101-553: The Lichfield Festival is an annual multi-art-form festival held in Lichfield , Staffordshire, England. Performances include drama, dance, film, literature, visual arts , jazz , folk , classical and world music . Performances take place principally in the medieval Lichfield Cathedral and the 21st century Lichfield Garrick theatre, alongside non-traditional venues across the County. The Festival also incorporates free community events such as
202-806: A 1990 Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Soloist Performance (without orchestra) – English Suites by Bach ; a 1990 Gramophone Award for a Schubert recital with Peter Schreier; the Bartók Prize in 1991; the Claudio Arrau Memorial Medal in 1994; the Kossuth Prize in 1996; the Léonie Sonning Music Prize in 1997; honorary membership in the Beethoven House in Bonn , awarded in 2006 for his complete recording of Beethoven's piano sonatas;
303-532: A Roman military fortress, it had become a civilian settlement ( vicus ) with a bath house and a mansio by the 2nd century. Letocetum fell into decline by the 4th century and the Romans had left by the 5th century. There have been scattered Romano-British finds in Lichfield and it is possible that a burial discovered beneath the cathedral in 1751 was Romano-British. There is no evidence of what happened to Letocetum after
404-433: A Sheriff . The Lichfield constituency sent two members to the parliament of 1304 and to a few succeeding parliaments, but the representation did not become regular until 1552; in 1867 it lost one member, and in 1885 its representation was merged into that of the county. The Lichfield constituency was abolished in 1950 and replaced with the Lichfield and Tamworth constituency . This constituency lasted until 1983, when it
505-643: A Fellow of the Royal Northern College of Music . In December 2013, the Royal Philharmonic Society awarded him its gold medal. He was created a Knight Bachelor in the Queen's Birthday Honours list of 2014 , for services to music. In 2018, Schiff received Honorary Doctorate from HRH The Prince of Wales, President of the Royal College of Music (RCM). Schiff was awarded the 2022 Bach Medal by
606-461: A dramatic effect on Lichfield. The Reformation brought the disappearance of pilgrim traffic following the destruction of St Chad's shrine in 1538, which was a major loss to the city's economic prosperity. That year too the Franciscan Friary was dissolved, the site becoming a private estate. Further economic decline followed the outbreak of plague in 1593, which resulted in the death of over
707-471: A flagship department store, six-screen cinema, hotel, 37 individual shops and 56 flats. These plans have not gone ahead and new plans have been made for a cinema in the abandoned Debenhams building. Historically the Bishop of Lichfield had authority over the city. It was not until 1548, with Edward VI 's charter, that Lichfield had any form of secular government. As a reward for the support given to Mary I by
808-674: A gentle loosening of the link between the Festival and the Cathedral. The closure of Lichfield Civic Hall in 2001 led to the use of venues including Sutton Coldfield Town Hall during the festivals of 2002/2003, while film screenings were moved to the theatre at the Friary School in Lichfield. In 2003 the Lichfield Garrick theatre, which had arisen quite literally from the ashes of the Civic Hall,
909-533: A healthy bias towards chamber music and smaller recitals. In 1995 the Festival organised the first Medieval Market, taking place in the Cathedral Close. Conceived originally as a one-off which coincided with the wider celebrations of the Cathedral's 800th anniversary, it proved successful – attracting up to 30,000 visitors – that it became an annual fixture. In 2009 the Market took on a Georgian theme, in recognition of
1010-403: A huge range of other projects. Beyond a small core team the Festival is staffed almost entirely by volunteers. In 2010 the age range of the volunteers was from 15 to 82. T-shirts became the standard uniform for all volunteers from 2009. Since its inception the Festival has been closed with a firework display, attracting up to 10,000 attendees. For the first two decades or so these were held with
1111-562: A letter in The Washington Post questioning whether "Hungary is ready and worthy to take on" the rotating presidency of the council of the European Union , as it did that day, because of "racism, discrimination against the Roma , anti-Semitism, xenophobia, chauvinism and reactionary nationalism," and "the latest media laws" (referring to new media laws passed at the end of December 2010 by
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#17330850753741212-728: A new edition of the Mozart piano concertos (begun in 2007). Schiff is married to the violinist Yūko Shiokawa . The couple have residences in London, Florence , Italy, Kamakura , Japan and Basel , Switzerland. Schiff has said he admires many pianists, including Artur Schnabel , Edwin Fischer , Alfred Cortot , Sergei Rachmaninoff , Ignaz Friedman , Josef Hofmann , Glenn Gould , Annie Fischer , Rudolf Serkin , Mieczysław Horszowski , Radu Lupu , Murray Perahia , Richard Goode and Peter Serkin . Schiff, known for his video broadcast masterclasses,
1313-574: A prestigious Royal Philharmonic Society 'concert series and Festivals' award. Alongside Philip Glass's recital was a unique collaborative performance between Tunisian Oud player Dhafer Youssef , Norwegian jazz Trumpeter Arve Henriksen and Armenian Duduk player Djivan Gasparyan . Festival 2008 opened with Marin Alsop 's final performance as principal conductor of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra . Mexican rockers Los de Abajo performed at
