ONE OF the county’s most successful festivals has put together a one-off, all-star group to perform at the event

The Elgar Festival – which runs from Tuesday (May 30) until Sunday, June 4 this year – will welcome Blue Enigma whose name pays homage to Elgar’s Enigma Variations, which will feature in the band’s set.

The band will play at the Royal Porcelain Works in Worcester on June 3 at 10.15pm, offering a nightclub style evening of entertainment.

The concert will feature a tribute to the life and music of Jeff Beck, who died earlier this year. The group will be playing a number of instrumentals that Beck performed regularly throughout his career, including the Stevie Wonder composition ‘Cause We’ve Ended as Lovers’ which was written for Beck.

The guitar/bass/drum trio – which is made up of Kenneth Woods, Joe Hoskin and Sean McNicholas – will also be playing a number of Ken’s originals, including at least three new songs, moving between the varied musical worlds of rock, jazz, fusion, blues, classical and country.

Kenneth Woods, artistic director at the Elgar Festival, said: “It means so much to me to be able to celebrate Jeff Beck’s legacy at this year’s festival.

“Like Elgar, he was a complete original, and an inimitable one-off who created a whole new, unique musical language on the guitar.”

The set will also include an adaptation of the Elgar Cello Concerto, last heard at the Elgar Festival in the official Centenary Performance with Raphael Wallfisch at Worcester Cathedral.

The piece was Woods’ introduction to the music of Elgar as a youngster.

“It’s the concerto I’ve played most often as a soloist, and conducted the most often with wonderful colleagues like Raphael and Sheku; I know other cellists, not least John Barbirolli, have conducted it and played it, but I may be the first guy crazy enough to conduct it, play it on cello and play it on guitar,” said Wood.

“It will certainly be a new take on it.”

Launched in 2018, the Elgar Festival was established by decree of Worcester City Council and is traditionally held on the weekend closest to Elgar’s birthday, June 2.

He was born in Lower Broadheath on June 2 1857. Visit www.elgarfestival. org for more