York Early Music Festival

This year marks the fortieth anniversary of the York Early Music Festival, an event that has become an annual landmark in Europe's legacy created in the golden years of classical music.
By The Newsroom
Published 23rd Jun 2017, 08:56 BST
Updated 18th Jul 2017, 08:33 BST
The SixteenThe Sixteen
The Sixteen

So it is to the greatest composer of the Baroque era, Johann Sebastian Bach, that the festival turns its attention with two events in a divided evening of solo Suites and Partitas for violin, cello and harpsichord (July 10), with two further programmes in the morning and afternoon of the following day.

The crowning glory comes with a semi-staged version of the St Matthew Passion presented by the Yorkshire Baroque Soloists and featuring three of today’s foremost performers of the work, Charles Daniels singing the role of the Evangelist, with Thomas Guthrie and Matthew Brook as Christus and Pilate (July 12).

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The festival also marks the 250th year of the birth of Claudio Monteverdi with his Vespers of 1610 played by the period instrument group, I Faglioni 
with the vocal group, The 24. In this unique presentation the audience will be placed in the centre of a performing horseshoe in the Central Nave of the Minster (July 7).

A mix of sacred music by Palestrina and Poulenc is presented by The Sixteen, and the charismatic Belgian-based, B’Rock Orchestra, also take part in the 23 events packed into nine days.

York Early Music Festival, July 7 to 15.

Tickets and information from the box office on 01904 658338 or online www.tickets.ncem.co.uk

Related topics:Europe