Wisley Music Festival 2004

Three days of concerts at the Royal Horticultural Society Gardens at Wisley, Surrey.

Thursday 10 June: Russell “The Voice” Watson
Wisley Music Festival has secured world superstar tenor, Russell Watson, popularly known as “The People’s Tenor” to headline its Festival bill this June. Making one of only a few UK concert appearances this year as he takes time off to prepare for a new album, Russell will perform with the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra on the opening night of the festival at RHS Garden Wisley’s picnic & firework concerts on Thursday 10th June. This will be unique chance to see an artist of such calibre to perform in such an intimate setting. Russell’s appearance at Wisley follows a sell-out tour of UK during 2003 at venues three times the size of Wisley.

Friday 11 June: Three First Ladies – The Ultimate Divas
Accompanied by the fabulous, swinging BBC Radio Big Band, soul divas of our own time Ruby Turner, Madeline Bell and PP Arnold pay tribute to three of the greatest popular female jazz legends singers of the 20th century - Ella Fitzgerald, dubbed "the First Lady of Song", was the most popular female jazz singer in the US for more than 50 years and sold over 40 million albums; Nina Simone, "High Priestess of Soul" and one of the last divas of jazz, whose sultry and captivating voice is immortalised in My Baby Just Cares For Me; and Aretha Franklin, one of the giants of American Pop, who epitomised soul at its most gospel-charged and whose run of late-'60s hits including I Say a Little Prayer earned her the title "Lady Soul".

Saturday 12 June: Sounds of the sixties – The Hollies & Mike Pender’s Searchers
Of the bands who emerged alongside them in the ‘60s, only The Beatles sold more singles in the UK than The Hollies, whose hit He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother is one of the band’s biggest and most enduring hit singles. With a lifespan stretching back to the dawn of British rock’n’roll the band is still going strong as it enters its fifth decade, with Tony Hicks and Bobby Elliot from the original line up. Supporting the Hollies are Mike Pender’s Searchers. The Searchers were one of the most influential groups to rise from the ‘60s, as part of the Mersey beat phenomenon. Original Searcher Mike Pender picked the cream of musicians and vocalists to re-create the distinct Searchers Sound in his band. Today The Searchers’ music is still immensely popular, recruiting new fans from all age groups.

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