The Stables

The Stables is a music venue situated in Wavendon, a small village on the south-east edge of Milton Keynes. The Stables hosts over 350 concerts and around 250 education events a year including the National Youth Music Camps which take place over the summer.HistoryThe Stables was founded by Sir John Dankworth and Dame Cleo Laine in 1970 in the old stables block in the grounds of their home. It was an immediate success with 47 concerts given in the first year. It now presents over 350 concerts and around 250 education events in its two spaces: The 400 seat Jim Marshall Auditorium and 80 seat studio space - Stage 2. On 6 February 2010 it celebrated its 40th anniversary with a gala concert which was tinged with sadness because of the death earlier in the day of Sir John Dankworth. The venue was completely rebuilt in 2000, with the new foyer following the plan of the original theatre, with a subsequent development in 2007 to create Stage 2.The Stables has hosted internationally renowned performers including Dave Brubeck, Amy Winehouse, Joan Armatrading, Courtney Pine, Janis Ian, Craig David, Beverly Knight, 10cc, Uriah Heep, Jamie Cullum, Bill Wyman, Cerys Matthews, Nigel Kennedy, Nils Lofgren, Steve Hackett, James Galway, Beth Neilsen Chapman and Curtis Stigers.It has hosted many live broadcasts including BBC Radio 2's Live from the Stables series, BBC Radio 3 recitals and recordings of CDs and DVDs including Never the Bride. The Stables commissioned the Harbour of Songs album, produced by Adrian McNally from the Unthanks and released on Proper Records in July 2012. It includes songs by Guy Chambers, Janis Ian, the Unthanks, Villagers, Sarah Blasko, Ian MacMillan, Ralph McTell and Nick Hornby.