Hertfordshire Festival of Music returns for its 10th year

Hertfordshire Festival of Music marks its 10th anniversary year with the theme 'Made in Herts', celebrating music, art, place and community in Hertfordshire.

Made in Herts takes place from 30th May until 8th June in Hertford, with the theme featuring a carefully curated programme of concerts, walks and shared events, bringing together professional musicians, emerging artists and local participants.

Festival highlights include Forms in Stone and Sound, an illustrated talk with art historian Barry Dodge and composer James Francis Brown, focusing on local sculptor Henry Moore, interspersed with movements from a String Quartet by Elizabeth Maconchy.

There will be a lunchtime Piano Recital with Hertfordshire-based pianist Adrian Oldland, known for his intelligent and expressive readings of Romantic repertoire.

New Virtuosi brings together former Festival masterclass participants and invited artists now emerging into professional life. The programme reflects friendship as a creative force: Britten and Poulenc wrote their sonatas at a similar moment for performers who were themselves close friends. Music has a rare ability to draw people together — and there could be no more fitting place to hear it than the Friends’ Meeting House.

From Star Wars and Indiana Jones to Harry Potter, the Festival Community Concert Band, conducted by Chris McGinity, will present music associated with this legacy, bringing the language of film into the resonant space of All Saints’ Church.

There will be a Festival Eucharist at All Saints' Church, led by the Revd Simon Cutmore. The service will reflect the theme Transfer Corpus - the movement of the Body of Christ from altar to people, and from worship into the life of the Church.

St Albans Cathedral will host a cello recital by Ella Harrison who performs music by J. S. Bach and Benjamin Britten, marking the 50th anniversary of his death.

To find out more and book tickets visit hertsmusicfest.org.uk/book-2026-events