Lord Of The Dance: “Aiming to leave the audience spellbound” at York Barbican
THE summer festival season enters the final furlong with the focus turning to the new season ahead, as Charles Hutchinson highlights.
Dance show of the week: Michael Flatley’s Lord Of The Dance, York Barbican, today, 2.30pm and 7.45pm; tomorrow, 7.45pm
IN the words of Lord Of The Dance impresario Michael Flatley: “Our 2024 tour promises to be an extraordinary journey that will take audiences to the next level once again.
“In 2024, this extraordinary experience for fans will feature new staging, fresh choreography, new costumes, cutting-edge technology, and special effects lighting. It’s a celebration of a lifetime of standing ovations and we aim to leave the audience spellbound.” Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.
Living History Weekend: The past comes alive at Eden Camp today and tomorrow
Family fun day out of the week: Living History Weekend at Eden Camp Modern History Museum, Edenhouse Road, Old Malton, today and tomorrow, 10am to 5pm
STEP back in time to be immersed in history at Eden Camp, where the past comes alive with re-enactors around every corner, from captivating displays to engaging talks and activities galore. You can meet with medics; try your hand at authentic ration recipes; explore the intricate details of a Sherman tank and groove to live music in the engine shed. Dressing up in 1940s’ fashion is encouraged. Tickets: edencamp.digitickets.co.uk/tickets.
The Last Dinner Party: Playing Leeds Festival’s main stage at 2.20pm tomorrow. Picture: Leeds Festival website
Festival of the week: Leeds Festival, Bramham Park, near Leeds, today and tomorrow
AFTER “Mother Nature played her part”, Storm Lilian has put paid to the BBC Radio 1 stage and the new The Aux stage, but The Chevron stage is expected to reopen today.
Blink 182 and Gerry Cinnamon top today’s bill at Leeds Festival, when Two Door Cinema Club and The Prodigy. Tomorrow has Fred Again and Lana Del Rey on headline duty, backed up by Raye, Fontaines DC, Bleachers and The Last Dinner Party. Look out too for Sonny Fodera and Barry Can’t Swim. Box office: leedsfestival.com/tickets.
Lana Del Rey: Playing the main stage at Leeds Festival tomorrow at 7.30pm. Picture: Leeds Festival website
York gig of the week: New York Brass Band, Big Summer Party, The Crescent, York, tonight, doors 7.30pm
YORK’S top brass come together for an evening of big, bangin’, brassy tunes at The Crescent, featuring a line-up of percussion, saxophone, trumpets, trombones, guitar and sousaphone.
Taking inspiration from contemporary New Orleans musicians, the New York Brass Band will be in party mood after festivals appearances at Glastonbury and Latitude. Box office: thecrescentyork.com.
New York Brass Band: Big, bangin’, brassy tunes at The Crescent tonight
Coastal gig of the week: Becky Hill, Scarborough Open Air Theatre, August 29, gates 6pm
BRIT Award-winning Becky Hillis a pop powerhouse with a reputation as a pioneer in electronic music, not least in her collaborations in the dance-pop genre with everyone from David Guetta to Little Simz over the past decade.
Hill has written or performed on 17 UK Top 40 singles, including five top ten singles and a number one, amassing more than four billion streams on Spotify. Box office: scarboroughopenairtheatre.com.
Steve Cassidy: Playing with his band and friends at the JoRo Theatre
New amid the familiar: Steve Cassidy Band & Friends, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, September 1, 7.30pm
YORK’S Steve Cassidy Band return to their favourite venue, where three-time New Faces winner, singer, guitarist and songwriter Cassidy is joined by John Lewis on lead guitar, Mick Hull on bass guitar, ukulele and guitar, Brian Thompson on drums and George Hall on keyboards.
Expect a few special guests throughout an entertaining night of rock, country and instrumental music, plus new pieces prepared specifically for this concert. Box office: 01904 501935 or josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk.
Robyn Hitchcock: Heading for The Crescent next month
Art rocker returns: Robyn Hitchcock, The Crescent, York, September 1, 7.30pm
IN a career spanning six decades, Robyn Hitchcock remains a one-of-a-kind artist: surrealist rock’n’roller, acoustic troubadour, poet, painter and writer.
From The Soft Boys’ art-rock and The Egyptians’ Dadaist pop to such solo masterpieces as 1984’s I Often Dream Of Trains and 1990’s Eye, Hitchcock has crafted songs with recurring references to marine life, obsolete electric transport, ghosts and cheese. Tickets for this seated show are on sale at thecrescentyork.com.
