Bumper Year For Festivals During Celebratory Anniversaries

Bumper Year For Festivals During Celebratory Anniversaries
Bumper Year For Festivals During Celebratory Anniversaries

It has been a bumper year for the York-based National Centre for Early Music, as during a significant anniversary year for both the Beverley Early Music Festival, and York Early Music Festival, audience figures and box office targets have been exceeded.

The 30th anniversary of the Beverley Early Music Festival in May featured an international exhibition in Beverley Minster for the first time, as part of an accessible outreach programme that celebrated a partnership with the Flemish Alamire Foundation and Flanders House.

An engaging family programme, in addition to much-loved performers The Tallis Scholars and La Serenissima, ensured there was something for all levels of interest in early music. Beverley Minster saw visitor figures rise by 21% and 25% respectively in June and July.

During the 40th anniversary of the York Early Music Festival, in a year when a new three-year partnership with Hiscox Insurance began to support the bi-annual International Young Artists Competition, and an engaging and highly acclaimed ‘promenading’ performance of Monteverdi’s Vespers on the Move in York Minster, box office income rose by 25% on the previous year, with over 80% capacity overall.

Delma Tomlin, MBE, Director of the NCEM said;

“We are delighted with the news that we have had an exceptional year, and one of our best yet. It is encouraging that audiences continue to view the work that we do as vital, and my congratulations go out to all the artists, performers, supporters and behind the scenes staff, who put all the work into making these Festivals the high-quality and engaging programmes that they are.”

“This comes as even greater news on the back of our renewed Arts Council England funding, which sees the NCEM included in the Arts Council’s NPO portfolio for the next four years as it continues to support artistic excellence in early music.”

“We aim to continue to support the development of young talented professionals and to encourage people from all walks of life to experience and be inspired by early music in particular, alongside many other musical genres including world, jazz and folk. And so to the next Festivals.”

Beverley & East Riding Early Music Festival will take place next year 25 – 28 May 2018.



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