The sun shone and the crowds came…….

Over 500 people enjoyed the Orpheus Centre’s 20th Anniversary celebrations at Godstonebury on Saturday with a family friendly acoustic music festival.

The festival took place in the stunning grounds of founder Sir Richard Stilgoe’s former home. With the bunting out there were stalls selling everything from glitter tattoos to gourmet burgers – the vegan sausages were a knockout!

Festival-goers enjoyed workshops from belly dancing to love rock painting. The event was a big winner with families with children enjoying arts and crafts and entertainment from Clown Rico who delivered all the fun and excitement of the circus.

Inclusive choir Include opened the day, singing “We don’t need no discrimination.” The festival certainly lived up to that with people of all ages and abilities joining in the fun. A former Orpheus Centre student described the day as, “The best event Orpheus has ever held”.

An eclectic host of musical acts entertained the Godstonebury merrymakers including the very talented rising star JJ Leone, who praised the work of the Orpheus Centre during his powerfully emotionally set that had the audience clapping along. Leone’s appearance was his first after taking a break for mental health reasons, choosing Godstonebury as his first performance after his recovery because he felt the work of the Centre was so important.

The two music stages were alive with the sounds of super-stylish Oxted-based local vintage trio The Whiskey Sours, The Voodoo Tweed Cult of Your Mum with their mash-up of fast paced, folk-punk covers and originals, indie pop band Edgy, singer-songwriter Moira, erstwhile frontman of Crawley based indie band Run Young Lovers, the charismatic and energetic Jack Betteridge, indie folk band The Lost Cavalry, Oxted locals acoustic band Ayalon, singer songwriter Jamie Bull, and of course, Orpheus alumni Angus Morton and Charlotte Rowling.

The hilariously morbid Anthony King brought his new Cropston Fairweather act to the festival, amusing the audience with his engaging songs while multi-instrumentalist Orpheus tutor Nick Pynn stunned the audience with his performance on a variety of live-looping instruments, some home-made.

The Charley Farley Sunday Four closed the festival with their unique reworkings of popular songs – getting everyone up and dancing. 

“Happy afternoon at The Orpheus Centre with live music enjoying a few beers in the sunshine supporting a great cause. A brilliant charity Richard Stilgoe should be very proud of starting 20 years ago.” Phillip Lawson

The Orpheus Centre’s Chief Executive, Graham Whitehead said “The Orpheus Centre’s success and growth over the past 20 years has involved the whole community and we wanted to give something back. After all of our hard work it has been so satisfying to see so many local people enjoying the festival. I was enormously proud of our volunteers and staff who made the day so enjoyable.

I really want to say a huge thank you to everyone who helped or became involved, but particularly to the musicians who all performed for free in support of this great cause.”

For more information please contact Sophia Rapley, Events Fundraiser, the Orpheus Centre on 01883 741416 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..