The big event was the Folklore Festival, the latest venture from the team that has made Jersey Live such a success. To say that it featured big names is almost an understatement. Names on the music scene do not come much bigger than Van Morrison, and other headliners, such as Ray Davies, formerly of the Kinks, and Joan Armatrading, are also major stars.
Folklore’s organisers are justifiably pleased not only with the show that they staged but also with the number of people who turned up to fill the giant tent at the People’s Park. Although there was less than a capacity audience for the whole event, it is likely that the festival’s quality will produce truly spectacular crowds in the future.
Impressive turn-outs were, meanwhile, in evidence at Grantez, where the National Trust for Jersey hosted open-air Sunset Concerts on Friday and Saturday evenings. The trust and audiences were fortunate not only because of the quality of the performances, but also because the sun managed to shine on what must be one of the most beautiful venues in the
Island.
Across the water in Sark, folk music was the order of the day at the island’s annual festival. It is conceivable that this event attracted some who might otherwise have gone to the People’s Park. This possibility – and the potential impact of another Folklore Festival on Sark’s big day – might encourage both sets of organisers to co-ordinate their diaries for next year.
Music of a different character was heard – and enjoyed – on Sunday, when the Jersey Youth Chamber Orchestra performed for the first time. This new ensemble, whose members are in their teens, shared the platform with the Jersey Youth Choir. Both sets of performers – not to mention the outstanding soloist, pianist Krystian Lamb – demonstrated just how much musical talent there is in our small community.
The focus will be on music again when Jersey Live, which is rapidly establishing a reputation as one of Britain’s very best small festivals, opens its gates later in the season. In the meantime, the summer’s other great event, the Battle of Flowers, will be with us in a very few weeks,
emphasising the Island’s remarkable talent for delivering entertainment extravaganzas.
