A local group of woodwind musicians will perform at a literary festival next weekend in the English village of Arlington.
The Arlington Wind Quintet will travel to what’s described as “the most beautiful village in England” to perform at the Bibury Literary Festival from April 19-21. The five-person ensemble will perform early 20th-century classical music by British and Russian composers such as Vaughan Williams, Holst, Prokofiev, and other symphonists from the Edwardian era.
In a celebration of British literature, the event will spotlight a diverse group of writers, musical performances, and discussions on written memoirs and biographies, according to the website.
The wind quintet will return to Arlington and reprise their UK performances during a free one-hour concert scheduled for Saturday, May 11 at 2 p.m. at the Arlington Central Library (1015 N. Quincy Street).
The link between Arlington County and Arlington, England, is believed to have originated from Arlington House in what is now Arlington National Cemetery. Built by the Custis family in the early 1800s, the mansion was named after their ancestral home in Arlington, England. John Parke Custis, who acquired the Arlington estate in Virginia in 1778, bestowed this name in homage to his family’s roots.
Mark Murawski helped establish the connection between the two localities last year after sharing his research with the Arlington Heights Civic Association and Bibury Parish Council, the governing body of the English village.
Both bodies approved an official relationship in 2023, and Murawski was also named the civic association’s Friendship Community delegate.
Shortly after, villagers from Arlington, England, invited a few Arlingtonians, including Murawski, across the Atlantic to celebrate King Charles’s coronation.
While Murawski’s research suggests a historical link to Arlington, England, some argue the county is named after Harry Bennett, the 1st Earl of Arlington.