Chiltern Arts 2023 Season

In 2023 we are exploring themes that we can all relate to in our own, very personal ways – and themes which composers, poets, artists and other creatives have found powerful ways to express through their art since the beginning of humanity.

For centuries, we have used artforms as a vehicle for communicating in a way that words alone can’t quite manage. For many, music in particular speaks in a way that not much else can. It is a universal language, used to convey joy, sadness, heartbreak, love — even to create an atmosphere, or provoke a reaction. So often the subtle messages hidden in music are written in such a way that each listener experiences something slightly different, and our own personal experiences are as important as those of the composer when writing, or the performer when playing.

So in 2023 we discover love, loss and the passage of time in a variety of ways through Chiltern Arts’ usual array of different musical genres and top-quality artists.

As well as our programme of events, we are once more running a poetry and art competition, this year focussing on the passage of time and timepieces themselves, with opportunities for writers and artists of all ages to take part. With a Shakespeare Discovery Day in High Wycombe featuring events for all the family, as well as a new event afloat on the Thames, we have lots of new things to discover this year.

We’re also excited to have established a new partnership for 2023, with the Purcell School – and we’ll be hearing performances and compositions from several of these talented young musicians throughout the season.

Following our newly-established pattern from 2022, we have split the season into two blocks – a three day ‘Winter Warmer’ in March, and a week-long Festival in May. There is so much in store for you this season, and I hope you’ll enjoy exploring what’s coming up. We can’t wait to welcome you back to some of our favourite venues in 2023.