The Festival of Wonder kicks off on Friday 17th November and ends with a high on Sunday evening.
The festival’s Finale! Concert features the inspiring and soulful country sound of the internationally acclaimed singer/songwriter Philippa Hanna and the blues fusion sound of Out of the Ashes. Philippa Hanna is an internationally acclaimed performer racking up over 1500 shows in 25 countries. Since her industry debut in 2007, she has released 6 critically acclaimed studio albums and published three books, winning fans in the likes of Leona Lewis, Lionel Richie and Little Mix. She has played the 02 Arena, Royal Albert Hall and many other iconic venues.
Known for her relevant songs and soulful, Country-tinged vocals, Philippa as a singer-songwriter is a rarity in the UK Music Industry, bridging the elusive gap between Gospel, Pop and Country music. With ‘A voice to die for, a talented songwriter and a joy to be around’ say Lulu, Philippa has drawn comparisons to the likes of Ed Sheeran, Dolly Parton and Taylor Swift. ‘Move over Taylor Swift’ [Maverick Magazine].
Hot off the press is news that last weekend Philippa won Female Gospel Artist of the Year across all genres at the StepFWD Awards 2023.
Philippa’s music has an appeal to teenagers and young adults as she shares her personal story of struggles with self-image and self-worth as a teenager. Her message is that ‘You are truly Wonderful’ which is a great way for the Festival of Wonder to conclude.
Out of the Ashes kick off the evening with an uplifting set of gospel/world/blues fusion. A favourite of BBC Radio 2 Blues Show, the band have five albums to their name. Out of the Ashes comment on relevant topics that relate to the daily experience that most people face, and, at concerts, lead singer Penny Lyons openly shares her own stories of personal trauma and broken hopes, along with her more recent realisation that growing old is a lot more fun than most people told her it was going to be!
Rumour has it that Philippa and Out of the Ashes are planning a grand finale together at the end of the show! We can’t wait!
As one of the few ticketed performances offering guaranteed seating of the Festival, this amazing finale also supports the fundraising needs of the Festival thus supporting the free events offered throughout the weekend. Tickets are £5 (under 25s) /and £15 and are available from festivalofwonder.org or can be purchased locally in Stroud from The Door and Made in Stroud. Please join us in supporting this outstanding community event.
Don’t miss out – buy your tickets now!
