Festival Brochure 2021 - Flipbook - Page 14
Wednesday 26th May, 2.30 pm: Military History – the WWII Battles of the
Coral Sea and Midway with Hamish Donaldson
As a boy, evacuated to Australia from
Singapore, Hamish Donaldson was all too
aware of the seemingly unstoppable
advance of the Japanese from December
1941 to May 1942. The first two aircraft
carrier battles (The Coral Sea and Midway)
marked the first turning point in this war
and the long road to Japan’s eventual
defeat. In this talk, Hamish reviews the
Japanese strategic objectives before his riveting account of how these battles were won
and lost. Haslemere Museum, £5
Wednesday 26th May, 7.30pm: The talented Tippett Quartet
The Programme starts with Gustav Holst String Quartet
Phantasy on British Folk Songs composed in 1916
when Holst was 42. He withdrew the work in 1919
claiming it was his ‘guilty secret’. The Tippett Quartet
was able to find the original manuscript in the British
Library (with parts missing). So, this is the Quartet’s
own version of this charming, easy-going piece full of
playfulness and warmth. It is followed by Maurice
Ravel String Quartet in F major, composed when Ravel
was 28. It was premiered in Paris in March the
following year. After the Interval, we will be treated to
Schubert Quartet in D minor D.810 ‘Death and the Maiden’ which has been called ‘one
of the pillars of the chamber music repertoire’. It was composed when Schubert was 27
after he suffered a serious illness and realised that he was dying. St Bartholomew’s
Church, £15 (£10 on Zoom)
Wednesday 26th May, 7.30pm: 2021 – a year of opportunity?
This is a year when the UK will host two major international gatherings: the G7 and the
Climate Conference (COP26). Christine Allen will explore ways
in which these events could make a difference to our world,
especially to the lives of people who live in poverty. She will
reflect on the impact of COVID-19 and draw lessons for the
future for our interdependence with one another and with our
natural world as we seek to recover and heal after the
pandemic. Christine is Director of the Catholic Agency for
Overseas Development (CAFOD), a leading international aid
agency, and has worked in this field for many years. On-line
event by Zoom, £5