Rye Arts Festival, which started last weekend on Saturday September 16 and continues until next weekend Sunday October 1, has sixty plus events at 22 venues , and Rye Community Centre in Conduit Hill has the most, featuring eleven of these events – but who has the most problems ? And what could go wrong ?
As it has a stage in place permanently the Community Centre can (and does) cope with music and drama so it hosts much of the contemporary music events including dance (the Rye Dance students this Sunday, September 24, from 2:30 pm), though with a strong emphasis on guitarists and acoustics next Tuesday evening and next Saturday (September 30 afternoon and evening).
At the other end of the organisational scale however there is opera (Puccini’s La “Boheme”) in the Milligan Theatre in Love Lane this Saturday (the 23rd) and next (the 30th) which requires, like most dramas, some sort of “set” in which to stage the opera , musicians and singers – but only for two nights.
The busiest venue therefore in practical terms, and possible problems, is the Norman Church of St Mary’s at the top of Rye’s historic citadel (and pictured at the top of the story) – especially as church services have to be fitted in around performances.
For example the parochial church council heard just before the festival began that one problem was that a particular piano was rather heat sensitive, and could react badly to temperature changes, and this needed to be taken into account.
The church itself has two pianos – an upright back stage (so to speak) in the choir’s dressing room and a “grand” by the pulpit when services include the choir or individuals performing – and the organist pops down from the choir stalls.
But many pianists want to use their own piano, which they are used to and practice on. Also there are varieties of pianos. One in recent years for example had a very long keyboard and a wider range of sounds.
Orchestras may well include a piano, some choirs may want one to travel with, and some pianos travel in duos or trios. So too many pianos may become a problem.
This year St Mary’s is hosting, over eight performances, a chamber music orchestra with a fortepiano, a couple of choirs, a cathedral organist (but they do not usually travel with their organ) , a piano trio with horn, a solo pianist, and finally a lunchtime recital (on Friday September 29) by the opera company’s founder.
Now sometimes a piano may be delivered early, and sometimes it may not be picked up as expected – and (occasionally) then an accumulation of pianos may occur. The worst I have witnessed at St Mary’s was, I think, six or seven, but watch this space.
Other venues much in use are the Kino cinema, Winchelsea (for its historic cellars), The Mermaid inn and the Methodist Church (mainly for talks).
The Kino off Lion Street has a courtyard which has hosted Radio Local on the Festival’s first day and will then feature the shortest plays in the smallest venue, a caravan, this Saturday, and (of course) it also has its screens – so it will be featuring both movies and TV.
These included the BBC’s “Mapp and Lucia”, filmed in Rye, this Wednesday, September 20, and a chance to spot your mates appearing as extras.
For more information and tickets visit www.ryeartsfestival.co.uk or the box office at Phillips & Stubbs at 47 Cinque Ports Street.
Photos : John Minter and Rye News Library