‘Truly special evening as Ensemble Reza delight Festival of Chichester audience’

Review of Ensemble Reza’s Festival of Chichester concert by Festival of Chichester chairman Phil Hewitt

‘A wonderful concert from Mid Sussex’s Ensemble Reza underlined the importance of live music tonight to a delighted audience at the Festival of Chichester.

Their Russian Dreams programme in the Assembly Room in the Council House in North Street was delivered to a socially-distanced audience – and was met with prolonged and deserved applause.

Ensemble Reza have been an essential part of our Festival right from the very start, and their concert tonight was just sensational. It brought home to everyone there just how important music is in our lives and just how much we have missed enjoying it live before our very eyes – especially in a room so rich in history, where the greats have played in times gone by.

We are now more than half way through our Festival of Chichester, but there is a great deal more to come. We haven’t been able to offer you a Festival on the scale of previous years, but it is a magnificent achievement to be able to deliver anything at all.

The members of the Festival of Chichester committee were hugely touched by the words of Pavlos Carvalho, cellist with Ensemble Reza, at the end of the concert, commending us for standing firm when so many other festivals have been cancelled. And he is right. We have stood firm thanks to our brilliant committee and to the generous backing of our supporters. But we have done so sensibly and sensitively – and tonight’s wonderful performance felt a beautiful reward for all our months of planning amid all the doubts and uncertainties.

Tonight was a truly special evening.”