Donna Briggs is President/CEO of Britt Festivals. Comments or questions for Britt Festivals? Email Donna at ed@brittfest.org. Visit Britt Festivals at www.brittfest.org. 
After 11 years with Britt Music and Arts Festival, I will retire soon, so this is my last “News from the Hill” column. With approximately 110 columns (about 11 a year) under my belt, you’d think I might have run out of things to say. Yet that hasn’t […]
Beethoven’s Ode to Joy is based on a simple musical theme, yet it has magic beyond words! It not only grabs the heart, but its message represents everything humanity should stand and fight for!
Did you feel the joy? There was so much to […]
We did it! Against all odds—COVID-19, smoke, fires, lower revenue, and staff shortages; Britt’s community came together and prevailed. From my perspective, the biggest payoff was seeing the joy of the performers getting back on stage and the audiences being there to experience it. To […]
It’s been an incredible summer so far with two amazing Britt Festival Orchestra experiences—the world premiere of Brush: Music in the Woodlands and Ellen Reid SOUNDWALK. We’ve also “Come Together” for seven concerts in our Britt Presents series so far. It’s hard to believe kids are already back in […]
Nothing beats the adrenaline and the exhilaration of sitting on our beautiful hill, enjoying an amazing live performance. Or the rush of discovery that comes with witnessing the birth of a newcomer who you know will become a massive star—like Brandi Carlile before she made it big. Spanning eras […]
By the time this issue of the Jacksonville Review hits the stands, the state of Oregon will have reached the 70% vaccine benchmark. This is great news for our state’s economy and cultural wellbeing. It’s time to celebrate!
This year, our philosophy has been to focus on ways the BFO […]
As you can imagine, everywhere Britt’s staff and Board leadership go, our friends and neighbors want to know what our plans are for 2021. The most urgent question is always the same: “Are we going to have a season?” We wish the answer was a simple “yes” or “no.” […]
It’s been a while since I have shared the story of how Britt began. In case you’re not familiar with the history of the Peter Britt Gardens Music & Arts Festival, it all started with a dream in the summer of 1962.
Two friends—Sam McKinney and John Trudeau—had a dream […]
When our state shut down in late March of last year, all in-person Residency classroom visits, BrittKids Koncerts, and Britt Festival Orchestra Fellowships were cancelled. To try to replace these live programs, we created several video series: BrittVids, BrittKids Koncert Video Series, Britt Bridge Series, and Scout’s Sing-a-long Songs. […]
Performing arts venues are still shuttered with no earned income and fixed overhead. Over the fall of last year, ninety percent of venues reported they could be forced to close forever without meaningful federal relief; hundreds have already permanently shuttered, never to return.
Since April 2020, Britt Music and Arts […]
This year the COVID-19 pandemic systematically shut down the entire live music economy and ecosystem. Live music venues were the first to close and will be the last to reopen. Iconic assembly spaces like Britt Music and Arts Festival now face an unknown future. This summer the I-5 […]
Without question, Covid-19 has posed new and previously unimaginable challenges for Britt Music and Arts Festival. However, within every challenge is perhaps an even greater opportunity. We are inspired by how the community of Jacksonville has adapted and moved forward. This global pandemic has made it difficult for many […]
The unimaginable has happened. Rogue Valley communities have burned beyond recognition. Lives have been lost. Families have lost their homes. Business owners have lost their livelihoods. Gratefully, Jacksonville was spared for now. Oregonians take great pride in the many outdoor treasures our state has to offer and we must […]
Our valley is yearning for art and culture in this moment of great uncertainty. For Britt to make music this summer for our audiences—in whatever configuration is safe and feasible—will be a joy for our staff and wonderful musicians. We hope our virtual programming will inspire you through the […]
One positive aspect to the current situation is seeing the passion and creativity of our entire community as we rise to meet unimaginable challenges, and watching all of us come together even as we maintain our social distance. Over the past months, you have reinforced something that this community […]
Years ago, I wrote a column addressing our booking process. With so many new people in our community, we continue to hear questions about how we book our season or “Why can’t Britt book this artist or that artist?” It seems appropriate to reprise the earlier column.
