East Yorkshire To Welcome A Feast Of Classical Music In Beverley

The thirtieth Beverley Chamber Music Festival will bring music to East Yorkshire next week. There will be a bumper anniversary programme bringing internationally acclaimed performers to the East Riding.

A gala of two-piano music will be presented by Martin Roscoe in his final concert as joint Co-Artistic Director with long-time collaborator Peter Donohoe – who played at the first-ever BCMF in 1993. 

Also featuring two pianos is Bartok’s Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion, performed by Co-Director Libby Burgess alongside Chris Hopkins as well as Mick Doran and Simon Carrington, principal percussionists of the London Philharmonic Orchestra and English National Opera.

The Salomé Quartet will premiere a new string quartet by David Matthews for the festival. In addition to Scottish folk music, the Maxwell Quartet will perform Purcell and Haydn throughout the festival.

As performed by BBC New Generation Artist Alessandro Fisher and acclaimed pianist Libby Burgess, Cheryl Frances-Hoad’s Magic Lantern Tales features stories from the First World War collected by Ian McMillan in Lancaster.

The story focuses on Lily, who meets her sweetheart in a thunderstorm, as well as Harry Ramsden of the fish’n chips shop.

Bach late-night concerts, Debussy and Elgar coffee-time concerts, and music talks are also scheduled. Over the course of three days, fifteen events will be held, of which a third are free to attend.

Breakfast concerts will start each day at 9am. Free entry is available for under-18s and full-time students (subject to availability) with Golden Tickets.

New Paths Music was founded in 2016 by Roland Deller and Libby Burgess and present multiple festivals in Beverley, a market town in East Yorkshire. 

“The town is a constant source of inspiration to us,” says Roland, “with its multi-layered history, its beautiful venues and vistas, and the warm welcome of the townspeople.” 

Beverley Minster and St Mary’s are among the festival venues this year, as are the Memorial Hall, St John of Beverley RC Church, and Toll Gavel United Church. 

James Brown and Richard Purkiss, two esteemed artists managers, founded Beverley Chamber Music Festival in 1993. He was inspired by his childhood musical experiences in Beverley, where he played in the East Riding Youth Orchestra.

A natural fit was established when BCMF was handed over to New Paths in 2018. Both organizations share a passion for music and a love of Beverley. 

“We are proud to have staged three festivals during 2020 and 2021, between lockdowns, with all the necessary precautions,” comments Libby, Artistic Director of New Paths. “But we are so looking forward to having full capacity audiences again this autumn, and to be able to share this elating and moving music-making with a wider audience once more. It’s a troubled time in the world, so it’s a privilege to offer people space to stop and reflect with live music, and to escape every day just for an hour or two.”

“Some of the performers are truly amongst the most celebrated musical names in the world, whilst others have only finished studying in recent years. Some of the repertoire is toe-tappingly familiar and some of it has ink that’s still drying on the page. But what we’ve found is that quality music in beautiful places speaks for itself – to expert listeners or total newcomers. This music really is for everyone! Never has the need been greater for inspiring potential, fostering community, crossing borders, celebrating humanity, and simply providing a moment to stop and breathe. Music helps us to do all of these things, and we’re honoured to share that right here in the East Riding.”

Beverley Chamber Music Festival takes place from Thursday 29th September to Saturday 1st October. You can find more information at www.newpathsmusic.com.