Lichfield Festival has announced its full summer programme that promises a host of artists and events taking place in the city between 6-16 July.

A mix of world-class entertainment and creativity, this summer’s festival mixes music of all kinds, from folk to classical, jazz to gospel, with theatre, literary, community and family events. 

Providing a rousing and energetic Opening Concert in Lichfield Cathedral on Thursday 6 July are ITV’s 2022 Britain’s Got Talent stars, the London Community Gospel Choir who have played Glastonbury, recorded with Madonna and sung at the FA Cup Final at Wembley. 

The Cathedral also forms a stunning backdrop for a star-studded line-up including multi-award-winning performing artist, composer and producer Nitin Sawhney CBE, and the ‘first lady of folk’, singer-songwriter Kate Rusby, who has recently celebrated 30 years as a touring musician. Broadway superstar Melissa Errico sings showstoppers from musical theatre giants, with an exceptional quartet led by jazz pianist and MD, James Pearson. Pearson, who is Artistic Director of London’s famous Ronnie Scott’s, is one of three new Associate Artists announced for 2023-2025 alongside violinist and vocalist Lizzie Ball and musical explorers the Brodsky Quartet who have just marked their 50th anniversary. Together, James and Lizzie celebrate iconic songwriters including Carole King, Joni Mitchell and the late, great, Burt Bacharach in the Cathedral.

There are Cathedral concerts too from returning Associate Artists, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, renowned Baroque violinist Rachel Podger, and a summer extravaganza from the Grimethorpe Colliery Band. Tommy Smith OBE returns for a late evening saxophone concert, and Festival Patron Julian Lloyd Webberhosts and curates an atmospheric ‘Bach by Candlelight’ concert, performed by his internationally acclaimed cellist wife Jiaxin Lloyd Webber, to close this year’s Festival.

Among other classical highlights, returning Associate Artist pianist Danny Driver performs both solo and with violinist Jack Liebeck; Liberata Collective & Ensemble Hesperi perform Handel’s opera Orlando with period instruments; and Charles Court Opera returns with Gilbert & Sullivan’s comic masterpiece The Mikado. Another exciting staging sees the return of The Lord Chamberlain’s Men who present Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet on the Cathedral Lawn in the way Shakespeare would have first seen it – with an all-male cast, in the open air, and with Elizabethan costume, music and dance. 

Culture from the furthest reaches of the globe includes the mesmerising chant, music and dance of the Tibetan Monks of the Tashi Lhunpo Monastery, master musicians N’famady Kouyaté and Gasper Nali who fuse African, jazz, pop and indie elements, and Kabantu who play and improvise folk music from around the globe. 

A mini-season ‘It’s a Drag’ looks at gender and cross-dressing in theatre, opera and the arts. Author Janet Tennant and guests investigate this long tradition, mezzo soprano Polly Leech sings operatic ‘trouser roles’, and vocalist and Associate Artist Jessica Walker takes a cross-dressing musical tour through the decades.

Jessica Walker also performs The 1960s in Song, while Jeremy Sassoon’s MOJO (Music of Jewish Origin) celebrates songwriters from George Gershwin to Amy Winehouse, and Richard Shelton pays homage to Ol’ Blue Eyes in his award-winning show, Sinatra: RAW.

Talks and literary events include mathematician and University Challenge star Bobby Seagull and historian Tracy Borman. Also, documentary film-maker Alex Bescoby reflects on recreating his 9,000km journey across the world from Singapore to London.

Comedy takes a look at the life of an orchestral triangle player; there’s a one-woman show from Lichfield-born actress and writer Katie Arnstein; and music, high heels and fairy lights feature in Jenni Winter’s Mother’s Ruin.

For younger audiences, Waterperry Opera’s music and theatre version of Roald Dahl’s Little Red Riding Hood & The Three Little Pigs is a must. As part of the Aspire! Learning & Participation programme, local school pupils will play alongside the world famous Grimethorpe Colliery Band, thanks to a partnership between Lichfield Festival, ‘ptrumpet’ makers Warwick Music Group and the county’s music service, Entrust.

Providing an explosive finale to this year’s events, the free Festival Fireworks take place on Saturday 15 July in Beacon Park.

Tickets and details can be found at lichfieldfestival.org.