20th April 2013
The Festival finished with a wonderful performance of L'Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato on Tuesday night, 16 April. There were tears in the eyes of the audience which was very moving.
LHF 2013 started nearly six weeks ago and the first performance of Imeneo seems a long time ago. Unlike last year there was no Spring and we were all struggling with coughs and colds, although most of the performers managed to work as they hate to let others down.
I would like to thank all those involved in the Festival: the wonderful musicians (and you will know who they were); the LHS Board; the Handel Supporters and major donors, and I want to highlight those working behind the scenes who help make it happen smoothly. The Festival is a roller coaster once it starts and we try to stay on the rails if we can.
Ann Allen - front of house manager and HSC administrator
Chloe Wennersten, Giles Pilgrim Morris and James Brookmyre - front of house
Latasha Lamb - box office manager
Sue Palmer - festival assistant
Anne-Marie Norman - concerts manager and fixer
Claire Hammett - organiser of all keyboard instruments
Peter Jones - music preparation
Corrina Connor - word smith
There are too many people to name here but they are all crucial to the success of the Festival.
I am also very grateful to our friends at the various venues we use and particularly to St George's, Hanover Square, which we overrun for the period of the Festival and the inhabitants seem to put up with it with enormous grace and patience.
Finally I would like to thank our audience as without them there would be little point putting on the concerts and performances, and I hope that they will put March and April 2014 into the diaries.
If any of you are suffering from withdrawal systems you could go to Göttingen where their Festival will run from 9-20 May 2013. Laurence Cummings is now their Artistic Director. Later in May you could visit the Tilford Bach Festival (24-26 May), which is now under the artistic directorship of Adrian Butterfield.
I will be updating the website over the Summer and working on plans for 2014. This information will be available by early September if not sooner. See you in 2014 if not before.
Catherine Hodgson
Festival Director
20 April 2013
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