Ruby Hughes and Ian Shaw Will Lead Newbury Spring Festival Chamber and Jazz Events

Now in its 47th year, Newbury Spring Festival will return from 9–23 May 2026 with more than 45 events across West Berkshire, bringing world-class music to churches, country houses and cultural venues throughout the region.

Alongside its large-scale orchestral concerts, this year's festival places a particular emphasis on intimate, close-up performances, offering audiences the chance to experience leading artists in distinctive and atmospheric settings.

CHAMBER MUSIC HIGHLIGHT

Homecoming

Ruby Hughes (soprano) | Tamsin Waley-Cohen (violin) | Huw Watkins (piano)
Holy Cross, Ramsbury
Tuesday 12 May, 7.30pm

Three of Britain's most compelling musicians come together for a specially curated programme exploring themes of return, memory and musical storytelling.

Soprano Ruby Hughes, a former BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist, is joined by internationally acclaimed violinist Tamsin Waley-Cohen and composer-pianist Huw Watkins for an evening culminating in an arrangement of Schubert's Shepherd on the Rock.

Set within the intimate surroundings of Holy Cross Church in Ramsbury, Homecoming reflects the festival's longstanding commitment to presenting chamber music in characterful spaces that bring audiences closer to the performers and the music itself.

JAZZ & CLASSIC SONGBOOK HIGHLIGHT

What's New

Ian Shaw | Iain Ballamy | Jamie Safir
Corn Exchange, Newbury
Wednesday 20 May, 7.30pm

One of the UK's most distinctive jazz vocalists, Ian Shaw, returns to the festival alongside tenor saxophonist Iain Ballamy and pianist Jamie Safir for an evening centred on their album What's New.

The programme explores human connections – friendships, relationships, both positive and otherwise – drawing on eight decades of popular song.  These are fresh arrangements of songs of love and hope – including Bernstein's Some Other Time as well as the Bacharach/David classics Alfie and You'll Never Get To Heaven alongside works by Legrand, Jobim and Ellington.

ALSO AT THE FESTIVAL

Elsewhere, the festival's chamber and jazz strands continue across the fortnight with performances including:

• Dominic Aldis Trio (17 May, Combe Manor) – an intimate cabaret-jazz evening inspired by the golden age of New York supper clubs
• Paddington Trio (13 May, Corn Exchange, Newbury) – one of the UK's most exciting young chamber ensembles, bringing fresh energy to the piano trio repertoire
• Septura (14 May, St Mary's Church, Shaw) – a genre-crossing brass programme exploring the meeting point between classical and jazz traditions

Founded nearly five decades ago, Newbury Spring Festival has become a cornerstone of the UK's regional cultural calendar, combining internationally recognised artists with emerging talent and a strong connection to its local community.

From major performances at St Nicolas Church to concerts in rural churches and private houses across West Berkshire, the festival offers a distinctive blend of musical excellence and local character across two weeks of live performance.

Mark Eynon, Festival Director, commented: “What makes Newbury Spring Festival distinctive is its sense of place – the chance to hear exceptional artists in venues that feel personal and rooted in the community. Whether it's chamber music in a rural church or jazz in the heart of historic Newbury, those close-up experiences are central to what we do.”

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