We’re grateful to Axis Magazine for their coverage of the Hertford Music Festival in this month’s edition.
The 17th Hertford Music Festival takes centre stage across Hertford throughout July. Organised by local volunteers led by music director Kev Saunders, the festival has previously been held in May but has been moved to the heart of summer. It features a wide range of musical acts, ranging from classical to rock, performing at various venues across and around the county town.
Musical Mystery Tour
The traditional curtain-raiser to the festival is the Musical Mystery Tour on Sunday 3rd July. It sees more than 100 of Hertford’s hottest and best rock, pop, folk, jazz, drum n bass, hip hop and classical musicians playing live at 30 venues around Hertford, from lunchtime to bedtime – and all for free.
There are more confirmed venues than ever before this year and they include: Baroosh, Hertford House Hotel, Hertford Museum, Pizza Express, Shades, The Black Horse, The Blackbirds, The Duncombe Arms, The Great Eastern Tavern, The Lord Haig, The Old Barge, The Old Cross Tavern, The Ram, The Salisbury Arms, The Saracen’s Head, The Six Templars, The Snug, The Stone House, The Two Brewers, The White Hart, The White Lion and The Woolpack. The list of acts includes songstress Nuala, Los Ladrones de Amor, the Bob Villains, Rob Clydesdale and the Hertford Allstars.
And just to prove the festival is not all about raucous rock n roll, there are two very different acts playing two special gigs of their own. Outside the White Hart in Salisbury Square, closing the show will be a good old-fashioned singalong (or knees-up if you prefer) featuring singer Barbara Hopkin, Harold Chaplin from Hertford Music Club on piano and swingin’ bass man John Cooper, playing as The Vineyard Jazz Trio. They’ll be playing songs almost everyone will know and love from The Beatles to music hall and songs from the musicals. Earlier in the day, Luisa Maria Rosina from the Royal Philharmonic will be playing clarinet in Hertford Museum’s Knot Garden from 3pm.
Keep up to date
The festival continues throughout July with gigs and events at different venues across town. Keep checking the updated website to find the latest news. Among venues taking part is the Hertford Corn Exchange in Fore Street, where on Saturday 9th July Green Onions are appearing. We’ll be previewing the festival’s closing event, Rock at the Castle, fully in the August issue of Axis. It’s in the grounds of Hertford Castle on Sunday 7th August from 12noon to 7pm.
A PDF of the Axis Magazine article can be found here (2.4MB).
