91Èȱ¬

8.07.09 - 12.07.09 | Riverside Lawn | Henley-on-Thames

While the event boasts many established artists, the guiding principle at Henley Festival is ‘to give people what they want, but not what they expect.’

Katherine Jenkins

Every year new quirky acts are introduced, and the festival has launched musicians such as Nigel Kennedy who go on to achieve huge fame. This year seven brand new projects have been programmed.

The brochure for the 2009 Henley Festival came out in February, the acts have been announced and some tickets have already sold out.

In 2009, highlights of the festival will include crossover classical artist Katherine Jenkins, Sir Michael Parkinson, The Bootleg Beatles, John Suchet and local Henley singer/songwriter Rebecca Pool.

Festival artistic director Stewart Collins spoke to 91Èȱ¬ Berkshire's Henry Kelly about the stars of the festival.

He said: "We had Katherine Jenkins at Henley a few years back. She is the perfect Henley festival artist, she's a great communicator.

Rebecca Poole

"Rebecca Poole is a singer songwriter from Henley, I was sitting there finalising the programme, and in came a call from Alan McGee, the founder of Creation Records.

"He told me that he was working with her and suggested I got in touch and spoke to her.

"She's a local girl, she's so gorgeous. When someone like Alan McGee phones you, you take notice, you'd be a fool to turn it down."

Henley festival began 26 years ago. It grew out of the Henley Royal Regatta, when the owners of the regatta realised that they had a great site for events that was only being used one week of the year.

Fireworks at Henley Festival

The festival gained its independence from the regatta nearly 20 years ago and has subsequently expanded into one of the largest mixed art form festivals in the country presenting all types of music, dance, comedy, street theatre, art and sculpture.

One act at the Henley Festival programmed for 2009 will be particularly close to Stewart's heart, the a cappella group Cantabile.

Stewart helped co-found Cantabile while at Cambridge University, and ended up performing around the world with his fellow singers for 10 years until giving up his place in the group in 1991.

Now he is in demand as an after dinner singer for private parties, as well as working as Chair of the British Arts Festivals Association, an umbrella body that both promotes the whole festivals sector in the UK.Ìý

He also has what must be one of the most sought-after jobs in the world, organising an annual arts festival in Barbados.