It has been a great first week of the 2025 Shipston Proms Music Festival held in and around Shipston-on-Stour in Warwickshire, featuring amongst others the IBIZA-on-Stour night with Judge Jules, Country Bound, Songs from the Shows, Mrs. Porter’s Chamberpot Pourri, Longborough Opera Youth Chorus, Primal Sound African drumming and the Folk Music Night hosted by Keith Finlay & Brimstone.
After the judges decided the two winners of Shipston Introducing competition (Mimi Roberts & Jamie Webber and Jay Mac) on 7th June at the Scout Hut, which means they will be appearing on the stage on the last night, the Proms kicked off its full program of more than 40 events.
The first of these on Friday 13th June was a Country music evening at the Townsend Hall with headliners Country Bound supported by Hokum & Hooch. This brought out a large crowd in country attire with lots of dancing as well as line dancing!
So, there was Dolly Parton’s classic ‘Jolene’, as well as classics such as ‘Tennessee Whisky’ and a country version of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s ‘Sweet Home Alabama’.
On Saturday 14th June the Proms had put on a variety of performers on the Pubs & Cafés (& Record Shop) Trail as well as ‘Come and Sing’ with the Stour Singers leading the audience through Handel’s coronation anthems. Finally, we had The Sax Pistols at The George, Lower Brailes.
Sunday 15th had a trio of very different musical events with an open rehearsal with the Longborough Festival Opera Youth Chorus with Dido & Aeneas, by Henry Purcell. In the Townsend Hall we had an uplifting African drumming workshop led by Sarah Westwood of Primal Sound with sessions for young children, teenagers and adults. At a packed Black Horse Inn in its garden, we had the well-received Shipston Sea Shanty Group with a wide variety of songs influenced by Fisherman’s Friends.
On Monday 16th June Pat ‘Tex’ Austin entertained the Cherrington crowds with an inspiring set of popular covers, before on Tuesday 17th June we had the combined local Primary Schools (Shipston, Brailes & Long Compton) with over 80 performers putting on a great musical show for parents and friends at Shipston Primary School.
In the evening on Tuesday, we had the well-established Folk Music Night at the Black Horse Inn led by Keith Finlay & his band Brimstone. They played songs with both Gaelic & Breton influences before the first guest slot with an open Mic first timer with Mark Nursall who played a Tim Harding song originally performed at the 1969 Woodstock Festival as well as ‘White Dress’ which had been re-written by Ralph McTell to tell the song from a man to a Woman. It was originally written by Sandy Denny the other way around.
Wednesday 18th June brought us another regular on the proms program with Mrs Porter’s Chamberpot Pourri at St Edmund’s Church, Shipston which is an event designed to present a mix of classical music and other genres. This year we had two great sets from Misspent Ukes (formed from U3A members in Shipston, Stratford, Warwick & Wellesbourne) whose songs included ABBA’s ‘Mama Mia’ the classic King of the Road’ and a Creedence Clearwater Revival & Status Quo mash-up.
Local singer Songwriter James Pullen then sang and played guitar on some great songs he has written including ‘Dancing on the Edge’ and ‘Home Soon’. Jamie’s sister Robyn Pullen and Molly Hughes then gave us some excellent operatic songs including ‘Panis Angelicus’ by Cesár Franck and ‘Barcarolle’ by Offenbach.
Then Helen Porter on piano and Tim Porter on harmonica gave us ‘Till There Was You’ by Meredith Wilson.
After an interval we also heard from Edwin Lancaster on guitar with ‘Sons de Carrilhōes’ by Joāo Pernambuco, Robyn Pullen on her own with ‘O Mio Babbino Caro’ by Giacomo Puccini. Both Robyn and Molly are members of the Longborough Festival Opera.
The evening was finished with a violin duet from Tao and Tong Sim accompanied by Helen Porter on piano with ‘Double violin concerto in D minor’ by J.S. Bach.
Friday 20th June brought us the excellent Songs from the Shows at the Townsend Hall put on by Helen Porter and Amy Beaton, and compared by Gaff Brown. We had some great performances from teenagers Henry Clarke (17) singing ‘Johanna’ from Sweeny Todd, Honour Nolan (13) singing ‘Burn’ from Hamilton, Emilia Tyrrell (16) singing ‘On My Own’ from Les Misérables and Charlie Martin (18) singing ‘You’ll Be Back from Hamilton. There were also many excellent performances from the range of adult singers including sisters Liz Angell & Kathleen Punchard with ‘When You Believe’ from Prince of Egypt.
The evening finished off with Gaff Brown singing ‘Stars’ from Les Misérables, then Amy Beaton with ‘Never Enough’ from the Greatest Showman and the Cotswold Choir with songs from ‘Hairspray’, ‘The Lion King’ and ‘Les Misérables’. Then the audience joined in with singing ‘Do You Hear the People Sing?’ from Les Misérables.
Then the first full week finished off on Saturday 21st June with the IBIZA-on-Stour Dance Party featuring Judge Jules, supported by Tim Samsara, Dirty Harry & Rich Harvey to a packed crowd of over 1,000 and for different musical tastes the Cotswold Choir, led by Amy Beaton with some multi harmony singing from the massed choir with songs such as ‘Ain’t No Mountain Higher’, ‘Never Enough’ ‘The Scientist’, ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’ and finished with ‘Love Runs Out’.
Earlier that day we had Steel Appeal and the Brailes singers performing at the George Inn, Lower Brailes with songs from the 1950s to the present day.
The second week of the Shipston Proms Music Festival features a Gilbert & Sullivan evening on Sunday 22nd June, Hokum & Hooch on Monday 23rd at the Thirst Edition, The Open Mic night hosted by Barney Porter on the 24th June at the Black Horse Inn, The well-received Yong Musicians Concert on 25th June at St Martin’s Church, Barcheston.
On Thursday 26th June there are events at the Shipston Warm Hub at the Ellen Badger hospital, Wes Finch & the CB Trio at Talton Lodge Music & Pizza, Bolohead featuring Stephen Steinhaus at the Cotswolds Distillery and The Pavilionaires (a U3A Jazz band) at The Cherrington.
Then on Friday 27th June we have the Shipston Town Band + Stour Concert Brass at St. Edmund’s Church, Oasis ’96 tribute band at the Townsend Hall and at the George Townhouse we have Double Act.
To finish the 27th Shipston Proms Music Festival on Saturday 28th June we have the Street Party in the Shipston town square which will feature the Shipston Introducing winners (Mimi & Jamie and Jay Mac), Thom Kirkpatrick, The Reggulites a Reggae band from Birmingham and then the headliners Rick Parfitt Junior + the RPJ Band.