Olivia Graham: Performing in the style of the Celtic bards of old at Theatre@41, Monkgate, York. Picture: Richard Gatecliffe
Come, all ye old souls and dreamers: Olivia Graham, An Evening In Avalon, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, September 6, 7.30pm
CELTIC folk musician Olivia Graham delivers a spellbinding evening of enchanting music, woven through the tales of Morgan Le Fay and other legendary figures from across the British Isles.
Performed in the style of the Celtic bards of old, An Evening In Avalon embarks on a magical journey through Ancient Ireland, Dark Age Britain and even the elusive shores of mystical Avalon itself. Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.
Snake Davis: On his own at Helmsley Arts Centre
Saxophone solo: Snake Davis, Helmsley Arts Centre, September 6, 7.30pm
ONCE a member of York jazz and soul band Zoot And The Roots, saxophonist Snake Davis will be on his own in this informal acoustic evening of music and chat in two parts. Not really on his own, he clarifies, because in Part One he will have his musical instrument family with him: myriad saxophones plus flutes, whistles, steel handpan, didgeridoo and the Japanese Shakuhachi. Questions are encouraged.
In Part Two, the focus is on My Greatest Hits, highlighting Snake’s work as sax hired gun to the stars, adding Olly Murs and Shania Twain to the list this year after sax solos forTake That, M-People, Lisa Stansfield and The Office theme tune. Playing the songs in context, he will tell the stories behind them. Box office: 01439 771700 or helmsleyarts.co.uk.
There’s no bursting Andy Parsons’ balloon: Comedian will be in “Bafflingly Optimistic” mood at Joseph Rowntree Theatre in October
Comedy gig announcement of the week: Andy Parsons: Bafflingly Optimistic, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, October 11
DESPITE everything that Great Britain has had to face in recent years, Mock The Week lynchpin, Stacktivist Action Group podcaster and comedian Andy Parsons has found cause to be optimistic.
“I think there are reasons to be hopeful,” says Parsons, 55. “It’s not a depressing show. The positive side is the pandemic is over, we are statistically more united as a nation than it might seem. And despite what you’ve heard, comics are not being cancelled.” Box office: 01904 501935 or josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk.
The Magic Of Terry Pratchett: Marc Burrows discusses the Discworld author at Pocklington Arts Centre
THE summer festival season enters the final furlong with the focus turning to the new season ahead, as Charles Hutchinson highlights.
Discworld comes to Pock: Marc Burrows, The Magic Of Terry Pratchett, Pocklington Arts Centre, October 17, 7.30pm
AUTHOR, comedian and super-fan Marc Burrows bases his Edinburgh Fringe hit lecture The Magic Of Terry Pratchett on his Locus Award-winning biography, officially endorsed by the author’s estate, to mark the 40th anniversary of the Discworld books.
Taking a journey through the life and work of Sir Terry Pratchett OBE, he explores his influence, impact, wit and wisdom, from Pratchett’s days as a school librarian, through his time as a trainee journalist, to his untimely death from Alzheimer’s in 2015. Box office: 01759 301547 or pocklingtonartscentre.co.uk.
So 90’s: Disco party time at Milton Rooms, Malton
Disco world comes to Malton: So 90’s with DJ Matt Vinyl and the So 90’s Dancers, Milton Rooms, Malton, August 30, 8pm
FROM S Club to Spice Girls, Backstreet Boys to Robbie Williams, Cascada to Gala, the best 1990s’ pop, dance, cheese and Ibiza club anthems are celebrated in this disco party with visual effects, live choreographed performances, DJs and interactive competitions and giveaways. Box office: 01653 696240 or themiltonrooms.com.
Lord Of The Dance: “Aiming to leave the audience spellbound” at York Barbican
Dance show of the week: Michael Flatley’s Lord Of The Dance, York Barbican, today until Sunday, 7.45pm, plus Saturday matinee at 2.30pm
IN the words of Lord Of The Dance impresario Michael Flatley: “Our 2024 tour promises to be an extraordinary journey that will take audiences to the next level once again.
“In 2024, this extraordinary experience for fans will feature new staging, fresh choreography, new costumes, cutting-edge technology, and special effects lighting. It’s a celebration of a lifetime of standing ovations and we aim to leave the audience spellbound.” Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.