1414-665: A recreation of the Court of Arraye at the Guildhall , a procession of marching bands, morris men and carnival floats makes its way through the city and the Bower Queen is crowned outside the Guildhall. There is a funfair in the city centre, and another fair and jamboree in Beacon Park . The Lichfield Festival , an international arts festival, has taken place every July for 30 years. The festival
1515-453: A spin-off from the summer Festival. 3 days of talks from authors including John Carey , David Crystal and Robert Hutchinson took place in the city's George Hotel. The Literature Weekend was soon established as an annual fixture in the city's calendar. A minor re-branding exercise saw the event renamed simply Lichfield Literature in 2009. A change motivated in no small part by the expansion in scope which saw events held at multiple venues around
1616-576: A third of the entire population. Three people were burned at the stake for heresy under Mary I. The last public burning at the stake for heresy in England took place in Lichfield, when Edward Wightman from Burton upon Trent was executed by burning in the Market Place on 11 April 1612 for promoting himself as the divine Paraclete and Saviour of the world. In the English Civil War , Lichfield
1717-423: A variety of civic events including live music and free historical tours of local landmarks. There are many parks, gardens and open spaces in the city. The city centre park is Beacon Park , which hosts a range of community events and activities throughout the year. Also in the city centre are two lakes, Minster Pool and Stowe Pool . The Garden of Remembrance, a memorial garden laid out in 1920 after World War I ,
1818-637: A wider area than Lichfield city) has 28 members (from the nine wards of Boley Park, Burton Old Road West, Chadsmead, Curborough, Garrick Road, Leamonsley, St John's, Pentire Road and Stowe), who are elected every four years. After the 2019 parish council elections, the Conservatives remained in overall control, with the 28 seats being divided between the Conservatives (16), the Liberal Democrats (8), Labour (3) and Independent (1) who subsequently joined
1919-542: Is a celebration of classical music, dance, drama, film, jazz, literature, poetry, visual arts and world music. Events take place at many venues around the city but centre on Lichfield Cathedral and the Garrick Theatre . Popular events include the medieval market in the Cathedral Close and the fireworks display which closes the festival. Triennially the Lichfield Mysteries , the biggest community theatre event in
2020-507: Is called Licidfelth and mentioned as the place where St Chad fixed the episcopal see of the Mercians in 669. The first Christian king of Mercia , Wulfhere , donated land at Lichfield for St Chad to build a monastery. It was because of this that the ecclesiastical centre of Mercia became settled as the Diocese of Lichfield , which was approximately 7 miles (11 km) northwest of the seat of
2121-837: Is currently on the faculty of the Barenboim–Said Akademie in Berlin, Germany, serving as distinguished visiting professor of piano. He has given masterclasses at such prestigious schools as Juilliard School , Oberlin College , and the Royal Academy of Music . He also held a series of masterclasses in 2019 at the Gstaad Menuhin Piano Festival for just seven selected students: Florian Caroubi, Pallavi Mahidhara, Nuron Mukumi, Nicolas Namoradze, Elena Nefedova, Chiara Opalio, and Shir Semmel. The awards that Schiff has won include
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#17330850753742222-526: Is home to Central England Co-operative (and its predecessor Midlands Co-operative Society ), the second largest independent consumer co-operative in the UK. The Lichfield Greenhill Bower takes place annually on Spring Bank Holiday . Originating from a celebration that was held after the Court of Arraye in the 12th century, the festival has evolved into its modern form, but has kept many of its ancient traditions. After
2323-433: Is located on Bird Street. Many other parks are located on the outskirts of the city: these include Brownsfield Park, Darnford Park, Shortbutts Park, Stychbrook Park, Saddlers Wood and Christian Fields. There are two public sports and leisure facilities in the city. Friary Grange Leisure Centre in the north-west of the city offers racket sports, a swimming pool, and sports hall and fitness gym. King Edward VI Leisure Centre in
2424-403: Is possible Jænberht refused to perform the ceremony, which took place in 787. After King Offa's death in 796, Lichfield's power waned; in 803 the primacy was restored to Canterbury by Pope Leo III after only 16 years. The Historia Brittonum lists the city as one of the 28 cities of Britain around AD 833. During the 9th century, Mercia was devastated by Danish Vikings . Lichfield itself
2525-419: Is situated 18 miles (29 km) south-east of the county town of Stafford , 9 miles (14 km) north-east of Walsall , 8 miles (13 km) north-west of Tamworth and 13 miles (21 km) south-west of Burton upon Trent . At the time of the 2021 Census, the population was 34,738 and the population of the wider Lichfield District was 106,400. Notable for its three-spired medieval cathedral , Lichfield
2626-661: The Cappella Andrea Barca , with the name coming from an Italian translation of his last name (Barca and Schiff both mean "boat", Barca in Italian and Schiff in German), although he has provided a humorous pseudo-biography of the fictional Barca. He has appeared as a conductor with several major orchestras, including regular appearances with Philharmonia Orchestra in London and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe , and recent ones with
