BUXTON FRINGE 2014: Fringe has a song for every occasion

Simply Soweto Encha is back for four shows at St John’s Church, while Buxton’s own Kaleidoscope Community Choir is doing an open rehearsal, and Bel Canto singers promise a joyful summer programme honouring the heroes of WWI.

Tideswell Male Voice Choir will present a rich and varied programme, while the Ordsall Acapella singers return for their fourth visit and Fringe debutant ChorAlchemy promises jazz, folk, pop and choral classics.

City of Manchester Opera will be singing a programme of much-loved choruses, arias and excerpts – some semi-staged. Smaller in scale will be an intriguing programme of 20th century song by composers such as Berg and Strauss; soprano Laura Monaghan will be accompanied by pianist Mark Cartwright.

The worlds of folk, pop and jazz are strongly represented. Among performances at New Mills’ Spring Bank Arts Centre will be Trace Taylor and her band with a stirring mixture of originals and covers.

At The Railway in Buxton, Aprille and the Shower will entertain with bluegrass songs and music.

If its jazz that you are after ARKangel will be performing some of the songs closely associated with Ella Fitzgerald. A bit more left-field, but eagerly anticipated, is Sam Slide’s Trombone Tunes, Trombone Talk.

Buxton’s Club Acoustic will perform at the Old Clubhouse, while there will be other ‘folky’ sessions from Cathy Rimer at the Green Man Gallery and the Raintown Seers – a trio drawing on British and American folk traditions.

One of the great English pop albums is The Kinks’ Arthur, and Will Hawthorne will be performing all the songs. Falklands veteran and songwriter Darren John Poyzer promises a passionate set of First World War-themed musical theatre.

Sideways Band takes inspiration from the blues of BB King, the songwriting of Bob Dylan and Tom Lehrer in what should be a heady mix.

Finally there are two ‘festivals within a festival’. At St Peter’s Church, Fairfield, there is a week-long music festival with something for everyone, and The Buxton Tap House also has a week of live music.