PRESS RELEASE for immediate release June 2026
Music remains one of the strongest aspects of the Buxton Festival Fringe with a huge number of singers and instrumentalists spanning all genres.
Rock and folk fans will find performers catering for all tastes. Local guitarist and singer-songwriter Will Hawthorne performs 100 different songs over four nights. Fringe veteran Fred Rolland, armed with just a few guitars, will attempt to perform whatever the audience suggests. Local four-piece blues and rock band Responsibly Sauced tell the story of the blues by selecting at least one song from each decade from the 1900s onward. For those with fond memories of the sounds of early Kraftwerk, Tangerine Dream, Faust and Neu!, there is Sheffield-based duo Åyusp. Meanwhile Bayliss&Seal present beautifully crafted songs for listeners who prefer their folk music stripped of all pretence.
Choral music goes from strength to strength at Buxton Fringe. In Curtain Up! Last Night of the Fringe, Peak Voices Choir presents an unforgettable evening of soaring vocals, uplifting performances and feel-good entertainment and also the more intimate concert, Matinee Melodies – Songs from Stage and Screen. Buxton Community Choir celebrates Five Years of Song with a selection of their favourite pop and rock songs. Chapel-en-le-Frith Ladies Choir sings a rich and varied programme of songs in Serenade on a Summer Night. Ordsall Acapella Singers return with a repertoire that ranges from classical to classic rock, upbeat pop and lullabies, traditional and newly composed pieces. Kaleidoscope Choir brings sounds of the Peak moorlands and rowdy sea shanties in its event entitled Moorland Melodies to Maritime Mischief. Fab Choir creates a Choir Festival within a Fringe Festival, including joyous, infectious singing by many local, varied and talented High Peak choirs. Opera is represented by City of Manchester Opera with a selection of opera choruses and arias celebrating love and featuring composers from Mozart to Wagner.
There are enticing vocals from a number of talented singers. Gill Sweeting invites audiences to see both sides, performing songs of life, love, and clouds, culminating in the Both Sides Now title song by Joni Mitchell. Take Two presents an evening of relaxed summer cabaret of jazz and pop classics with a French twist. Multi-Fringe award-winners Close Enough Barbershop Quartet returns to deliver 'witty repartee' and 'vocal acrobatics' from Scottish folk to Marx Brothers’ mischief. American singer-songwriter Taylor Giacoma takes Fringe-goers on a journey of love and hope through songs about getting lost, finding the way - and being OK just where you are. Ukrainian singer Iryna Muha combines folk songs and original material shaped by migration, and memory, performed on hurdy-gurdy and guitar. Songbird Anna creates an intimate session of original songs and featuring her folk-inspired music enriched by the autoharp, tracing family histories from mariners to miners. Fringe Award-winning Jazz singer-songwriter Hannah Brine returns for another night of soulful song.
Solo instrumental artists are always a feature of the Fringe. Solo guitar is represented by Rik Roberts, with an exciting mix of Spanish, Brazilian bossa nova, folk, blues, jazz, country, world music and JS Bach; while Jonathan Prag presents Satie’s Gymnopédie, a thrilling Bach, and the Italian baroque-influenced music of Irish harper O’Carolan; and Jon Pickard presents a rare solo performance on two extraordinary 23-string harp guitars. On the piano, Adrian Lord’s two shows feature hand-picked highlights from his five calming, atmospheric and engaging albums; Laslasman takes audiences on a piano journey from Bach to Boogie; and Jonathan Ellis returns to the Fringe with a performance including works by Haydn, Schubert, Brahms and Liszt.
At the same time, there are big bands, brass bands and jazz galore across the Fringe. The 19-piece High Peak Big Band presents music ranging from the golden era of the ballroom and musical theatre to exciting arrangements of contemporary compositions. Jazz violinist Ben Holder & Co feature music from the swinging jazz scene of the mid-20th century delivered with flair, formidable style and plenty of high-energy exuberance. Basin Street Jazz & Blues celebrate the best in jazz from golden era legends such as Billie, Nina and Ella. Gifts From Crows Trio returns for a mix of hypnotic piano, soulful saxophone and jazz-influenced percussion in two special concerts. Finally, Burbage Band (Buxton) brings a kaleidoscope of music to suit all tastes.
Classical music can come in big or small packages. Orchestras are represented by High Peak Orchestra, with a programme including the 'Gaelic' Symphony from Amy Beach, Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet fantasy and Glazunov's concerto for violin. Derbyshire City & County Youth Orchestra presents an evening of classical music, featuring Britten, Mussorgsky and Vaughan Williams. Peak District Music Centres Community Orchestra come together for a community workshop to play extracts from Stravinsky's Firebird Suite. Manchester Recorder Orchestra celebrates its silver anniversary (25th) Fringe concert performing a variety of music for large recorder ensemble. A late addition to the Fringe programme is Derbyshire City and County Youth Orchestra with music from Britten to Mussorgsky.
Small ensembles include Cheshire Chamber Collective with two concerts, Piano Plus – with Poulenc’s sextet for piano and wind quintet plus Elgar’s quintet for piano and string quartet – and Music for a Summer Evening, with orchestral, vocal and chamber music written by their in-house composer/arranger, Adrienne Spilsbury. Orugoru combines percussion and wind instruments in an evening of new music inspired by Peruvian Folklore. Partita combines voice, lutes, vihuela, baroque guitar, harpsichord and cello for a programme of Renaissance and Baroque music.
Some musical evenings defy categorisation. Sounds Immersive presents an all-enveloping experience combining theatre and chamber music, as an eccentric musicologist and the Aestus string quartet explore Schubert’s Death and the Maiden. The Clarkes & Co present Pangolins and Poetry, a show containing poetry and original songs from their first two albums. Amazing Performance takes the audience on an incredible journey through life, song and imagination. No visas or vaccinations necessary! Finally, Fringe favourites Darren & Trish deliver original songs, banter and quirky domestic bliss, seeking harmony in the human condition as technological wonder and political instability bring exciting new challenges.
Fringe Marketing Officer Stephanie Billen says: “The Music category is even bigger than last year and feels like a festival all by itself. The quality and variety on offer is astounding and a wonderful complement to Buxton International Festival taking place over the same period.”
The Fringe wishes to thank High Peak Borough Council, its Fringe Friends and the town’s many Fringe supporters and venues.
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