Expanding Festival Expands Again!

The region’s most eclectic music festival is on a roll … having already announced that Stage4Beverley had responded to demand by adding an extra day for its 2018 festival, the organisers have done it again, with news that the event will now stretch over five days.

The festival will once again be based at Beverley’s East Riding Theatre, taking over the theatre from February 14th to the 18th, with a line-up bridging diverse musical genres, from folk to blues, jazz to classical, Americana to world music and more.

Artistic director Chris Wade says she and her fellow directors have been overwhelmed by the levels of interest in the event, both from artists and the public. “We set out earlier this year to create a weekend event that would offer something different for Beverley and East Yorkshire at a time when people are looking for something to brighten up the dark, winter months.

“February’s festival was such a success that audiences and artists alike asked to do more, so I’m pleased to say that having earlier announced the 2018 festival would start on the Thursday night and run for four days, we’ve been offered an opportunity to present renowned poet, the “Bard of Barnsley”, Ian McMillan alongside Olympic composer Luke Carver Goss. It means we have added a fifth day to put on their show, which we expect to be a sell-out.”

“Words, Music, Glee and Delight” featuring Ian McMillan and Luke Carver Goss will now launch the festival on Wednesday February 14th 2018 promising a hilarious night of words, music and improvisation, featuring stories, songs and a musical created out of thin air!

Ian McMillan is known nationally as a pundit on Newsnight Review, as English National Opera’s poet-in-residence and as the approachable and fanatical presenter of BBC Radio 3’s highly popular spoken word program The Verb. Having lived in Barnsley since his birth in 1956, McMillan has numerous claims to fame, including being poet-in-residence of Barnsley Football Club.

Luke Carver Goss is a composer/performer who writes for unusual and regular instrumental combinations. His music includes commissions for BBC National Orchestra of Wales, the Cultural Olympiad, and for festivals and concerts up and down the UK.

Other newly-added names to Stage4Beverley’s 2018 festival include Chris Difford, co-founder of Squeeze, who’s made a lasting contribution to English music with hits such as ‘Cool For Cats’, ‘Up The Junction’, ‘Labelled With Love’, ‘Hourglass’ and ‘Tempted’. Chris will be appearing at East Riding Theatre on Saturday February 17th alongside Mercury Music Prize nominated Kathryn Williams. They will come together to perform some of their most well-known songs in a concert entitled “A Songwriters Union”.

And on the Saturday afternoon there’s a unique collaboration on stage between one of the UK’s most acclaimed and popular crime writers, Mark Billingham, and the duo My Darling Clementine, who are one of the leading lights of the British Americana/country music scene, having to date released two highly-acclaimed albums. Together they present a unique collaboration of words and music, telling moving tales of grief and heartbreak, lust, murder and domestic horror.

Previous artists already announced for Stage4Beverley include Richard Digance, jazz diva Claire Martin, the ever-popular band Holy Moly and The Crackers, folk trio Granny’s Attic and bluegrass and folk act The Carrivick Sisters. A high spot is sure to be the appearance of John Tams and Barry Coope on Thursday February 15th – John being the multi award-winning composer of music for the hit stage show War Horse and the TV series Sharpe, in which he also acted.

“We’ll also be presenting a series of workshops and a light classical concert in the main auditorium on the Sunday morning,” said Ms Wade. “Early indications are the festival is going to prove even more popular in 2018.”

Tickets for all concerts are now on sale via the East Riding Theatre box office by calling 01482 874050 or visiting www.eastridingtheatre.co.uk