Music @ Malling
"Music@Malling is a shining example of festival which maintains internationally high performance standards, commissions and performs new music, and attracts enthusiastic local audiences and outreach participants year after year. It seems to me a model of what musicians can do, if and when they are able to create their own projects" ~ Dame Judith Weir, Master of the King's Music 2014-2024
Founded in 2011, Music@Malling brings world-class musicians to historic venues in and around West Malling, Kent through concerts and outreach. Set in an area of outstanding natural beauty and rich cultural heritage, our activities engage hundreds of people of all ages and backgrounds, inspire creativity, improve wellbeing and strengthen communities through music.
Contemporary music - its composition and performance - are at the centre of our programming in concerts and outreach. We continue to develop new audiences for contemporary music and embed it into the community through outreach. In 2025, Music@Malling hosted 13 world premieres and 2 European premieres by a fascinating cross-section of UK composers.
"You have given me so much understanding with the wonderful work that you do. You have opened up this whole world of joy for me and I am very happy for you to quote me on that!" ~ Audience Member
"Hildegard’s visionary chant was interspersed with works of today….striking premieres of contrasting intensity, that deserve many more hearings" ~ Fiona Maddocks, The Observer, October 2025
Recent highlights have included:
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• Six Brandenburgs: Six Commissions - new works by Brian Elias, Michael Price, Deborah Pritchard, Joseph Phibbs, Daniel Kidane and Stevie Wishart were performed by Chamber Domaine alongside the iconic Brandenburg Concertos. The concerts received five star reviews in the national press. The Guardian described the concerts as “an uplifting and rewarding hit.” The Arts Desk commented: “A colossal achievement made up of seemingly effortless and joyous playing meeting with an equally joyous audience response.” The programme was repeated by Chamber Domaine conducted by Thomas Kemp at Wigmore Hall in June 2025.
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• Earth, Water, Air and Fire - a series of immersive concerts featuring 10 new works by Deborah Prichard alongside art by Maggi Hambling and Marc Chagall plus Handel - Music for the Royal Fireworks and Water Music. The concerts were integrated with outreach inspired by a new painting by Maggi Hambling - Wall of Water: Light and included workshops for young composers; side-by-side; workshops and concerts for pre-school children and 10 local primary schools.
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• Music@Malling 2025 - a festival with 20 events including concerts by the London Sinfonietta, Chamber Domaine, Fidelio Trio, Marian Consort, The Telling, Steven Devine - Harpsichord, Peter Donohoe - Piano, Connaught Brass, The Callum Au Quintet and the James Pearson Trio. The festival included an installation at Ightham Mote that was enjoyed by thousands of visitors with music by Zoë Martlew and art by Anna Maria Pacheco.
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Music@Malling 2026 runs from 17th - 27th September 2026.
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In 2027, Music@Malling is part of The Year of the Normans - with a series of events planned in Norman buildings in West Malling, Rochester, London and Normandy.
Social Purpose
From the outset, Music@Malling has had outreach at its centre, developing engagement with the arts; new audiences and participants from scratch. Music@Malling particularly focuses on local areas of urban and rural deprivation, where there is a lack of access to high quality arts provision and marginalised groups.
Our outreach programme has the following strands that run across the year:
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• Let’s Get Creative - a programme for pre-school children.
• Primary Inspirations - whole class composing and performing based around a theme.
• The Music@Malling Scratch Orchestra - held once a month in Malling Abbey, the Scratch Orchestra allows children and families to try instruments, sing and compose alongside outstanding professional musicians.
• Side-by-Side - opportunities to rehearse and perform with professional ensembles including The Marian Consort (vocal); Tenebrae (vocal); Chamber Domaine (strings); James Pearson Trio (Jazz); Callum Au Big Band (Jazz).
• Fenton Young Composers Platform - opportunities for outstanding early career composers to have their music rehearsed and performed by leading musicians.
• Spadework - Music@Malling has a partnership with Spadework - a local charity that supports adults with physical and mental disabilities; dementia and mental health issues, giving workshops, creating playlists and bringing Spadework clients to public concerts to make them feel included and part of the wider community.
• Concerts - 25 events
"It was as if doors and windows that had been only slightly ajar all my life, opened right up" Spadework Participant
Impact Statement
• Community Building - To bring people of all backgrounds and ages together through shared musical experiences. Over 3500 people attended our events in 2025. 13600 attended an installation at Ightham Mote The Enchanted Garden - with art by Anna Maria Pacheco; poetry by George Szirtes and music by Zoë Martlew.
• Inspiring Creativity - To inspire people to be creative, learn instruments and compose. In 2025, 94.5% of our outreach participants said the workshops were "totally brilliant"
• Supporting Contemporary Music - In 2025, Music@Malling commissioned 13 new works and hosted two European premieres of pieces by celebrated US composer, David Lang.
• Developing Audiences - in 2025, 24.5% of our audiences were new. Over 150 children attended lunchtime concerts at Malling Abbey and enjoyed Q & A sessions with the artists afterwards.
• Marginalised Groups - over 200 people at Spadework benefited from 8 weeks of workshops, playlists and informal concerts organised by Music@Malling. 90% said that they loved the activities and experienced increased wellbeing and confidence.
• Outstanding Artistic Resource - we aim to be outstanding resource for the local area with national resonance. In 2025, Music@Malling regularly appeared in the national press including The Observer, Classical Music, The Strad, The Artsdesk, BBC Radio 3, The Gramophone and BBC Music Magazine.
