The Festival Committee brings together representatives from the Barnes Music Society, Barnes Choir, Barnes Community Association, St Michael’s Barnes, The Friends of St Mary’s Barnes and local music lovers and professionals who volunteer their expertise.
Andrew Summers, Chairman; James Day, Artistic Director; Sarah Cox, Brochure and website; Eleanor Davison, Young Artist Soirées; Angela Hoggarth, Barnes Choir; Charles Law, Barnes Music Society; Grytė Navardauskaitė, Artistic Assistant; Katherine Passerieu, PR & Media; Gary Smith, Barnes Community Association; Christine Thornton, Community Coordinator, Peta Nightingale and Jeremy Limb, St Michael’s.
James Day
Artistic Director
James is Director of Music of the Pimlico Musical Foundation and Director of Tiffin Boys’ Choir. A prize-winning Choral Conductor at the Royal Academy of Music James has worked with conductors Gustavo Dudamel, Bernard Haitink, Jakub Hruša, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Vladimir Jurowski and Simon Halsey and has prepared choruses for the London Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonia, London Philharmonic Orchestra and Los Angeles Philharmonic. He has been broadcast on BBC, ITV, Channel4 and ClassicFM.
Our Patrons
“Among the many good reasons for being enthusiastic about life in Barnes, we can now add a terrific music festival every year. It can only be a matter of time before Barnes is entered for the European City of Culture.”
Lord Patten of Barnes
Politician, diplomat, author and university chancellor
“Our ambition is to bring world-class music to Barnes - and to make it accessible to the whole community. As a Barnes resident, former parliamentarian and music lover, I am hopeful that, whatever your musical taste, you will find something to satisfy, to stimulate and to surprise you. Please take part. Please enjoy.”
Gyles Brandreth
A prolific writer and broadcaster, former MP and Government Whip
“Barnes is a fabulous place for a composer to live - our community holds such an inspirationally diverse collection of musicians, writers and artists that it's only natural we should have a Barnes Music Festival to celebrate and promote this highly concentrated cultural epicentre with the highest quality performances in beautiful and serene settings. I'm very proud to be a patron!”
Roxanna Panufnik
One of the UK's most popular and loved composers
“Being local to Barnes, I am thrilled to be associated with the Barnes Music Festival. It is a welcome addition to a part of London that has a long music tradition and that counts Gustav Holst as one of its own.”
Howard Goodall
Award-winning composer of choral music, stage musicals, film and TV scores and distinguished broadcaster