🎺 Queentet

Discover the extraordinary sound world of brass quintet Queentet in a programme that is as engaging as it is original. Championing underrepresented voices in classical music, the ensemble shines a spotlight on female composers, alongside inventive new arrangements that bring familiar favourites to life in unexpected ways.

From the evocative beauty of Imogen Holst to a specially commissioned work by Polina Savicka, the programme blends contemporary creativity with well-loved classics. Expect bold reimaginings too – including music inspired by Igor Stravinsky’s Firebird, traditional madrigals, and even a touch of jazz and folk, featuring Joni Mitchell’s A Case of You.

The evening unfolds in two contrasting halves:

• First half: dynamic and contemporary works written for brass quintet
  • Luciano Berio – Call
  • Igor Stravinsky arr. Alice Knight – Extracts from ‘Firebird’
  • Errolyn Wallen – Onyx
  • Dani Howard – Blue Pavilion
  • Judith Bingham – A Dream of the Past
• Second half: a more relaxed journey through madrigals, lyrical Holst, and smooth jazz-inspired pieces
  • John Bartlett arr. Alice Knight – Of all the Birds that I do Know
  • Thomas Weelkes arr. Alice Knight – As Wanton Birds
  • Imogen Holst – Leiston Suite
  • Joan Tower – Copperwave
  • Polina Savicka – Pomegranate
  • Ann Ronell arr. Alice Knight – Willow Weep for Me
  • Joni Mitchell arr. Iris Rushbrooke – Case of You
  • Cole Porter arr. Stan Lawrence – Night and Day

The result is a richly varied concert that showcases the warmth, power and versatility of brass in a way that’s both accessible and inspiring.

Whether you’re a classical music lover or simply curious to hear something different, this is a performance full of colour, character and musical discovery.

Queentet will be supported by Stuart Ellam & Ash Powell. Read more below.

🎼 Also Performing: Stuart Ellam with Ash Powell

An intimate and captivating flute and piano recital, bringing together expressive melodies and beautifully crafted music, performed by two accomplished musicians.

A Journey from Innocence to Myth

We begin in sunlit open air — Doppler’s Fantasie pastorale hongroise conjures a carefree folk world, full of vitality and colour. From there we slip into reverie: Debussy’s Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune suspends time in a dreamer’s hazy afternoon, hovering between sleep and waking.

Then comes a human heart laid bare. Lenski’s aria from Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin is a farewell — a young man on the eve of a duel, mourning the life and love he stands to lose. It is the emotional core of the programme.

Valerie Coleman’s Fan Imen carries us into ancient stillness, a meditative tribute to a queen, crossing centuries and continents with quiet power.

Finally, we arrive at myth itself. Jolivet’s Chant de Linos — a lament rooted in Greek antiquity — gathers everything that has come before: the pastoral, the dream, the grief, the mystery, and forges it into something urgent, wild, and transcendent.

Stuart Ellam (Piano)

Stuart Ellam is a highly experienced freelance pianist, accompanist, conductor and teacher. After early studies in singing and violin, he trained as a pianist with Denise Patton and John Blakely.

He has worked extensively as an accompanist, including a two-year collaboration with mezzo-soprano Anne Howells at the Royal Academy of Music, and has performed widely in recitals of art song and opera.

Specialising in chamber music and lieder, Stuart’s repertoire spans composers such as Franz Schubert, Robert Schumann and Benjamin Britten. He continues to perform regularly, most recently in recital with soprano Margaret Walker, and in innovative collaborations combining music with visual art.

Ash Powell (Flute)

Ash Powell is a versatile flautist with a passion for bringing fresh and engaging repertoire to audiences. He studied music at Cardiff University before specialising in performance at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.

He has performed across the UK and Europe, with highlights including the National Youth Orchestra of Wales and international recitals in Berlin and Antwerp. Alongside his performance work, Ash is known for curating programmes that introduce audiences to lesser-known music.

Based in Bristol, he works as a freelance musician and remains closely connected to the stage, with a particular love of opera and musical theatre.

🍽️ Food & Drink

The festival bar will be run by The Barley Mow, with drinks available on site before and during the evening.

For those wishing to eat before the performance, The Barley Mow pub will also be open for dining. As the pub is likely to be busy on festival evenings, we recommend booking a table directly with The Barley Mow in advance.

Arrive early, enjoy a drink, and make the most of the relaxed festival atmosphere before the performance begins.

⏰ Event Timings

6pm – 7pm
Supporting Act - Stuart Ellam & Ash Powell

8pm – 10pm
Headline Performance- Queentet

Enjoy the Festival. Support the future.

The Winchfield Festival is a charity that raises funds to support music education for children in local schools, helping young people discover the joy of learning and performing music.

Every ticket you buy helps provide instruments, lessons and opportunities that inspire the next generation.