Chairman’s Introduction

It is with great pleasure that the Festival committee bring you the syllabus for the 63rd Grantham Music Festival.  Thank you once again to all who took part in last year’s Festival whether as performers, teachers, audience or helpers. I am sure you will agree it was an exciting and enjoyable celebration of the breadth of musical talent there is in Grantham and beyond.

We will be welcoming as our adjudicator, Heidi Fardell - who has  taken part as a performer herself,  in the Grantham Music Festival and has previously presented trophies at our end of festival Trophy Winners Concert.  

Heidi, a freelance recorder player and baroque flautist,  gained her Bmus (Hons), Mmus in peformance qualifications at Goldsmiths University and a PgCert at Birmingham Conservatoire. For over 20 years  Heidi has taught in a wide variety of settings across London and Oxfordshire.  In 2004 she worked with a team to develop the Deptford Music Centre and in 2006 she began her post as recorder tutor at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance Junior Dept and more recently has joined the faculty at the Royal College of Music.  

Heidi performs with many different groups including Fiori Musicali, The City Musick and Sounds Historical and has recorded for several contempary groups including Jarvis Cocker's Meltdown Festival and regularly records for BBC Radio 3 and BBC Radio 4 (latest interview BBC Sounds).   Alongside her performance work, Heidi is also a respected musician in education and is the Vice Chair of the European Recorder Teachers Association and has developed musical workshops for clients across the UK, including, Kensington Palace, the Royal Festival Hall, Tate Britain and the National Gallery.  She is passionate about neuro-inclusive teaching and mental health in music and has written articles for the Musicians Union, The Recorder Magazine and Continuo Connect.

As ever the Festival could not run without the support of our wonderful volunteers, patrons and sponsors. If you would be willing and able to help us in any way please contact our general Secretary, Elizabeth. We would love to welcome you into the GMF team.

I look forward to seeing you all in 2025.

 Best wishes,

Jo Gardner,  Chair