2727-496: The ECM label include music of Janáček and Sándor Veress , major works of Schubert and Beethoven using a period fortepiano , and live recordings of all of Beethoven's piano sonatas, made in Zurich. Between 2004 and 2006 he gave a series of lecture-recitals on the complete Beethoven sonatas in London's Wigmore Hall . His live concert recordings for ECM also include his second traversals of
2828-823: The Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest with Elisabeth Vadász, then with Pál Kadosa and Ferenc Rados . Of Rados, Schiff said, "There was never a positive word from him. Everything was bad, horrible. But it instilled a healthy attitude, an element of doubt." He also said that from Rados he learned "the main elements of piano playing, tone production, and self-control; how to listen to [oneself] and how to practise well, without wasting time, always musically, never mechanically." Among his classmates were renowned concert pianists Zoltán Kocsis and Dezső Ránki . Concurrently with his studies in Budapest, he also studied with Tatiana Nikolayeva and Bella Davidovich in summer courses at
2929-622: The Hochschule für Musik Franz Liszt, Weimar . He then studied in London with George Malcolm , a pioneer in the use of period keyboard instruments; Schiff made a recording with Malcolm of four-hand music by Mozart using a fortepiano that had once belonged to the composer. He also studied piano and chamber music with György Kurtág . Schiff was fourth prize winner of the Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition in 1974 and tied with Pascal Devoyon for third prize in
3030-510: The Leeds International Pianoforte Competition in 1975. He emigrated from Hungary in 1979. He was unable to meet residency requirements for US citizenship due to his long absences for touring and accepted Austrian citizenship in 1987 and established homes in London and Salzburg. From 1989 until 1998, Schiff was artistic director of the "Musiktage Mondsee" chamber music festival near Salzburg . In 1995, he co-founded
3131-699: The Robert Schumann Prize of the City of Zwickau in 2011; Germany's Orden Pour le mérite für Wissenschaften und Künste (2011) and in January 2012, the Golden Mozart Medal of the International Mozarteum Foundation . He has been made an honorary professor by music academies in Budapest, Detmold and Munich and is a Special Supernumerary Fellow of Balliol College , Oxford University . He is
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3232-565: The Sacconi Quartet performed specially composed music in the round. The 2009 Festival opened – unusually – in the Lichfield Garrick, with a performance by 'Chairman' Ray Gelato and his band the Giants. The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain returned with their 'Ukulelescope' project in conjunction with the BFI, where the group performed specially composed music in accompaniment to a series of films from
3333-529: The San Francisco Symphony and Los Angeles Philharmonic . Schiff is one of the most renowned interpreters of Bach , Mozart , Beethoven , Schubert and Schumann . His many recordings for the Decca label include much of the keyboard music of Bach, music of Domenico Scarlatti , Ernst von Dohnányi , Johannes Brahms , and Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky , the complete piano sonatas of Mozart and Schubert, and
3434-525: The Triassic period. Mercia Mudstone underlies the north and north-eastern edges of the city towards Elmhurst and Curborough . The red sandstone underlying the majority of Lichfield is present in many of its ancient buildings, including Lichfield Cathedral and the Church of St Chad . The ground within the city slopes down from 116m in the north-west to 86m on the sandstone shelf where Lichfield Cathedral stands. To
3535-585: The "Ittinger Pfingstkonzerte" in Kartause Ittingen, Switzerland, together with the famed oboist Heinz Holliger . From 2004 to 2007 he was artist in residence of the Kunstfest Weimar. In the 2007–08 season he was pianist in residence of the Berlin Philharmonic . In 2011–12 he was one of the "Perspectives Artists" of Carnegie Hall . In 1999, he formed an occasional chamber orchestra, which he named
3636-563: The BFI archives. The extraordinary vocal sounds of the Great Voices of Bulgaria filled the Cathedral, as did Fyfe Hutchens – otherwise known as Fyfe Dangerfield – who performed the only late-night concert of that year, improvising on the Lady Chapel piano for exactly 60 minutes, uninterrupted. Richard Hawley left to take up a Clore Fellowship following 2009's Lichfield Literature. He was succeeded by Fiona Stuart, previously artistic director of
3737-516: The Bach Partitas and Goldberg Variations . Schiff has given lectures on the interpretation of the music he plays; in 2024, he lectured at the Wigmore Hall , London on Bach's Art of Fugue , before performing the piece in the same concert. For G. Henle , he provided fingerings for new editions of Bach's The Well-Tempered Clavier (published in 2006) and fingerings and missing cadenzas for
3838-645: The Chorlton Arts Festival in Manchester and the first female director in the Festival's near 30-year history. The 2010 Festival saw the introduction of several new programming stands. One of the most popular was a 'Young Artist' series held at lunchtimes in St Chad's church and featuring performers from all the Royal Colleges of Music. Other additions included a late-night Jazz series held at a new Festival venue,
