Elaine Delmar, one of Britain’s greatest jazz vocalists, takes to the cloister at Iford on the evening of Thursday 20th June 2024 for a truly intimate evening of music drawn from her enormous repertoire of songs from ‘Great American Songbook’.
Accompanied by two of the great names of British jazz: Barry Green (piano) and Simon Thorpe (double bass) – this promises to be a world-class evening of music, with one of the UK’s true greats.
Precede the concert by picnicking in the beautiful Grade 1 listed gardens and enjoy a wander through the various water features, columns and antiquities.
The performance takes place within Iford's Grade II* cloisters (covered for the evening). In-the-round with just 90 seats, this will be a unique experience with everyone just a few meters away from the performance.
The concert will feature a sparking collection of songs that have defined and inspired Elaine’s incredible career. Expect music from the likes of Cole Porter, Rodgers & Hart, George Gershwin, Michel Legrand and Stephen Sondheim; alongside lesser-known masterpieces that will delight and surprise even the most experienced and well-travelled audience!
Seating
‘Up close & personal’ seats will be within the centre of the (covered) cloister and very close to the performers.
Standard seats will be located in the cloister’s ambulatories, behind the cloister’s slender columns. Seating is pre-allocated in favour of those who book first. Tickets are not issued in advance, but an usher will show you to your allocated seats on the night.
Concert timings
Garden gates open for picnics: 18:00
First set: 19:30
Interval: 20:15 (complimentary teas & coffees will be served on the Conservatory Terrace)
Second set: 21:00
Finish: 21:45
Please note that 25% of your ticket price is a heritage contribution that will be spent directly on the restoration, maintenance and improvement of the venue, being the Grade 1 listed garden here at Iford and the numerous listed structures therein. Ticket prices include VAT.
“Among the multitude of good jazz singers in Britain, there is not one who can surpass Elaine Delmar”
The Observer
“One of the finest”
Jazz Journal
“Her style is a mixture of Broadway musical punch and jazz inflected subtlety. she has the belting defiance of a torch singer at times and the knowing raised eyebrow rasp of a blues artist, but also a hushed, confiding intimacy where it is appropriate, it is a blend that invites the widest possible audience”
The Guardian
Elaine Delmar has long been established as a singer of the very highest calibre. A British Jazz great, with the voice, looks and personality that have captivated world-wide audiences through her many stage and television appearances – including work on Broadway, West End, as well as the UK’s finest concert venues, including The Barbican, The Royal Albert Hall, Cadogan Hall, as well as regular visits to jazz venues such as London’s Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club
‘Britain’s Ella, Billie, Sarah & Lena in one - our first lady of song’ - bio for Elaine Delmar
Daughter of the acclaimed jazz trumpeter, Leslie “Jiver” Hutchinson, Elaine was born in Harpenden, England. After eleven years studying classical piano and vocals, Elaine decided to concentrate on a vocal career in Jazz, from where she has become acknowledged as one of the world’s finest Jazz vocalists.
Whenever the jazz cognoscenti gather and the conversation turns to vocalists with class, it is never long before the name of Elaine Delmar is mentioned in appropriately respectful tones. Elaine has all the attributes that make a great singer: a striking voice, great technique, an individualistic ability to interpret the great songs, plus striking good looks, and a big personality.
Initially Elaine attained fame with her outstanding performances in the critically acclaimed jazz musical “Bubbling Brown Sugar” in London’s West End. These sell-out shows provided the impetus that took her to New York’s Broadway as one of the stars of “Jerome Kern Goes To Hollywood”.
Elaine is renowned for her classic interpretations of the great American songwriters such as Gershwin and Cole Porter. She has also acted in Ken Russell’s “Mahler”, and at the National Theatre in David Hare’s “A Map of the World.”
Appearances at concerts and festivals, numerous tours of Europe, US, New Zealand, Australia, South America and Canada gives Elaine an enviable reputation.
A regular performer at Ronnie Scott’s world renowned club in London, Elaine appears at the UK’s most prestigious venues, including The Barbican, London’s Cadogan Hall, and The Royal Albert Hall.
In 2013 Elaine was awarded the ‘Special Award’ at the Parliamentary Jazz Awards in recognition of our outstanding contribution to Jazz, and in 2023 she received the ‘Jazz Vocalist of the Year’.