Latest 7 magazine

Celebrating Ritual: Cornets, sackbuts and a long night of revelry at St Barts
– it could only be the Brighton Early Music Festival. Jeff Hemmings reports.

Courtship and marriage, religion and belief, living and dying, festivals and the rites of the seasons – celebrated in music from antiquity to the present, this year’s Brighton Early Music Festival (BREMF) focuses on the theme of ritual.

“Music is ritual,” says Clare Norburn, one of the co-founders of BREMF, along with Deborah Roberts. “It’s an obvious connection, but we try and give artists something to pin ideas on, but on an idea that’s not too limiting. A lot of music which is religious is about ritual, but even the more secular stuff is about celebration – a ritual in itself.”
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Go Vintage: Keep it stylish this winter with inspiration from the Frock Me! Vintage Fashion Fair

Summer is well and truly over meaning it’s time to wrap up warm before you venture outside. But adding extra layers and wearing hats and gloves doesn’t have to be depressing, especially if you do it in style with a vintage twist! Take inspiration from Frock Me!, who know it’s so easy to look stunning and right up to date by wearing a little Victorian velvet or beaded cape, a darling little French cloche hat, or an Edwardian petticoat with a pretty little fringe…

You will find inspired ideas for winter and beyond at The Frock Me! Vintage Fashion Fair, which returns to The Corn Exchange on Sunday 24 October. Over 60 dealers will be selling hundreds of affordable outfits as well as gothic lace gloves and crisp cotton camisoles. One new exhibitor is coming all the way from Preston, Lancashire, with her entire stock from a costume hire and fancy dress business she has run for over 30 years. She promises to be able to kit out anyone who wants a genuine vintage outfit to wear for Halloween the following Sunday.

Frock Me! Vintage Fashion Fair, Sunday 24 October, Corn Exchange, Brighton Dome, Church Street, Brighton, BN1 1UE, 11am–5pm, £4/£2 students with ID/accompanied under 16s free, 020 7254 4054, www.frockmevintagefashion.com

Spirituality is the focus in Akram Khan Company’s Vertical Road at Brighton Dome

Richard Haughton

Akram Khan Company has unveiled a major new production, Vertical Road, which is coming to Brighton Dome on Thursday 28 October. This marks the company’s tenth anniversary and is part of an exclusive six-venue tour. Vertical Road is Khan’s first ensemble work since the critically acclaimed Bahok – their collaborative dance with the National Ballet of China, which sold out during Brighton Festival in 2008.
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Latest 7 says it’s never too soon to start booking your festive feast or nativity knees-up

There’s little getting away from the fact that 2010 has been a tough year. For many of us it has been a year of buckling down and keeping our noses to the grindstone. Agreed? Well, the good news is that it’s now time to lighten up and plan some festive fun.

This week we have pulled together the widest range of party possibilities for your perusal. There’s everything from sophisticated wining and dining to Christmas carol singalongs at the Brighton Dome Concert Hall.

If size matters there are venues catering for almost any number of party-goers, from intimate bistros and bustling pubs to the grandeur of stately mansions. And if you fancy a party with a difference, why not pop along to Recipease and take part in a Jamie Oliver-style cookery class, with food and drink along the way?

At Coral Brighton and Hove Greyhound Stadium you can watch the races, munch your way through three courses then burn off the calories at an after-dinner disco, while at Moshi Moshi the menu celebrates the 12 days of Christmas in a truly inventive way.

All your favourite restaurants and pubs will cater for the festivities as well, with exciting menus and tempting offers. But it’s not all turkey and stuffing – there are also lots of fresh, inventive ideas and ethnic variations of the seasonal meal. That said, there will still be some fine classic fare to tempt the traditional among you. For those who wish to be truly creative, why not hire an event planner who will help make your Christmas party an event to remember?

It may seem too early to think about the festivities, and we can almost hear the chorus of “Bah! Humbug!” but the best venues and dates quickly become fully booked. So, to avoid disappointment and ensure you and your friends, family or colleagues have the best celebration possible, read on for the lowdown in our biggest Christmas party guide yet.
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