3939-632: The City of Leipzig. Schiff has made public statements about politics in Austria and Hungary. He has also become an outspoken critic of the Hungarian government of Viktor Orbán , whom he has publicly accused of racism, anti-Semitism, and neo-fascism, stating in January 2012 that he would never again set foot in his native country. In 2000, he commented on the rise of the far-right in Austria. He subsequently gave up his Austrian citizenship and took British citizenship in 2001. On 1 January 2011, Schiff published
4040-555: The City to be aware of our plans for pleasures to come'. Further highlights of the opening year included performances by the Hallé and Royal Philharmonic Orchestras ; and the Cambridge Footlights Revue, featuring the then relatively unknown Stephen Fry , Hugh Laurie , and Emma Thompson . The Endellion Quartet were artists in residence and returned many times in subsequent years. There were also international contributions from
4141-584: The Festival Market and the Festival Fireworks. The Lichfield Festival was founded in 1981 by the then Dean of Lichfield Cathedral , John Lang ; and Gordon Clark, who was head of music at Abbotsholme School and Artistic Director of the Abbotsholme Arts Society . Clark, while continuing his work at Abbotsholme, was the Festival's first Artistic Director (the two jobs continued to be under
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4242-647: The George IV pub in the town centre. An eclectic mix of bands formed from Birmingham's cobweb collective played to sell-out houses on seven of the ten nights of the Festival. Owing to works being carried out on the masonry and windows of Lichfield Cathedral 's Lady Chapel , the Cathedral presbytery was called into use as a replacement performance space. Notable performances there came from Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy , and Welsh harpist Catrin Finch performing Bach 's Goldberg Variations by candlelight. The venue also housed
4343-544: The Industrial Revolution, Lichfield remained largely unchanged in character. The first council houses were built in the Dimbles area of the city in the 1930s. The outbreak of World War II brought over 2,000 evacuees from industrialised areas. However, due to the lack of heavy industry in the city, Lichfield escaped lightly, although there were air raids in 1940 and 1941 and three Lichfeldians were killed. Just outside
4444-637: The Italian prize, Premio della critica musicale Franco Abbiati, also for his Beethoven cycle in 2007; also in 2007, the Royal Academy of Music Bach Prize , sponsored by the Kohn Foundation, awarded to "an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the performance and/or scholarly study of Johann Sebastian Bach"; the Wigmore Hall Medal in 2008; also in 2008, the Klavier-Festival Ruhr Prize, for outstanding pianistic achievement;
4545-412: The Japanese Suzuki Tour Company, the French Rouen Officium Pastorum and the German Antiqua Cologne. As Lang said, all were 'a foretaste of what was to become normal festival fayre'. Highlights from the rest of the eighties included the visit of sitar legend Ravi Shankar together with tabla virtuoso Alla Rakha in 1984 – a year which also saw the Festival's one and only foray into musical theatre, with
4646-450: The Labour group. The Right Worshipful the Mayor of Lichfield (currently Councillor Robert Yardley ) is the civic head of the council and chairs council meetings. The council also appoints a Leader of Council to be the main person responsible for leadership of the council's political and policy matters. The council's current Leader is Councillor Mark Warfield. Lichfield is one of only 15 towns and cities in England and Wales which appoints
4747-507: The Lichfield Cathedral School's production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat – a visit from Oscar Peterson in 1985, and skiffle Legend Lonnie Donegan came along with his dancing sunshine band in 1987. The Festival also experimented with a two-day show-jumping event in 1989, which managed a reprise in 1990 but hasn't been heard of since. In 1985, conductor Valery Gergiev , pianist Evgeny Kissin , and violinists Maxim Vengerov and Vadim Repin all received their UK debuts at
4848-412: The Lichfield Festival. Gordon Clark's tenure as Artistic Director ended with his untimely death in August 1989. Clark was succeeded by Paul Spicer , the longest serving Artistic Director to date. Spicer sought to 'cater for all tastes and provide something for everyone'. Different thematic strands were brought into the programme to encourage what Spicer called 'cohesion and unity'. The first of these were
4949-509: The Lichfield Garrick, along with jazz vocal group The Passion, The Puppini Sisters , the Bryan Corbett Quartet, Rainer Hersch , Sir Roy Strong and The Hairy Bikers . 1928 Indian Silent film Shiraz was brought out of the British Film Institute Archives and a new score was commissioned and performed live by the Sabri Ensemble. The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain performed to an audience of 900 at Lichfield Cathedral, and Gwilym Simcock returned as part of Acoustic Triangle, who together with
5050-430: The Mercian kings at Tamworth . In July 2009, the Staffordshire Hoard , the largest collection of Anglo-Saxon gold ever found, was discovered in a field in the parish of Hammerwich , 4 mi (6.4 km) south-west of Lichfield; it was probably deposited in the 7th century. The first cathedral was built on the present site in 700 when Bishop Hædde built a new church to house the bones of St Chad, which had become
5151-444: The Romans left; however, Lichfield may have emerged as the inhabitants of Letocetum relocated during its decline. A Cair Luit Coyd (" Fort Greywood") was listed by Nennius among the 28 cities of Britain in his Historia Brittonum , although these were largely historic remembrances of early Sub-Roman Britain . The early history of Lichfield is obscure. The first authentic record of Lichfield occurs in Bede's history, where it
