West Meon Music Festival heads for a sell-out.

Music lovers throughout the district have leapt at the opportunity to hear live music once more with tickets for the West Meon Music Festival on September 11-12 rapidly selling out.

This 10th festival had originally been planned as a major four-day event with internationally renowned musical guests, but the Primrose Piano Quartet, which has organised the event since 2011, postponed the celebrations to 2021 because of Covid-19. Instead, once indoor concerts were again permitted after August 15, the Quartet put together a “mini” festival of just three concerts – all socially distanced – at St John the Evangelist church in West Meon.

“Tickets went on sale on August 17,” says festival director, Andrew Fuller, the quartet’s cellist, “and within 10 days we’d completely sold out the Friday evening concert and we’ve now also sold all the main aisle seats for the two concerts on Saturday, although there are still places in the side aisles.”

With an audience limited to fewer than 70 for each concert – instead of the usually 200 – places have been snapped up music lovers well beyond the regular locals from Winchester, the Meon Valley, Romsey, Petersfield and Fareham with others coming from Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire, Surrey and London.

Saturday afternoon’s concert reflects “Lockdown Solipsism” with members of the quartet performing their favourite solo works, while Saturday evening is devoted to Beethoven and Chausson – a French contemporary of Debussy known for his lyrical chamber music. Full details of the concert programmes can be found on the festival website (www.westmeonmmusic.co.uk) with online booking available for the remaining side aisle seats at £12.

For those looking further ahead the postponed “10th anniversary” festival will be held from 9-12 September 2021 when guests will include clarinettist Michael Collins, guitarist Laura Snowden and BBC Young Musician Strings winner 2018, cellist Maxim Calver.