JUDITH BINGHAM OBE
|
COMPOSER
“Since its inception, JAM has fostered the most positive and supportive view of new music."
"So many composers, including myself, have had brilliant experiences with a wealth of the best musicians. Long may it prosper!"
About the Festival
JAM on the Marsh is an annual multi-arts festival set within the extraordinary landscape of Romney Marsh, Kent.
Founded in 2014, the festival brings world-class art into medieval churches, community spaces and unexpected settings: creating experiences that are both intimate and artistically ambitious.
What began as a single concert inspired by the Marsh has grown into one of the UK’s most distinctive summer festivals: international in quality and local in spirit.
ART
Music, visual art, theatre, film
values
Access, collaboration and artistic excellence
Create
New work shaped by place
Future
A living festival with purpose
A Festival with Purpose
The festival reflects JAM’s 25-year commitment to championing living composers, nurturing emerging talent and placing new music at the heart of cultural life.
Across more than a decade, the festival has grown into a distinctive platform for artistic ambition, collaboration and community engagement. New music is not an add-on, it is woven through every strand of the festival.
01.
Artistic Focus: championing living composers and new work.
02.
Creative Commitment: supporting artists at every career stage.
03.
Lasting Impact: rooted locally, resonant beyond the Marsh.
Artists of International Standing
Over the years, the festival has welcomed many of the UK’s most celebrated performers, ensembles and creative voices. Many artists return year after year as part of JAM’s extended artistic family.
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Ensembles
BBC Singers
Britten Sinfonia
The King’s Singers
VOCES8
Britten Sinfonia
London Mozart Players
The Holst Singers with Stephen Layton
+Support
Chamber
Fibonacci String Quartet
Sacconi Quartet
Onyx Brass
London Tango Quintet
Kosmos Ensemble
Soloists
Rebecca Afonwy-Jones
Daniel Cook
Ben Goldscheider
Thomas Kelly
Mark Padmore CBE
Beibei Wang
Imogen Whitehead
Composers
Judith Bingham
Jonathan Dove CBE
Paul Mealor LVO
Thea Musgrave
Tarik O’Regan
Mark-Anthony Turnage
A Festival Like None Other
The festival is shaped as much by where it happens as by what happens.
Music, art and performance unfold across medieval churches, gardens, community spaces and unexpected settings, thus creating encounters that feel intimate, immersive and distinctive.
Place as Collaborator
The landscape is not a backdrop but actively shapes the work, the atmosphere and the way artists and audiences connect.
Audiences experience concerts in historic churches, exhibitions in railway carriages, theatre in open gardens and film in local cinemas.
Looking Ahead:
8-12 July 2026
The 2026 Festival will build on more than a decade of artistic ambition, bringing together new music, world-class artists, theatre, film and visual art across Romney Marsh.
Further details will be announced soon.
World-Class Artists
International leaders alongside emerging talent.
Multi-Arts Programme
Theatre, film and visual art in place.
New Commissions
Premiering new music by living composers.
Community & Collaboration
Deep participation across disciplines and communities.
What People Say
TARIK O'REGAN
/
Composer
“JAM’s 25th anniversary is a remarkable milestone of championing new music and fostering artistic innovation."
"Having received a commission from
JAM, I have experienced firsthand their dedication to supporting composers and
expanding the choral and orchestral repertoire. Their work continues to inspire and
elevate both artists and audiences."
SARAH MACDONALD
/
Selwyn College, Cambridge
“For 25 years JAM has been at the forefront of promoting the works of young composers, many of whom are now household names."
"My involvement with JAM since the very beginning, has shaped the Selwyn Chapel Choir’s reputation, and indeed my career, in countless ways."
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