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#17330850753745252-428: The aegis of a single person until 2009); and the founding team was completed by Financial Director John Round and Patrick Lichfield, then Earl of Lichfield, who was one of the first financial contributors. The inaugural Festival opened on 3 July 1982 with the Band of the Royal Marines processing from the market square in Lichfield to the west door of the Cathedral, which John Lang described as 'a kind of trumpet call to
5353-424: The bailiffs and citizens during the Duke of Northumberland's attempt to prevent her accession, the Queen issued a new charter in 1553, confirming the 1548 charter and in addition granting the city its own Sheriff. The same charter made Lichfield a county separate from the rest of Staffordshire . It remained so until 1888. The City Council (not to be confused with Lichfield District Council , which has authority over
5454-423: The central spire. It was restored at the Restoration under the supervision of Bishop Hacket , and thanks in part to the generosity of King Charles II . Lichfield started to develop a lively coaching trade as a stop-off on the busy route between London and Chester from the 1650s onwards, making it Staffordshire's most prosperous town. In the 18th century, and then reaching its peak in the period from 1800 to 1840,
5555-482: The centre of a sacred shrine to many pilgrims when he died in 672. The burial in the cathedral of the kings of Mercia, Wulfhere in 674 and Ceolred in 716, further increased the city's prestige. In 786 King Offa made the city an archbishopric with authority over all the bishops from the Humber to the River Thames ; his appointee was Archbishop Hygeberht . This may have been motivated by Offa's desire to have an archbishop consecrate his son Ecgfrith as king, since it
5656-519: The city and running for four days. The 2010 event encompassed a week for the first time and included talks from comedian Jo Brand , Labour politicians Tony Benn and Roy Hattersley , actor Ron Moody and the team behind the BBC's smash-hit adaptation of Elizabeth Gaskell 's Cranford Novels. The first instance of a local church being used as a concert venue for the Lichfield Festival occurred in 1992, when St. John's Hospital Chapel in Lichfield and St. Matthew's Hospital Chapel in Burntwood were added to
5757-480: The city thrived as a busy coaching city on the main routes from London to the north-west and Birmingham to the north-east. It also became a centre of great intellectual activity, being the home of many famous people including Samuel Johnson , David Garrick , Erasmus Darwin and Anna Seward ; this prompted Johnson's remark that Lichfield was "a city of philosophers". In the 1720s Daniel Defoe described Lichfield as 'a fine, neat, well-built, and indifferent large city',
5858-507: The city was consolidated in the 12th century under Roger de Clinton , who fortified the Cathedral Close and also laid out the town with the ladder-shaped street pattern that survives to this day. Lichfield's heyday was in the 18th century, when it developed into a thriving coaching city. This was a period of great intellectual activity; the city was the home of many famous people including Samuel Johnson, David Garrick , Erasmus Darwin and Anna Seward , prompting Johnson's remark that Lichfield
5959-421: The city, Wellington Bombers flew out of Fradley Aerodrome, which was known as RAF Lichfield . After the war the council built many new houses in the 1960s, including some high-rise flats, while the late 1970s and early 1980s saw the construction of a large housing estate at Boley Park in the south-east of the city. The city's population tripled between 1951 and the late 1980s. The city has continued expanding to
6060-448: The coaching trade such as coach builders, corn and hay merchants, saddlers, and tanneries began to thrive. The Corn Exchange was designed by T. Johnson and Son and completed in 1850. The invention of the railways saw a decline in coach travel, and with it came the decline in Lichfield's prosperity. By the end of the 19th century, brewing was the principal industry, and in the neighbourhood were large market gardens which provided food for
6161-495: The complete piano concertos of Felix Mendelssohn with Charles Dutoit and of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart with the Camerata Academica Salzburg led by Sándor Végh . His recordings for the Teldec label include the complete Beethoven piano concertos with the Staatskapelle Dresden led by Bernard Haitink and the complete piano concertos of Béla Bartók with the Budapest Festival Orchestra led by Iván Fischer , as well as solo works by Haydn, Brahms, and others. Notable recordings for
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#17330850753746262-461: The concept of having a composer-in-residence to Lichfield, the first of whom was William Mathias , who was succeeded by Robert Saxton . Sir Michael Tippett was not a composer-in-residence, but did send in his best wishes in 1992. Returning artists: András Schiff , Julian Lloyd Webber , Humphrey Lyttelton , Endellion Quartet , National Youth Jazz Orchestra , City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra , Ex Cathedra , BBC Philharmonic . Paul Spicer
6363-411: The country church series was relabelled as FEAST (Festival Events Around Staffordshire), with the scope for venues, beyond churches and beyond the traditional understanding of what a venue can be, to be brought into the Festival fold. Other events take place annually at Swinfen Hall Hotel, and within the city St Michael's church and St Chad's church are now regular venues. These events have tended to have
