HIP talks to violinist Jane Gordon on what it has been like to move to St. Leonards and set up a new festival here one year on.

 

PICTURE: Ben Borley

What is it like for a classical musician living in St Leonards? What brought you here?
I grew up by the sea in Penzance in Cornwall so I have always been drawn to coastal towns. They tend to have artistic communities, which is perhaps something to do with being by the sea.
I think it’s important for artistic types to feel they are amongst like-minded people. Hastings
has a reputation as a place where creative people are moving to and I was expecting
to find many visual artists and  writers but I have also been happy to see how many established classical musicians are living here. I seem to be meeting new musicians coming here almost every week!

How does it feel to be part of the creative community here? How does the lifestyle in
St Leonards differ from that in London?
Being outside London, there just seems to be more time and space which means more scope to work on your own projects. People seem open to collaborating and interested in each other’s ideas. Lifestyle-wise it’s a good place for recharging your batteries. Travelling is a big part of life as a musician; however all the touring can take its toll on your energy levels, so it is really good to come back and be by the sea.

You have been performing quite a bit locally. How is it going?
I have recently been playing a couple of Sunday coffee concerts at the Kino. I love the venue
and it has a really good relaxed atmosphere for classical music. To be able to walk from my
home to the venue to play, then meet and chat to everyone after feels great. As a local musician
I feel a sense of continuity as it is something I can build on here as there is a very receptive local audience.

You set up Hastings Early Music Festival last year. How did it go?
I always wanted to start up a festival and it was a case of finding the right place and the right time. It is incredibly difficult to get something off the ground in London so that was out of the question. There are so many brilliant performing spaces and concert venues in Hastings and St Leonards, it was a no-brainer to go for it here. I had no idea how successful first year could be so it was a bit of a leap of faith, but it was great to have around 350 people attend last November.

What’s in store for this year’s festival?
This year the festival is on October 18th – 21st . We are very excited to have the internationally renowned choir, The Sixteen, coming down to perform the opening night at St Mary in the Castle. On October 19th there is a candlelight Baroque Concert, then a workshop day on Saturday with choral & instrumental workshops open to everyone. To finish we have chamber music at the Kino on Sunday 21st.

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Starting up a festival is a creatively charged and extremely satisfying venture. We are also looking for volunteers this year, so if any one would like to be involved, feel free to get in touch.  For more information, email [email protected] or phone 07884 347966).

When is your next concert in the area?
I am performing a solo violin recital at the Kino on Sunday April 22nd at 11am. I have programmed one of the most famous pieces written for violin, the chaconne by JS Bach. So it will be Bach for breakfast! Tickets are £10 which include coffee and a croissant. 

• Visit www.kino-teatr.co.uk for more. Follow Jane on Twitter @janegordonvln or visit www.hemf.co.uk

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https://www.hastingsindependentpress.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/ARTS-janeGordon-1024x1024.jpghttps://www.hastingsindependentpress.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/ARTS-janeGordon-150x150.jpgHIPArtsMusicBaroque Concert,Jane Gordon,Kino Teatr,St Mary in the Castle,violinistHIP talks to violinist Jane Gordon on what it has been like to move to St. Leonards and set up a new festival here one year on.   What is it like for a classical musician living in St Leonards? What brought you here? I grew up by the sea in Penzance in...The Hastings & St Leonards non-profit community newspaper