York Early Music Festival

9 – 17 July 2010

Established   

1977

What happens?

Britain's largest festival of early music takes Musical Marriages as its inspiration in 2010 from music to celebrate grand dynastic marriages to intimate pieces written for composers' spouses, as well as marriages of different musical styles and genres from the middle ages to the high baroque.

Guest ensembles will include Fretwork, Ensemble Lucidarium, London Baroque, Musica Fiata, La Capella Ducale, The Bach Players, Theatre of the Ayre and The Sixteen directed by Harry Christophers.

Soloists include lutenist Hopkinson Smith, soprano Barbara Schlick, tenor James Gilchrist and BBC New Generation harpsichordist Mahan Esfahani.

Highlights include the Yorkshire Baroque Soloists directed by Peter Seymour presenting Monteverdi's Mass, Motets and Vespers of 1610, I Fagiolini presenting an evening of commedia dell'arte drawing together a marriage of music and comedy and Schumann's songs of love and marriage.

Full programme details will be available in the spring, and tickets on sale from 29th March 2010.

Who will enjoy it?

Anyone interested in listening to early music of the highest international quality; adults wishing to join with like-minded colleagues to make music together; youngsters wishing to learn more about historically informed performance; children wanting to know something of the history of the City of York and music in general.

Contact Details