Record Numbers Attend Festival
Record numbers of people hailed the seventh Frome Festival as the best ever.
Festival director Martin Bax MBE said he had been so inundated with enthusiasm and praise for the ten-day arts celebration that he was determined to make sure next year's was even better.
"Most said it was the best yet. I think people were pleased with the size of this year's festival and I will do my utmost to keep the festival on track."
Somerset's largest community arts festival has also been bolstered by news from the Charities Commission that it is eligible for charitable status.
The Commission has confirmed that it will register the festival as a charity and send official notification in the near future.
Mr Bax said: "We have been operating as a charity in all but name. Charitable status gives us the potential to achieve long-term sustainability," he said.
More concerts sold out this year than in previous years and record numbers came to the annual World Food Feast.
Thirsty revellers consumed 700 pints of Festival Ale, brewed by Frome's Milk Street Brewery, as they watched live music in the town centre.
Mr Bax said: "I was thrilled to see the huge crowds at the World Food Feast and delighted that the heavens held for every event where good weather was critical to its success."
Festival organisers echoed the public's comments in praising Mr Bax's efforts, describing the festival in its recorded minutes as "outstandingly successful".
One of the highlights of the festival was the community's commitment to this year's theme of Thinking Green.
Events ranged from the day-long Green Fair and the Sustainable Trail to talks at Telisford Mill, which demonstrated how green energy can be generated from the River Frome.
Visiting delegates from Frome's twin towns in France and Germany enjoyed a cultural rollercoaster over the first weekend.
"They had such a good weekend. It was action-packed. We'll certainly be extending warm invitations to return next year," Mr Bax said.
This was the first year that the annual tripartite meeting between the three towns had been moved to coincide with each other's festivals. Previously, the meeting had been held in November.
Both twins played an instrumental part in this year's festival. Gerhardt Strobel, Bürgermeister of Frome's German twin, Murrhardt, which is North-east of Stuttgart, officially opened the festival.
And this year's Summer School travelled to Frome's French twin, Château-Gontier, a town of 11,000 people to the East of Le Mans, to perform a concert straight after the festival.
The French town and birthplace of Claude Pompidou staged the first leg of a Summer School concert tour in a 650-seater theatre built within the cloistered setting of a converted monastery.
The second leg took place in Paris with a concert in the magnificent setting of Saint Louis Church, near the Notre Dame. It was one of the first performances to be held in the church since the restoration of its grand organ.
Bath Philharmonia's Jason Thornton conducted Summer School choristers and Somerset Youth Orchestra in performances of Saint Saens's Symphony No. 3 and Brahms's Ein Deutsches Requiem .
"We played to standing ovations. It was quite something," Mr Bax said.
Château-Gontier holds fond memories for Mr Bax as it was here eight years ago that he first went public with his plan to organise an arts festival in Frome.
"I was inspired by the place. Its facilities, the community spirit. I vowed to go back to that lovely town with a festival production and I fulfilled my ambition this year.
"Where we ate was bigger than the Cheese & Grain and the City of Bath would be grateful for its theatre facilities.
"I have returned resolute to continue my long-term campaign to bring a concert hall of similar prestige to Frome," he said.
Mr Bax felt it was impossible to single out any of the 140 events at this year's festival for particular praise. "They all made it special," he said.
Instead, he thanked FromeFM and everyone who took part in its success. "It was marvellous to have such good coverage during the festival," he said.
FromeFM's website at www.fromefm.co.uk has downloads of events you may have missed, or want to hear again.
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