Living History Weekend: The past comes alive at Eden Camp this weekend
Family fun day out of the week: Living History Weekend at Eden Camp Modern History Museum, Edenhouse Road, Old Malton, today and tomorrow, 10am to 5pm
STEP back in time to be immersed in history at Eden Camp, where the past comes alive with re-enactors around every corner, from captivating displays to engaging talks and activities galore. You can meet with medics; try your hand at authentic ration recipes; explore the intricate details of a Sherman tank and groove to live music in the engine shed. Dressing up in 1940s’ fashion is encouraged. Tickets: edencamp.digitickets.co.uk/tickets.
Liam Gallagher: Headlining Friday’s bill at Leeds Festival, playing Oasis’s debut album Definitely Maybe in full. Picture: Leeds Festival website
Festival of the week: Leeds Festival, Bramham Park, near Leeds, Friday to Sunday
LIAM Gallagher and Catfish And The Bottlemen headline the first day of Leeds Festival, when 21 Savage, Pendulum, Skrillex, NIA Archives, Beabadoobee and Ashnikoo are further attractions. Blink 182 and Gerry Cinnamon top Saturday’s bill, when Two Door Cinema Club, The Prodigy and Jorja Smith perform too.
Sunday has Fred Again and Lana Del Rey on headline duty, backed up by Raye, Fontaines DC, Bleachers and The Last Dinner Party. Look out too for Sonny Fodera and The Wombats. Box office: leedsfestival.com/tickets.
Lana Del Rey: Playing the Leeds Festival main stage at 7.30pm on Sunday. Picture: Leeds Festival website
York gig of the week: New York Brass Band, Big Summer Party, The Crescent, York, Saturday, doors 7.30pm
YORK’S top brass come together for an evening of big, bangin’, brassy tunes at The Crescent, featuring a seven or eight-piece line-up of percussion, saxophone, trumpets, trombones, guitar and sousaphone.
Taking inspiration from contemporary New Orleans musicians, the New York Brass Band will be in party mood after summer festivals appearances at Glastonbury and Latitude. Box office: thecrescentyork.com.
New York Brass Band: Back home in old York after the summer festival season
Coastal gig of the week: Becky Hill, Scarborough Open Air Theatre, August 29, gates 6pm
BRIT Award-winning Becky Hillis a pop powerhouse with a reputation as a pioneer in electronic music, not least in her collaborations in the dance-pop genre with everyone from David Guetta to Little Simz over the past decade.
Hill has written or performed on 17 UK Top 40 singles, including five top ten singles and a number one, amassing more than four billion streams on Spotify. Box office: scarboroughopenairtheatre.com.
Steve Cassidy: Playing with his band and friends at Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York
New amid the familiar: Steve Cassidy Band & Friends, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, September 1, 7.30pm
YORK’S Steve Cassidy Band return to their favourite venue, where three-time New Faces winner, singer, guitarist and songwriter Cassidy is joined by John Lewis on lead guitar, Mick Hull on bass guitar, ukulele and guitar, Brian Thompson on drums and George Hall on keyboards.
Expect a few special guests throughout an entertaining night of rock, country and instrumental music, plus new pieces prepared specifically for this concert. Box office: 01904 501935 or josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk.
Robyn Hitchcock: Heading to The Crescent, York
Art rocker returns: Robyn Hitchcock, The Crescent, York, September 1, 7.30pm
IN a career spanning six decades, Robyn Hitchcock remains a one-of-a-kind artist: surrealist rock’n’roller, acoustic troubadour, poet, painter and writer.
From The Soft Boys’ art-rock and The Egyptians’ Dadaist pop to such solo masterpieces as 1984’s I Often Dream Of Trains and 1990’s Eye, Hitchcock has crafted songs with recurring references to marine life, obsolete electric transport, ghosts and cheese. Tickets for this seated show are on sale at thecrescentyork.com.
Olivia Graham: Performing in the style of the Celtic bards of old at Theatre@41, Monkgate, York. Picture: Richard Gatecliffe
Come, all ye old souls and dreamers: Olivia Graham, An Evening In Avalon, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, September 6, 7.30pm
CELTIC folk musician Olivia Graham delivers a spellbinding evening of enchanting music, woven through the tales of Morgan Le Fay and other legendary figures from across the British Isles.
Performed in the style of the Celtic bards of old, An Evening In Avalon embarks on a magical journey through Ancient Ireland, Dark Age Britain and even the elusive shores of mystical Avalon itself. Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.