6464-413: The country, takes place at the cathedral and in the Market Place. It consists of a cycle of 24 medieval-style plays involving over 600 amateur actors. Other weekend summer festivals include the Lichfield Folk Festival and The Lichfield Real Ale , Jazz and Blues Festival. Lichfield Heritage Weekend, incorporating Dr Johnson's Birthday Celebrations, takes place on the third weekend in September with
6565-463: The current city, there was a Romano-British village, Letocetum , a Common Brittonic place-name meaning "Grey wood", " grey " perhaps referring to varieties of tree prominent in the landscape, such as ash and elm . In the post-Roman period, Letocetum developed into Old Welsh Luitcoyt . The earliest record of the name in English is the Vita Sancti Wilfredi of around 715, describing when Chad moves from York to Lichfield in 669. "Chad
6666-417: The fortified close, but was killed by a deflected bullet on St Chad's day in 1643, an accident welcomed as a miracle by the Royalists. The close subsequently yielded to the Parliamentarians, but was retaken by Prince Rupert of the Rhine in the same year; on the collapse of the Royalist cause in 1646 it again surrendered. The cathedral suffered extensive damage from the war, including the complete destruction of
6767-508: The government of Viktor Orbán ). On 16 January 2011, Schiff told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung that he had become "persona non grata" in Hungary and would probably never perform there again "or even visit." On 17 January he joined Hungarian conductor Ádám Fischer and six other Hungarian intellectuals and artists in publishing an open letter "To the artists of Europe and the World" protesting against "racism against Roma, with homophobia and with antisemitism" and saying that "the freedom of
6868-428: The growing populations of nearby Birmingham and the Black Country . Today there are a number of light industrial areas, predominantly in the east of the city, not dominated by any one particular industry. The district is famous for two local manufacturers: Armitage Shanks , makers of baths/bidets and showers, and Arthur Price of England , master cutlers and silversmiths. Many residents commute to Birmingham. The city
6969-447: The high ground of the cemetery at St Michael on Greenhill , which may indicate an early flint industry. Traces of Neolithic settlement have been discovered on the south side of the sandstone ridge occupied by Lichfield Cathedral . 2.2 mi (3.5 km) south-west of Lichfield, near the point where Icknield Street crosses Watling Street , was the site of Letocetum (the Brittonic *Lētocaiton, "Greywood"). Established in AD 50 as
7070-514: The media, of the arts and artists, and of those who could most effectively act against such tendencies is more and more curtailed." The letter appeared in German and in English, with a note of support from Daniel Barenboim appended. As a result of his statements, he came under attack from Hungarian nationalists. On 14 January 2012, in an interview with the German newspaper Der Tagesspiegel , Schiff expressed his deep worries about right-wing radical gangs terrorising Roma , open antisemitism , and
7171-411: The music of Mozart , Samuel Barber , and Cole Porter in 1991. The bi-centenary of Mozart's death in this year also saw the Festival's first opera – a full production of The Marriage of Figaro . The Festival acquired a logo – a stylised cello headstock with 'The Lichfield Festival' encircling it – and a Fringe, with events taking place in sixteen venues around the city, in 1994. Spicer also introduced
7272-619: The name Letocetum had passed into Old English as Licid , to which was appended the Old English word feld ("open country"). This word Lyccidfeld is the origin of the word "Lichfield". The modern day city of Lichfield and the Roman villa of Letocetum are just two miles (3 km) apart. While these names are distinct in modern usage, they had a common derivation in the Brittonic original * Letocaiton , indicating that "grey wood" referred to
7373-724: The other on Harehurst Hill near the city boundary at Aldershawe where the level reaches 134 m. The city is built on the two sides of a shallow valley, into which flow two streams from the west, the Trunkfield Brook and the Leamonsley Brook, and out of which the Curborough Brook runs to the north-east, eventually flowing into the River Trent . The two streams have been dammed south of the cathedral on Dam Street to form Minster Pool and near St Chad's Road to form Stowe Pool . At
7474-603: The place where pilgrims gathered to worship at the shrine of St Chad: this practice continued until the Reformation , when the shrine was destroyed. In the Middle Ages, the main industry in Lichfield was making woollen cloth; there was also a leather industry. Much of the surrounding area was open pasture, and there were many surrounding farms. In the 18th century, Lichfield became a busy coaching centre. Inns and hostelries grew up to provide accommodation, and industries dependent on
7575-458: The principal town in the region after Chester. During the late 18th and early 19th century much of the medieval city was rebuilt with the red-brick Georgian style buildings still to be seen today. Also during this time, the city's infrastructure underwent great improvements, with underground sewerage systems, paved streets and gas-powered street lighting. An infantry regiment of the British Army
7676-401: The region inclusive of modern-day Lichfield City and the Roman villa. Popular etymology has it that a thousand Christians were martyred in Lichfield around AD 300 during the reign of Diocletian and that the name Lichfield actually means "field of the dead" (see lich ). There is no evidence to support this legend. The earliest evidence of settlement is Mesolithic flints discovered on
