An annual community music festival in Sydney’s Inner West suburb of Stanmore was always a wish of the late Richard Gill, a renowned Australian musician, conductor and educator. In early 2019 a small group of people led by Simon Chapman began working with Richard’s wife Maureen, the Stanmore business community and the Inner West Council to bring this event to fruition.
We are delighted the Inner West Council has helped us make Richard’s wish a reality.
A not-for-profit association was also formed to work with Inner West Council to organise and administer this free festival, together with several committees with local volunteers who have generously donated their time and expertise.
Philosophy
Richard Gill was a resident of Stanmore and had a dream to bring music to the masses on the streets of Sydney’s Inner West.
His vision was to hold an annual event in the style of the famous Fête de la Musique seen in cities, towns and villages across France where local musicians bring the streets alive with music in all its many forms. The French Festival is now in its 39th year.
The philosophy was simple:
Establish a local festival to showcase music in all its forms for everyone to enjoy for free.
This would rely on the generosity of those involved.
- Organisers and volunteers would donate their time to arrange the event,
- Performers, both amateur and professional, would donate their talent to entertain the visitors,
- Stanmore businesses would agree to host music stages in and around the local area.
Sadly, Richard died in 2018. Following his death a group of Stanmore locals, led by Simon Chapman and Tony Egan, set about establishing an event based on Richard’s vision.
History
The first Festival took place on a beautiful day in November 2019 with over 60 local music acts performing on 10 stages around Stanmore with thousands attending the event to enjoy the music.
COVID restrictions prevented the Festival from happening in 2020 and 2021 but the second Stanmore Music Festival was held in 2022.
The event was made possible with a small grant from the Inner West Council to cover costs of equipment and crowd management. However, this event wouldn’t be possible without the generous support of the performers and volunteers to help make Richard’s vision a reality.
Our 2022 signature image is a caricature of Richard used with kind permission of cartoonist John Shakespeare.
Visit John’s instagram page