Live Music Returns To The East Riding: Oktoberfest At St Mary’s Church

Live Music Returns To The East Riding: Oktoberfest At St Mary's Church
Live Music Returns To The East Riding: Oktoberfest At St Mary’s Church

New Paths Music has announced that it is bucking the trend and putting on a festival of live concerts to a real audience later this month.

2020 has seen live music crumbling across the nation, but Oktoberfest will see four concerts take place in the stunning setting of St Mary’s Church in Beverley, to a socially distanced audience.

“There is simply nothing that replaces the atmosphere in the room created by live music-making,” says Artistic Director, Libby Burgess. “Whilst technology has enabled all of us to keep going this year, the electricity of live performance is irreplaceable. St Mary’s is the most magical venue, and we are so excited to be reconnecting with our musicians and audience in this way.”

Libby Burgess, and her Co-Artistic Director of the Beverley Chamber Music Festival, Martin Roscoe, will take two concerts each, bringing with them some of their favourite musical colleagues. A particular coup is the return of world-famous violinist Tasmin Little, whose intended retirement this summer has been delayed until Christmas following pandemic-related cancellations. “Tasmin and Martin have played together for years,” explains Libby, “so it’s a joy and an honour to host one of their last recitals.”

Other concerts feature Robert Schumann’s Dichterliebe and Cecilia McDowall’s 2014 cycle If I Touched The Earth, with baritone Marcus Farnsworth; a solo piano recital by Martin Roscoe celebrating Beethoven’s 250th anniversary; and a performance of piano quartets featuring Jamie Campbell, Andrew Berridge and Cara Berridge.

“Beverley has been a centre of music for centuries,” comments New Paths’ Founder and Chairman, Roland Deller. “The many musical carvings in both the Minster and St Mary’s speak to the deep significance of music to the town. Beverley was the medieval headquarters of the Musicians’ Guild ‘twixt Trent and Tweed’ – it was the focal point of music for the whole of the north. And so it makes sense that our artists and audience make their own pilgrimage these days to this centre of creativity.”

“In a year when live music across the country has been decimated, we are proud to be presenting performers of such exceptional quality,” adds Deller. “We are subtitling this festival ‘Known Unknowns’,” he laughs. “We all know that there is a chance regulations might change and we might be unable to go ahead – but for as long as it’s possible, we want to do everything we can to present live music here in the East Riding.”

New Paths Music was founded in 2016 and has quickly earned a reputation for its imaginative programming, high-quality performances, and warmth of the atmosphere, drawing thousands each year from across the country and beyond to the East Riding of Yorkshire.

They have also recently captured imaginations with their online Postcards series. Viewed by thousands on YouTube and social media in recent weeks, these short musical films celebrate Beverley and its story, in captivating musical performances by New Paths artists. The Postcards were filmed over the summer, while Beverley Minster was closed to the public, and celebrate the history and beauty of the town.

“Beverley is the home of New Paths and we are determined to sell its story to a wider audience!” says Libby Burgess. “Our performers and audience fall in love with the town every year. We are spoilt to have so many spectacular and vibrant venues – the two glorious medieval churches, of course, but also the East Riding Theatre, the Guildhall, the United and Catholic churches… We’ve even performed on a boat and in a wine shop! We know so many of our festival community have missed gathering in Beverley this year, so we came up with the idea of these postcards to share not only top quality music but also a sense of the place itself.”

Recorded and shot in high definition, these videos brought together an elite team of video and sound professionals, to create films of the highest quality. “Producer Matthew Bennett and engineer Dave Rowell are my dream team for recording!” explains Libby Burgess. “And they then introduced us to Jessie Rodger and Luca Milgiore, who have filmed the whole thing so beautifully. We’ve created musical postcards inspired by the Westwood pasture, the Beck, the town’s pilgrimage history… And have tied these remarkable stories in with some of our favourite pieces of music.”

Postcards are being released weekly and are free to watch at www.newpathsmusic.com, where tickets for Oktoberfest can also be bought.



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