7777-738: The return to prominence in the Festival of Lichfield Cathedral's musicians, in the form of the Cathedral Choir and the Cathedral Chamber Choir. Highlights of the programme in the Nave included a performance of Vivaldi's four-seasons by former Young Musician of the Year Nicola Benedetti; The three-year-old Festival Chorus performed an evening of a cappella music. October 2006 saw the First Lichfield Literature Weekend,
7878-535: The roster. From 1997–2007 the events in Lichfield were augmented by concerts in churches around Staffordshire, with the aim to provide exposure to the arts for as wide an audience as possible under the Lichfield Festival banner. It was then and remains policy to avoid, as much as possible, repetition of venues, and performances have taken place in Yoxall, Alrewas, Hawksyard, Hoar Cross, amongst many others. From 2008
7979-654: The seat since 1997, by a majority of 810. Sarah Edwards was elected to the Tamworth constituency in a byelection in 2023 and held the seat in the 2024 general election. Christopher Pincher was the previous MP until a highly publicised scandal in 2022 after which he had the Conservative whip revoked and subsequently sat as an independent before announcing his resignation in September 2023. Lichfield covers an area of approximately 5.41 sq mi (14.0 km ) in
8080-482: The see from Chester to Coventry. The Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield had seats in both locations; work on the present Gothic cathedral at Lichfield began in 1195. (In 1837 the see of Lichfield acquired independent status, and the style 'Bishop of Lichfield' was adopted.) In 1153 a markets charter was granted by King Stephen and, ever since, weekly markets have been held in the Market Square. Bishop Roger de Clinton
8181-405: The south and east of the city centre is a ridge which reaches 103 m at St Michael on Greenhill . Boley Park lies on top of a ridge with its highest point on Borrowcop Hill at 113m. To the south-east the level drops to 69 m where Tamworth Road crosses the city boundary into Freeford. There is another high ridge south-west of the city where there are two high points, one at Berry Hill Farm at 123 m and
8282-478: The south of the city offers racket sports, a sports hall and an artificial turf pitch. Andr%C3%A1s Schiff Sir András Schiff ( Hungarian: [ˈɒndraːʃ ˈʃiff] ; born 21 December 1953) is a Hungarian-born British classical pianist and conductor. He has received numerous awards and honours, including the Grammy Award , Gramophone Award , Mozart Medal , and Royal Academy of Music Bach Prize , and
8383-532: The south-east of the county of Staffordshire in the West Midlands region of England. It is approximately 27 km (17 mi) north of Birmingham and 200 km (120 mi) north-west of London. The city is located between the high ground of Cannock Chase to the west and the valleys of the Rivers Trent and Tame to the east. It is underlain by red sandstone , deposited during the arid desert conditions of
8484-505: The spectators arrayed around Stowe Pool. Health and Safety concerns from nearby residents forced a switch to Beacon Park in the early 2000s, but the fireworks display was discontinued in 2012. Lichfield 52°40′55″N 1°49′44″W / 52.682°N 1.829°W / 52.682; -1.829 Lichfield ( / ˈ l ɪ tʃ f iː l d / ) is a cathedral city and civil parish in Staffordshire , England . Lichfield
8585-583: The tercentenary of the birth of Lichfield-born Samuel Johnson . 2010 saw the launch of the first, theme-free 'Festival Market', a showcase of arts and crafts across the region. Each year Lichfield schools participate in education projects, culminating in a performance in Lichfield Cathedral. Previous projects have included a Gamelan orchestra; cellist Matthew Barley's Between the Notes ; Numerous workshops on everything from drama to close-harmony singing, amongst
8686-403: The time of the 2021 census, the population of the City of Lichfield was 34,738. Lichfield is 96.5% white and 66.5% Christian. 51% of the population over 16 were married. 64% were employed and 21% of the people were retired. All of these figures were higher than the national average. Lichfield's wealth grew along with its importance as an ecclesiastical centre. The original settlement prospered as
8787-475: The town crossed the ditch. In 1291 Lichfield was severely damaged by a fire which destroyed most of the town; however the Cathedral and Close survived unscathed. In 1387 Richard II gave a charter for the foundation of the guild of St Mary and St John the Baptist; this guild functioned as the local government, until its dissolution by Edward VI , who incorporated the town in 1548. The policies of Henry VIII had
8888-584: The very conservative chauvinism and nationalism of the ruling Fidesz party in Hungary lately. Since, as he said, "antisemitic baiting has become socially acceptable in Hungary", and he had been decried as Saujude on the Internet, he had cancelled all his concerts in Hungary, he said. In December 2012, he said to the website of Yle Uutiset (Finnish television) that he would remain in self-imposed exile from Hungary. In December 2013, Schiff told an interviewer from
8989-502: The west. The Darwin Park housing estate has been under development for a number of years and has swelled the city's population by approximately 3,000. Plans were approved for Friarsgate, a new £100 million shopping and leisure complex opposite Lichfield City Station . The police station, bus station, Ford garage and multi-storey car park were to be demolished to make way for 22,000 m of retail space and 2,000 m of leisure facilities, consisting of