Logically, since Britt […]
Years ago when Britt was looking for a new Music Director for the orchestra, Teddy Abrams stood out with his hunger for creativity. As a young prodigy at the beginning of his career, we knew his creativity would bring something unique to the Britt Festival Orchestra (BFO). After six […]
Many moons ago, I was interviewed for the Executive Director position by a panel of nine Britt Music and Arts Festival Board members. The interview lasted 1.5 hours and covered many different areas of the professional expertise needed for the job. Given my extensive background in non-profit management, I […]
I am dedicating this entire column to one man.
Dear Bow, this letter is one way of letting you know how much the Board, staff and most importantly, Britt Society Volunteers appreciate you.
Your tireless commitment as Britt’s House Manager over the past twelve years has been nothing short of extraordinary. […]
My two young grandchildren joined me in July for the Britt Festival Orchestra’s presentations of “Peter and the Wolf” (retold with a delightful Southern Oregon twist) and the story of the “The Mountain that Loved a Bird” by composer Caroline Shaw. They were enthralled, including the […]
Back in early July, I spent a Saturday afternoon enjoying a wonderful reception and book signing at Art Presence Art Center. As I stood in line to purchase three of Debbie Earley’s creative little glass mushrooms, I flipped through Ken Gregg’s beautiful new book, A […]
What you might be missing…
Oh my, it’s July! The epicenter of summer and picnic weather. We kick-off July 1st and 2nd with blockbusters, Kris Kristofferson and Michael Franti. And who doesn’t know the masterful work of Dwight Yoakam, the iconic band […]
Using the recent words of our new Facilities Operation Manager, Andrew Mustain, “It was Rob Buerk’s generosity and leadership that we owe gratitude to for overseeing the removal of the old picnic tables and installation of the new picnic tables. The Britt Experience has always been […]
Whether you were a teenager in the 1960s, or born in 2001, Britt is the place to be this summer. Diverse, varied, and assorted, were all words used to describe the 2019 Britt Line-up at our April 11th Season Announcement Party, where our Britt family […]
The Britt season goes on and on thanks to the 90 volunteers who show up on the Hill night after night. These volunteers are all members of the Britt Society, a separate non-profit organization with their own Board of Directors and 300 fantastic and active members. Recently two such […]
Think classical music is old, stale or boring? Been there done that? Or never wanted to? Well come and see how exhilarating, relevant and FUN orchestral music can be for adults and children alike. The entire season beginning July 23 will highlight music inspired by our natural environment and […]
Why did Britt change the announcement schedule and membership benefits? “For the times, they are a changin’.” ~Bob Dylan
As the year 2019 begins, it might help some people to be reminded about changes made in our announcement schedule last season—one that we plan to continue this year. In 2018, […]
With the holidays upon us, it seems appropriate to reflect back on the past year and share our list of many wonderful things that the Britt Music and Arts Festival board and staff are grateful for this season.
At a recent meeting with community members, a group that we […]
Ever since the smoke rolled in on July 16, 2018, your Britt team has been busy making plans on how we will deal with the new “norm” during the 2019 Orchestra Season and beyond.
Thanks to the strong partnership between Medford Public School District and […]
Unless you were there, you probably didn’t know about the Pub Crawl.
After the third rehearsal was smoked out, Teddy decided to hold meetings with musicians who wished to brainstorm alternative performance opportunities. It had become clear that we were unlikely to be able to rehearse anymore at the Hill, […]
With the close of this year’s 56th Britt Orchestra season, we can now reflect on our successes and challenges. As we all know, our orchestra season evolved and ultimately ended with unprecedented conditions. However, our orchestra, board, and patrons made this season special in extraordinary ways. In spite of […]
Everyone loves a love story and this one is so special that we have decided to reprint excerpts from a previously-published story. It began back in 1972 (not long after Britt began), when two Pan Am crew members staying in the same hotel on a stopover in London discovered […]
Can you imagine a world without art and music? Who would want to? You probably have seen children dancing and bouncing to music or seen toddlers banging on pots and pans. Because children are natural musicians, this musical interest comes easily and can be cultivated. Who will be our […]
Anyone who has been to the Britt Music and Arts Festival knows that it offers an experience like no other. Throughout the region there are different outdoor music venues for both the young and old to attend, which seems to suggest something. Going to outdoor music venues gives us […]
In early 2016, we sent out a survey to 2,600 constituents asking for extensive input from our community. First, we determined how often the respondent attends concerts and for how many years they have been attending. By determining previous involvement, we were able to gauge their familiarity with our […]
One question has come up recently that I would like to address. Many patrons are asking, “Is Britt going to announce the 2018 season in thirds?” Logically, since Britt is now announcing the 2018 Season in February, March and April, patrons might assume that it makes sense to break […]
The 3rd Annual Valentine Day Gala benefiting the Britt Orchestra is coming home to Jacksonville! We have moved this popular event to the Bigham Knoll Ballroom.
