King's Lynn is getting set to celebrate the life and times of the influential Burney family as it prepares to host the town's first ever Burney Festival.
The festival, which runs until June 21, celebrates Georgian King's Lynn and the exceptional Burney family, most notably Dr Charles Burney, composer, musician and music historian and his daughter, the novelist Frances Burney.
It includes an exhibition, family activities and guided walks, to explore King's Lynn's Georgian history and have fun. Highlights include a performance by the critically acclaimed choir of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, a Georgian-style banquet and dramatic performance incorporating Baroque music and words adapted from Frances Burney's diaries.
West Norfolk council cabinet member for tourism Elizabeth Nockolds said: 'This is a fantastic opportunity to reflect upon King's Lynn's Georgian heritage and explore the history of one of the town's most famous families. From exhibitions and scholarly talks to guided walks and fun family events, there really is something for everyone.'
Trade and commerce prospered in King's Lynn during the Georgian Age, which began in 1714 with the accession of George I to the throne. A few merchant families dominated town commerce and politics, using their wealth to rebuild their houses in the latest style. Fine examples of the architecture of the age can be seen in King Street, the Tuesday Market Place and Queen Street.
In 1751, poor health drove Dr Charles Burney to bring his young family from London to King's Lynn. Dr Burney's son, James Burney was a small child when the family came to King's Lynn and later sailed twice with Captain Cook and George Vancouver, who was then a young midshipman.
Charles Burney's cultural influence became pre-eminent in King's Lynn. Music, dancing, books and picture collecting became the new vogue. After being offered the position of organist at St Margaret's Church (now known as King's Lynn Minster), Burney was soon organising balls at the town hall and teaching music and dancing to the town's elite.
The cultural influence and importance of the Burney family has been further confirmed by Frances Burney. Born in 1752 in a house in Chapel Street, Frances or Fanny became a literary phenomenon.
Frances Burney had written incessantly and secretly since she was 10, confiding to her diary the domestic daily life and hectic social whirl of the Burney family. Her diary and many vivid and colourful letters have survived and offer a unique insight into Georgian social and political life.
Her first novel 'Evelina or the History of a Young Lady's Entrance into the World' was first published in 1778 and was an immediate bestseller. Five English editions were printed and it was translated throughout continental Europe.
The mix of social comedy, realism and wit made the novel a huge success and led London society to speculate on the identity of the writer, who was universally assumed to be a man. Frances was taken up by literary and high society and became the first woman to make writing novels respectable.
Critical appreciation of Frances Burney's novels and plays continues to grow, sparked by new interest in 18th-century women writers.
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