Sutton Coldfield Festival of Arts

[ July 9, 2008; 8:00 pm; ] Our answer to Robert Plant and Alison Krauss - two exemplary musicians with very different backgrounds, joining together to produce something magical. Vocalist Natalie is best known for her work with pop group Scooch, who were the UK’s Eurovision representatives in 2007 and who have enjoyed a string of top-ten hits.

Ian was the house drummer [...]

[ July 12, 2008; 3:15 pm to 3:45 pm. ] Prodigiously talented Sutton violinist-vocalist Rebecca Kelly performs on the main stage in The Parade on Saturday July 12 from 3.15pm to 3.45pm.

Rebecca turned to the jazz-swing of Stephane Grappelli having first played in a variety of classical groups including the Birmingham Schools Symphony Orchestra and the Bravura string orchestra.

She also featured as a jazz soloist [...]

[ July 12, 2008; 1:30 pm to 2:00 pm. ] Emerging Sutton Coldfield star Ben Drummond performs on the Main Stage at 13:30, July 12th.  He has just launched his much-anticipated debut EP in March with a performance at Jools Holland’s nightclub The Jamhouse in  Birmingham.

The self-taught artist, originally from Wednesfield but based in Sutton for the last three years, began playing bass at 12 and has [...]

Sutton-based Irish comedienne Sheila M (pictured top)will show her versatility by hosting a three-and-a-half hour session of music at M&S on Saturday July 12 - and performing some original songs herself.
Sheila, who runs a comedy night at The Place 2B, will be joined by guitarist Gregg Jones to showcase their compositions as The Sweet Peas between [...]

[ July 12, 2008; 2:45 pm to 3:30 pm. ] Carte Blanche Trio plays jazz standards at Sutton Coldfield Library (Meeting Room 2) on Saturday July 12 from 2.45pm to 3.30pm.

The group is fronted by legendary newsagent Bill Lowe, a saxophonist and clarinettist who is one of two remaining founder members of the Four Oaks Big Band.

With the big band he has just completed a [...]

[ July 12, 2008; 12:45 pm to 1:15 pm. ] The 30-plus members of Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School band the Funky Bishops promise “quite a mix of music, from swing through rock and some funk”, according to their leader, music teacher Mark Horner.

Among featured soloists will be saxophonist Anna Smith, who plays in MYJO’s second orchestra, and guitarist Rysio Skrakowski. They will be on on [...]

[ July 10, 2008; 7:30 pm; ] The school, in Upper Holland Road, has moved its annual concert, featuring orchestra (pictured), swing band, woodwind and choir, to Thursday July 10 (7.30pm) to tie in with the Festival.

Plantsbrook is a specialist music college, which has earned a fine reputation for its work, under the guidance of teacher Richard Elliott.

He recently took the school’s [...]

[ July 12, 2008; 1:00 pm to 1:45 pm. ] A thriving Sutton Coldfield musicians’ club which has given a stage to novice acoustic guitarists and some international stars will hold a demonstration in a marquee in The Parade on Saturday July 12 between 1pm and 1.45pm.

Three years ago Sutton Acoustic Guitar Club, which met at Sutton Sailing Club, was facing an uncertain future after [...]

[ July 10, 2008; 9:00 pm; ]

Minworth’s answer to organ great Jimmy Smith will grace the tiny stage of The Gate Inn during the Festival.
This may come across as Sutton-centric hyperbole, but it shouldn’t. Norman Haines, now aged 61, has a superb pedigree, having recorded for EMI Parlophone.

He wrote and sang Brum blues and soul band Locomotive’s 1968 top 30 hit Rudi’s [...]

[ July 13, 2008; 4:00 pm; ] THE GATE INN, SUNDAY JULY 13, 4pm

The quiet village of Marston on the outskirts of Sutton Coldfield is the backdrop to one of the finest CDs ever to have been released by a local performer.

Mike Gates, who lives there, has come up with the home-recorded gem Resistance To The Passage Of Sound, in league with [...]