The 2018 Valentine Gala will offer an intimate dinner with jazzy entertainment by vocalist Britney Simpson, Teddy Abrams on piano, and members of the […]
For the past 55 years, Britt Music and Arts Festival has been providing our community with world-class music in our beautiful outdoor venue. In 2014, we brought you the new Performance Garden and ADA accessible pathways. In 2017, we introduced new concessions featuring local eateries, providing you with […]
I think we can all agree that Britt is a part of Jacksonville and Jacksonville is a part of Britt. Moreover, because of Britt Music and Arts Festival, our Jacksonville community is bigger than we think! Meaning that support for this community reaches far beyond our city limits. Did […]
We’d like to share our excitement about critical improvements being made on the Britt hill. With the close of another fantastic season, Britt is transitioning into what is sure to be a busy “off” season. Beginning this month, our old grey Britt bench seats will become just a memory. […]
I had not planned on writing about a power outage for the September column. Mother Nature had different plans. When you think about it, we were due. Britt concerts have lucked out for 55 years. With that statistic, we had already beaten the law of averages. We should be […]
By the time you read this News from the Hill, the Britt Orchestra will have arrived here in beautiful southern Oregon. Thanks to over 90 host families, our orchestra members are already settled into their temporary homes for the Season. Teddy Abrams, Britt’s Music Director, and Mark Knippel, Director […]
News From Britt Hill – July 2017
If you haven’t heard yet, thanks to Southern Oregon Subaru, we are expanding our free children’s concert series and introducing our new mascot, Scout. Scout says ALL KIDS of ALL AGES are invited and no tickets are needed! All performances start at 10:00am in the Britt Performance Garden—just show […]
The time has come. As you might know, the existing benches on Britt Hill provide seating for 662 and were installed in 1987. Today, they are in a state of severe deterioration due to weather and time, including eleven benches that had to be repaired and held together with […]
“Eclectic” is the word that I used to describe the 2017 Britt Line-up at our April 6th Season Announcement party, where we had a record-breaking crowd of over 250 upper-level members, Business Partners, and press come together to celebrate the launch of another spectacular Britt season. We revealed many […]
It is always tough for me to decide what to write about in Britt’s April column. You see, the problem is that I know about all of these great performers that are coming to Britt, but I am sworn to secrecy due to the timing of our April season announcement and the Jacksonville Reviews’ publishing […]
At your Britt Orchestra’s February 11th Valentine Gala, Music Director Teddy Abrams revealed the 2017 Season to an enthusiastic crowd of over 200 music lovers. Since beginning his tenure as Britt’s Music Director in 2013, Teddy’s programs have both delighted and challenged our audiences through a skillful blend of […]
As we enter the New Year, Britt would like to welcome Jacksonville’s newest City Council member, Steve Casaleggio. Based on our experience, the Council exhibits a strong commitment to working with citizens toward the shared vision of providing the best possible community for residents and visitors alike. They understand […]
This year Britt enjoyed an enthusiastic response to the Crater Lake Project, the Britt Orchestra Season and our Popular Music line-up. Out of 45 concerts performed on Britt’s main stage and in the Performance Garden, overall attendance was over 64,000, with an average attendance of […]
I wrote this column several years back and have never repeated a column before now. Read on and you will understand why I am re-publishing this sweet reminder.
I am dedicating this entire column to the Britt Society, the unsung heroes of Britt Music and Arts Festival. Did you know […]