Date: 16th - 19th April 2027
Stratford-upon-Avon
SHAKESPEARE IN MUSIC FESTIVAL
The 2027 Festival will run from Friday 16th April until Monday 19th April - a perfect long weekend to spend in Stratford-upon-Avon.
Our exciting programme of concerts and talks is still being worked upon but this is the provisional outline to whet your appetite:
FRIDAY 16th APRIL
Coffee-time Lecture:
What music Shakespeare heard as a boy
illustrated by dancers, singers and musicians
Afternoon Recital:
Shakespeare in Harlem
Sophie Patterson (mezzo) and Siyuan Xi (piano)
perform music by women composers including Seven Shakespeare Songs by Madeleine Dring and Five Letters from WS, a new composition by Sarah Marze
Evening Concert:
Ye gentle spirits: music from contemporary masques and plays including music by Robert Johnson, John Dowland, Henry & William Lawes, Nicholas Lanier and Henry Purcell played and sung by
The Portrait Singers
Cordula Kempe in memoriam concert
SATURDAY 17th APRIL
Coffee-time Lecture:
Shaw on Shakespeare: rivalry or obsession?
given by Prof. Michael Dobson
including the first Stratford screening of the puppet film Shakes versus Shav
Afternoon recital:
Five siblings of the Lowe Ensemble play
Baroque music of Shakespeare's legacy
Evening Concert:
Shakespeare Songs and other words set by Martin Shaw
followed by John Blow's 1683 opera Venus and Adonis
performed by Stratford Chamber Choir, instrumentalists and soloists
supported by the Martin Shaw Foundation
SUNDAY 18th APRIL
Coffee-Time Talk:
Guy Woolfenden's legacy to theatre music
The RSC's former Head of Music Bruce O'Neil in conversation with Jane Woolfenden
Afternoon Recital:
Church Music of the Age of Shakespeare
including works by Thomas Tallis, William Byrd, Orlando Gibbons, Thomas Weelkes and Thomas Morley
presented by The Wells Singers
Evening Concert:
A Celebration of the music of Guy Woolfenden
MONDAY 19th APRIL
Coffee-time Recital
Fischer Fund Prize for Shakespeare Song of 2027
The winner's song and others to be sung and the prize awarded.
Afternoon Recital:
Duets from Shakespeare's operatic legacy
Echoes of the Bard: Music from Shakespeare's England
"If Music be the food of love, play on!" Come and celebrate the soul of Shakespeare’s England with a line-up of the UK’s finest musicians, masters of interpretation from Elizabethan to contemporary music, from Renaissance to Rap.
The Shakespeare in Music Festival ranges from early music of the age of the Bard through the rich legacy he inspired in the work of many later composers.
In each festival, over a dozen concerts reflect his impact on the traditions of instrumental, choral, art song and opera. They are supplemented with four wide-ranging talks explaining the phenomenon of Shakespeare in Music over past centuries.
This is the Festival for all who love Shakespeare and who love Music.
Join us for a timeless celebration of music, poetry and the Bard’s heritage.
What the critics said
“Set to become an annual event, The Shakespeare in Music Festival offers a rich programme of music and scholarship celebrating Shakespeare’s musical influence.”
“No fewer than fifteen events celebrating the Bard’s connection to music, in one way or another, throughout the centuries.”
“This Shakespeare in Music Festival is the best thing that has happened for classical music in Stratford in the 15 years I have lived here.”
“It is a remarkable undertaking with great variety of performances, from talks, programmes presented by internationally known artists, up and coming professional singers, rather niche and more well known and popular music such as a programme of madrigals and settings of Shakespeare’s sonnets.”
“I have to admit I was bowled over by the quality of the performances.”
“I don’t think I have ever been to a singing recital where I have been able to hear every word, Mark Padmore’s diction was so good. There were all kinds of treasures in this recital…..This was a stunning concert performed by world class artists.”
“The quality of their singing was superb, with one of the highlights being Katherine Gregory’s rendition of the Willow Song from Othello.”
“An excellent detailed free programme which very much enhanced the listener experience.” The Stratford Herald, May 2025.
Shakespeare in Music is a charity established in 2024 (number 1208674) by musicians and Shakespeare enthusiasts to celebrate his musical legacy through an annual festival. Drawing on expertise in composition, performance, conducting, music criticism, and arts management, the next festival will take place in April 2026. It will feature a diverse range of performers, from seasoned professionals to emerging talents, all inspired by the rich musical possibilities of Shakespeare’s works.
ARTISTS IN THE 2026 FESTIVAL
