After the successful concerts which have been put on in Dittisham since March 2023, predominantly with the Lyric Chamber Orchestra, who have adopted the church as their favourite intimate performance location, they are back again for their third year.

This year, 2025’s music began at the end of April, celebrating St. George’s Day and VE Day in St. George’s Church Dittisham, with the 30-piece Spectrum Brass Band, The Cornworthy Ladies’ Choir and the wonderful voice of Mezzo-soprano Polly May, with readings, poems, letters and Vera Lynn favourites, ending up with Rule Britannia.

On May 10 they welcomed back the Lyric Chamber Orchestra with soloists Felix Rosenboom on cello and Sebastian Salvaterra on piano, playing Haydn and Chopin concertos, with beautiful tones from both.

With the perfect accompaniment of this orchestra, who consistently perform to a very high standard, under their Leader and Director, Tricia Calnan and their Conductor Keith Marshall, this was a real treat for those who usually have to travel to the big cities to hear such professional playing.

The sound produced in St. George’s Church is acoustically perfectly balanced, and the orchestra use it for recording their sound and film clips for their social media pages.

There was a special recital evening of Felix and Sebastian in the Church on May 16, which delighted the audience, who were once again able to see these two exceptional young musicians from Salzburg and Munich performing Beethoven, Schumann and Piazolla’s Grand Tango together with a Schnittke Suite.

Their playing was beautifully balanced and an evening not to have been missed.

The organisers will be expanding their early September Dittisham Music Festival to include performances ranging from a Flamenco group to a Bob Dylan & Jodi Mitchell Band and local talents in the Open Mic Sessions.

Look out for future articles for more details.