on, the Bledington Music Festival is thriving, and regularly attracts the kind of high-profile names you would normally find at venues like the Wigmore Hall.

This year’s event, Piano fest ‘15, is the first time the focus has been on one instrument. The three-day programme will explore the piano’s dual role as both solo instrument and accompanying instrument, and features violinist Tamsin Waley-Cohen along with pianists Sasha Grynyuk, Mark Bebbington and Simon Crawford-Phillips.

Sasha opens on June 2 with music by Beethoven, Schubert, Scriabin and Stravinksy’s Firebird Suite arranged by Agosti. He is followed the next evening by Tamsin Waley-Cohen and Simon Crawford in the ‘1917’ programme, which includes works by Debussy, Respighi, Sibelius and Elgar, while Mark Bebbington brings the festival to a close on June 4.

In between there is a series of coffee concerts with performers including Clare Hammond, Alissa Firsova and the Cann Twins.

So how does Rodney, as the festival organiser, persuade these stars to swap the prestigious halls they’re used to for a tiny church in the middle of a remote Cotswold village?

“I think they love the church and the acoustics and the atmosphere,” he says. “It’s all very informal. It’s probably also because of the hospitality we give them. We meet them off the train and give them a pub lunch, and they stay with hosts around the village. And they’re often happy to come back. Sasha last played for us in 2008 and he wanted to come back.

“The reaction I get from the hosts is what lovely people they are. They’re at the top of their game, but they’re just ordinary, lovely people.”

So lovely, in fact, that there are some heart-warming tales from the festival — such as the time harpist Catrin Finch, the festival’s vice-president, went to the home of a disabled lady who couldn’t get to any of the concerts and played to her for half an hour.

The festival started in 2000 with a recital by organist Thomas Trotter, soprano Anne McGivern and counter-tenor Colin Cartright, and was so successful that it quickly expanded into an annual, three-day event. Thomas Trotter has since become the festival’s president.

Artists who have trodden the hallowed boards at Bledington church over the years include violinist Chloë Hanslip, the Carducci String Quartet, guitar duo the Katona Twins, 4 Girls 4 Harps, guitarist Craig Ogden and the Aurora Ensemble.

Since 2005 the festival has also developed an education programme for local schoolchildren, who are treated to ‘mini’ concerts and workshops by the musicians.

“The children are so attentive, and they ask sensible questions, which is amazing,” says Rodney. “I think it’s most important that the children are exposed to classical music, and they love it.”

Now, with the festival almost upon him, Rodney is hoping for fine weather, as the church is so small that the interval drinks and canapés have to be served outside. Fingers crossed.

Bledington Music Festival
St Leonard’s Church, Bledington
June 2-4, 11am (coffee concerts) and 7.30pm
Details and bookings: bledingtonmusicfestival.co.uk