Arts festival unveils spectacular line-up
A mouth-watering line-up of artists and musicians due to appear at Lichfield Festival has been unveiled for the July arts spectacular.
The festival is traditionally one of the most eclectic multi-arts events of its kind in the UK, famed for its colourful mix of music, dance, theatre, literary, community and family events.
The Festival has revealed Cathedral headliners including multi-award-winning performing artist, composer and producer Nitin Sawhney and folk singer-songwriter Kate Rusby.
Nitin Sawhney is the recipient of the Ivor Novello 2017 Lifetime Achievement award along with a multitude of international awards and is one of the most distinctive and versatile musical voices around today - a producer, songwriter, touring artist, BBC Radio and club DJ. His composing credits include Mowgli for Netflix and BBC 's Human Planet series.
Kate Rusby (pictured) announced herself to the music press in 1999 with a Mercury Music Prize and has recently been celebrating 30 years as a touring musician and headlining everywhere from the Royal Albert Hall to Cambridge Folk Festival.
Also in Lichfield Cathedral, actress, singer and Broadway star Melissa Errico sings Legrand and Sondheim, and Festival Patron Julian Lloyd Webber hosts and curates a concert performed by his international cellist wife Jiaxin Lloyd Webber in a candlelit evening to close this year 's event.
Three new Lichfield Festival Associate Artists for 2023-2025 are also announced: musical explorers the Brodsky Quartet who have just marked their 50th anniversary; pianist James Pearson, Artistic Director of London 's famous Ronnie Scott 's; and violinist and vocalist Lizzie Ball.
They join current Associate Artists BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Baroque violinist Rachel Podger and Grimethorpe Colliery Band who all give Cathedral concerts, and pianist Danny Driver and cabaret artist and writer, Jessica Walker, who will perform at multiple venues across the city.
Lichfield Festival is also continuing its partnership with McArthurGlen designer outlet West Midlands. It follows a pop-up Day of Dance, and a Lichfield Literature Festival pop-up which will take place at McArthurGlen 's Community Corner on 18-20 March this year.
David Jackson, Centre Manager, McArthurGlen said, “We are proud to continue to support Lichfield Festival and those involved with its important work.
"The Festival is widely known and loved across the region as somewhere people can come together and celebrate the thriving arts and culture in the local area and beyond.
"McArthurGlen West Midlands are delighted to play a part in enabling this, and will support growth and development of the Festival in future. ”