Music@Malling
Welcome to our 2026 Festival
Music@Malling brings outstanding musicians into the heart of the community with concerts, talks, exhibitions and outreach held in historic venues in and around West Malling, Kent.
Running from 18th – 27th September 2026, the programme explores the natural world through music. Tōru Takemitsu is featured alongside music that inspired him including fabulous music by Maurice Ravel, Claude Debussy, Igor Stravinsky and Miles Davis.
Contemporary music is woven through the programme and provides a fascinating cross-section of composers working today. New music is set into relief by music from across the centuries.
The juxtaposition of old and new that runs through the programme makes for a fascinating journey through time. See you there!
Reviews and Feedback
An uplifting and rewarding hit.
The Guardian
“…metaphysical brilliance…a colossal achievement made up of seemingly effortless and joyous playing meeting with an equally joyous response.”
The Artsdesk*****
“Hildegard’s visionary chant was interspersed with works of today….striking premieres of contrasting intensity, that deserve many more hearings.”
The Observer
“A wonderful festival…”
Classic FM
“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
Social Purpose
Our year-round Outreach programme includes workshops and concerts in local nursery, primary and secondary schools with professional musicians and animateurs; lunchtime concerts during our September Festival including meet-the-musicians and Q&A; Side-by-Side projects when student performers play on stage with our professional musicians; our FREE monthly Scratch Orchestra and working with local charity Spadework – bringing music to adults with mental and physical disabilities; dementia and mental health issues.
Music@Malling 2025 Highlights
In 2025, Music@Malling hosted 10 World premieres; 2 European premieres; inspired hundreds of people with concerts held in historic venues; our outreach engaged children and young people from local schools and we ran a series of workshops and concerts at Spadework: a local charity that serves adults with learning disabilities, people experiencing problems with their mental health and those living with dementia.
Scratch Orchestra
Our year-round Scratch Orchestra is FREE and meets monthly at the St Benedict’s Centre at Malling Abbey. From complete beginner to virtuoso, there is no experience needed to create amazing music. Bring yourself, an instrument (we have a limited supply of percussion for those who don’t) and spend time making some brilliant music.
Children age 5+ and well-behaved parents and carers welcome!
Support Us!
As a registered charity which receives no core funding,
Music@Malling always needs support from individual donors.
In return we offer a range of benefits.
Become a Friend (£30+), Benefactor (£100+) or Patron (£250+)
to support our professional concerts and year-round Outreach work.
Recent Highlights
Hildegard of Bingen
Performers in The Telling’s Vision – The Imagined Testimony of Hildegard of Bingen, exploring the life of an 12th century benedictine nun, meet the benedictine nuns of Malling Abbey
Music to Picture
The Tippett String Quartet performed iconic film scores in St Mary’s Church, West Malling. GCSE Music students and Year 3 children from Pilgrim School came to the concert.
Chamber Domaine perform the complete Brandenburg Concertos alongside six new works in the iconic setting of Malling Abbey.
Each concert programme will include two of Bach’s iconic Brandenburg Concertos and two World Premieres, the Abbey is home to a closed community of Benedictine Nuns.
Tom Bowles
Chamber Domaine
Music@Malling continued its highly acclaimed Brandenburgs project (April 2022) with new works by Zoë Martlew, Stevie Wishart and Deborah Pritchard in September 2025
Cage Boulez
The London Sinfonietta performed a programme of words and music exploring the correspondence between John Cage and Pierre Boulez. A fascinating evening of music, words and film that segued into a concert with the London Tango Quintet
Discover our fantastic musicians
Music@Malling works with outstanding professional musicians to create tailor-made concerts in our historic venues. The concerts explore different themes and place contemporary music into its context.
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