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08-24 May

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1788

The First Grand Musical Festival

In previous years, the Festival had been a fundraising sermon with musical performances, to raise money for the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital.

This year, alongside the annual fundraising sermons, in 1788 a three-day ‘Grand Musical Festival’ was held in Norwich, with concerts at both St Peter Mancroft church (morning) and St Andrew’s Hall (evening) – the first time the former monastic convent had ever been used for a musical event.

Organized by John Beckwith, the Festival aimed to bring to Norwich some of the finest musical performers around at the time, including German soprano Gertrude Mara and tenor Michael Kelly.

A subscriber’s ticket cost one guinea and a healthy £450 profit was achieved.

Arts make life better

Norfolk & Norwich Festival brings tens of thousands of people together in celebration – it has been doing this for over 250 years. Through our May Festival and our year-round arts education work, focusing on children and young people, we lead and support celebration, creativity and curiosity in communities across Norfolk and the region.

This year we begin an exciting new initiative, Festival Connect & Create that will bring creative opportunities to those schools and communities with least provision. Creativity transforms people’s lives. It builds cohesive communities, develops vital skills and supports health and wellbeing. We want more people to have access to creative opportunities.

Please consider donating to support and develop this work. With your help we can increase access to the life changing power of the arts.

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