9090-429: Was "a city of philosophers". Today, the city still retains its old importance as an ecclesiastical centre, and its industrial and commercial development has been limited. The centre of the city has over 230 listed buildings (including many examples of Georgian architecture ) and preserves much of its historic character. The origin of the modern name "Lichfield" is twofold. At Wall , 3.5 km (2.2 mi) south of
9191-550: Was an artist-in-residence in the same year. Simcock's 2006 residency also included the first ever non-London performance of the Gwilym Simcock Big Band and a major big band commission entitled The Lichfield Suite, which was subsequently programmed by the Cheltenham Jazz Festival , broadcast on BBC Radio 3, and shortlisted for a 2007 British Composer Award. The 2007 Lichfield Festival was on a shortlist of 3 for
9292-601: Was appointed Knight Bachelor in the 2014 Queen's Birthday Honours for services to music. He is also known for his public criticism of political movements in Hungary and Austria. Schiff is a distinguished visiting professor of piano at the Barenboim–Said Akademie in Berlin, and the first artist-in-residence of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra . Schiff was born in Budapest to a Jewish family, as an only child. He began piano lessons at age five, studying at
9393-473: Was divided. The cathedral authorities, supported by some of the townsfolk, were for the king, but the townsfolk generally sided with the Parliament. This led to the fortification of the close in 1643. Lichfield's position as a focus of supply routes had an important strategic significance during the war, and both forces were anxious for control of the city. The Parliamentary commander Lord Brooke led an assault on
9494-559: Was followed by Meurig Bowen . Bowen had come from a job in Australia, and his first festival, in 2002, showed an increased antipodean influence which would point the way towards a general expansion of scope. Some of the highlights included William Barton , an aboriginal didgeridoo player, who performed a European premiere of Peter Sculthorpe 's Requiem for mixed chorus, didgeridoo and orchestra. A new logo, typeface and corporate structure were introduced following Bowen's arrival, signalling
9595-755: Was formed at Lichfield in 1705 by Col. Luke Lillingstone in the King's Head tavern in Bird Street. In 1751 it became the 38th Regiment of Foot, and in 1783 the 1st Staffordshire Regiment ; after reorganisation in 1881 it became the 1st battalion of the South Staffordshire Regiment . The arrival of the Industrial Revolution and the railways in 1837 signalled the end of Lichfield's position as an important staging post for coaching traffic. While nearby Birmingham (and its population) expanded greatly during
9696-566: Was made Bishop of the Mercians immediately after his deposition; Wilfred gave him the place ( locus ) at Lichfield ( Onlicitfelda )". The prefix "on" indicates that the place given to Chad by Wilfrid was "in Lichfield", indicating the name was understood to apply to a region rather than a specific settlement. Bede's Ecclesiastical History of the English People , completed in 731, states that Chad acquired Licidfelth as his episcopal seat ( sedes episcolpalem ). These and later sources show that
9797-660: Was opened on the same night as that year's Festival, with a performance by the Jazz Jamaica All-Stars. After a short three-year stint at Lichfield, Bowen left to take up a position with Aldeburgh Productions, and was succeeded in Lichfield by Richard Hawley, previously orchestra manager with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO). Philip Glass performed a rare solo piano recital in 2007, while virtuoso double bass player François Rabbath made an extremely rare visit to England to perform at Lichfield in 2006, alongside rising British jazz star Gwilym Simcock , who
9898-603: Was replaced with the Mid Staffordshire constituency . Based on the resident's location in Lichfield District, there are technically two MPs. The current Member of Parliament for Lichfield, including the whole of the city, is the Labour Politician Dave Robertson , who has been MP for Lichfield since the 2024 general election . Robertson won the seat from Conservative Michael Fabricant , who had held
9999-435: Was responsible for transforming the scattered settlements to the south of Minster Pool into the ladder-plan streets existing today. Market Street, Wade Street, Bore Street and Frog Lane linked Dam Street, Conduit Street and Bakers Lane on one side with Bird Street and St John Street on the other. Bishop de Clinton also fortified the cathedral close and enclosed the town with a bank and ditch, and gates were set up where roads into
10100-591: Was the birthplace of Samuel Johnson , the writer of the first authoritative Dictionary of the English Language . The city's recorded history began when Chad of Mercia arrived to establish his Bishopric in 669 AD and the settlement grew as the ecclesiastical centre of Mercia . In 2009, the Staffordshire Hoard , the largest hoard of Anglo-Saxon gold and silver metalwork, was found 4 mi (6.4 km) south-west of Lichfield. The development of
10201-518: Was unwalled and the cathedral was despoiled, so Bishop Peter moved the see to the fortified and wealthier Chester in 1075. At the time of the Domesday Book survey (1086), Lichfield was held by the bishop of Chester ; Lichfield was listed as a small village. The lord of the manor was the Bishop of Chester until the reign of Edward VI . In 1102 Bishop Peter's successor, Robert de Limesey , transferred
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