Welcoming leading musicians to East Suffolk for more than three decades
History
Concerts at Cratfield was founded in 1988 by David and Linda Holmes, moving permanently to St Mary’s Church, Cratfield, in 1991. Blyth Valley Chamber Music, a charitable trust, was created in 1993, running six fortnightly Sunday afternoon summer concerts.
In 2016, we adopted a new name, Concerts at Cratfield, and became a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO).
Each season, we programme chamber music including trios, quartets and quintets, with occasional concerts of vocal works and pre-classical music for small ensembles.
We have long-standing relationships with many leading groups and artists, who we are delighted to welcome back to Cratfield. Each season, we also welcome young, emerging artists to enjoy the experience of playing in Cratfield’s wonderful acoustic.
Organisation
We depend entirely on the energy and goodwill of volunteers. They are our Trustees, run the Box Office, distribute publicity, collect musicians from the train, organise lunch, number the seats, hire keyboard instruments, write programme notes, welcome concertgoers, guide car parking and much more.
Volunteers from St Mary’s Church organise the famous teas in each concert interval.
Ticket receipts cover around two-thirds of our expenses, and are generously supplemented by regular and one-off contributions from our Friends and Patrons.
Concerts at Cratfield CIO is a registered charity. You can see our most recently filed accounts here and read our Data Protection Statement here.
Hosting leading musicians since 1988
Cratfield has welcomed leading professional musicians and ensembles for more than three decades. In recent years these have included the Allegri, Badke, Brodsky, Calino, Carducci, Cavaleri, Dudok, Heath, Lendvai, London Haydn, Maxwell, Marmen, Navarra, Rossetti, Sacconi, Solem and Zemlinsky Quartets; the Andre Trio, Aronovitz Ensemble, Chroma Trio, Hague String Trio and Leonore Piano Trio; and artists including tenor James Gilchrist, violinist Tamsin Waley-Cohen, clarinettist Julian Bliss, guitarist Craig Ogden, and pianists Charles Owen, Katya Apekisheva, Anna Tilbrook, Huw Watkins and Kathryn Stott. We welcome young people and students, and thanks to previous support from the Adnams Foundation people aged 25 and under can attend free of charge.
The Church and its facilities
St Mary’s is a Grade I listed medieval church; for its situation, history and architecture, click here for its page on the Suffolk Churches site. The Suffolk volume of the Pevsner Architectural Guide (2nd ed, 1974) quotes 1920s church architect H Munro Cautley, who called the font ‘probably the most beautiful in the Kingdom’.
It suffered a grievous blow in December 2015, when about four tonnes of lead were stolen from the roof. Fundraising – much from generous concertgoers – enabled repairs to be completed before the 2016 season.
A level gravel path leads to the church porch, where cushions are available. The church has a portable ramp to enable wheelchair access. Audience members in wheelchairs (and accompanying helpers) are usually offered spaces at the rear of the central nave.
The Church normally opens around 30 minutes before the start time.
Portaloos are provided in the churchyard. For those with reduced mobility, a level-access facility (shared with performers) is available.
Afternoon tea
The great Cratfield tradition of interval tea and cakes is kindly provided and organised by church supporters from Cratfield and neighbouring villages. Home-made cakes, tea, coffee and cold drinks are served at the back of the church. The proceeds go to the Church as a source of much needed income.
Founder Patron Linda Holmes
The Cratfield Church engraving
Linda Holmes was a former BBC journalist and distinguished artist, who founded Concerts at Cratfield with her husband David Holmes, former Political Editor of the BBC. Linda created the wood engraving of Cratfield Church which has become a symbol of Concerts at Cratfield.