Rye’s very own town crier, Paul Goring, formally declared the 50th Rye Arts Festival open, at 11am last Friday, September 10.
After a year’s enforced absence, the festival is back, offering the most comprehensive and enviable programme in a long history of bringing the highest quality artists from both the UK and abroad to our historic Cinque Ports town.
Writer, actor, comic, and all-round raconteur, Gyles Brandreth was the first of a series of high profile talent to leave an audience wanting more this week, while street entertainers such as the Tree Fellas and Tweethearts, thrilled young and old alike with spontaneous action in their often, unexpected appearances, on the streets of Rye. One surprised onlooker was heard to exclaim, “This is what I love about this place – Only in Rye does this sort of thing happen!”
After the first classical music concert, Russian Soul, a delighted member of the audience declared, “That was fantastic! This is set to be the best festival ever.”
With tubular bells ringing out from the Gun Garden, ‘hidden’ Rye was revealed on a guided walk by the town crier, while immensely talented musicians Trio Balthasar, and author Rachel Trethewey, shedding light on the lesser-known Churchill Girls, enthralled their audiences during just the first week of this artistic feast.
Andy Stuart, one of the two festival directors, said, “It’s been a great start. And there is so much more to look forward to! We have Diva Opera, where professional singers will be performing opera standards, classic movies, including ‘American Werewolf in London’ and ‘Chocolat’, and Chris Salisbury talking about night calls of birds and animals, explaining what to listen out for. There really is a packed programme with something for everyone.”
Read all Rye News reports from the first few days of the Rye Arts Festival here.
Image Credits: kt bruce .