Two pictures, but only one Snake Davis, playing alone at Helmsleyt Arts Centre
Saxophone solo: Snake Davis, Helmsley Arts Centre, September 6, 7.30pm
SAXOPHONIST Snake Davis will be on his own in this informal acoustic evening of music and chat in two parts. Not really on his own, he clarifies, because in Part One he will have his musical instrument family with him: myriad saxophones plus flutes, whistles, steel handpan, didgeridoo and the Japanese Shakuhachi. Relaxed and intimate, questions are encouraged.
In Part Two, the focus is on My Greatest Hits, highlighting his work as sax hired gun to the stars, adding Olly Murs and Shania Twain to the list this year after sax solos in Take That’s Million Love Songs, M-People’s Moving On Up and Search For The Hero, Lisa Stansfield’s Change and The Office theme tune. Playing them in context, he will tell the stories behind them. Box office: 01439 771700 or helmsleyarts.co.uk.
There’s no bursting Andy Parsons’ balloon: Comedian will be “Bafflingly Optimistic” at JoRo Theatre this autumn
Comedy gig announcement of the week: Andy Parsons: Bafflingly Optimistic, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, October 11
DESPITE everything that Great Britain has had to face in recent years, Mock The Week lynchpin, Stacktivist Action Group podcaster and comedian Andy Parsons has found cause to be optimistic.
“I think there are reasons to be hopeful,” says Parsons, 55. “It’s not a depressing show. The positive side is the pandemic is over, we are statistically more united as a nation than it might seem. And despite what you’ve heard, comics are not being cancelled.” Box office: 01904 501935 or josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk.
THE 2024 North York Moors Chamber Music Festival began unusually with the Baroque before moving into more familiar Romantic territory.
These days you do not expect to hear a Corelli sonata played on a modern violin and partnered by a grand piano. But we have learnt to expect the unexpected in this festival. In any case, you should never write off the supposedly inauthentic.
Alena Baeva and her regular keyboard partner Vadym Kholodenko did their utmost to bring us ‘Baroque’ atmosphere; she used very little vibrato, he much preferred the soft (left-foot) to the sustaining (right-foot) pedal. We were never going to mistake the piano for a harpsichord, but the result was satisfying anyway.
In any case, Kholodenko’s taut ornamentation highlighted the importance of his role beyond merely filling in harmony; it provided just the right underlay for Baeva’s period-style phrasing. Rhythms were always lively, and contrasts between the 11 variations on ‘La Folia’ of Corelli’s single-movement Op 5 No 12 were superbly drawn.
Rachmaninov’s last piano work, Variations on a theme of Corelli, written in 1931, is misnamed. It is also based on ‘La Folia’, an Iberian tune that first emerged in the Renaissance – and is not by Corelli at all. Dozens of composers used it as a basis for variations.
Stephanie Tang was the determined soloist here, reflecting the overriding anger in Rachmaninov’s approach. Her accents were strong and her use of staccato particularly deft. She clearly enjoyed the composer’s jack-in-the-box tendencies but was alive to his attempts to evoke the Iberian origins of the tune. I would not vouch for her total accuracy but the tension in her technique certainly made the most of the work’s tangy harmonies.
Dvořák’s Dumky Op 90 – never named a piano trio but actually his fourth – delves as deeply as he ever did into his Bohemian roots. The title is the plural of dumka, a primarily reflective song that tends to alternate slow melancholy with rapid dance-like sections, in keeping with its folk origins. Its six movements can be treated as two groups of three apiece, but beyond that there is no deliberate formal shape.
Benjamin Baker was the violinist, Rebecca Gilliver the cellist and Daniel Lebhardt the pianist in what was an absolutely delightful penetration of the composer’s nationalistic emotions. They constantly held back the end of a slow section so that we were kept in suspense waiting for its rapid counterpart.
Indeed, their use of rubato, so keenly felt by all three players, was superbly stylish. Dvorak makes especially strong use of the cello, and Gilliver’s warm, expansive sound matched the composer’s intentions. Not that Baker was overshadowed; both revelled in their little cadenzas in the fifth movement. We had come closest to the heart of Bohemia in the leisurely cantabile of the third movement.
The work also encompasses the most taxing piano music Dvorak ever wrote. Lebhardt was alive to all its nuances even when stretched and was a major factor in what made this such an exciting performance.
Since the word ‘dumka’ is believed to originate in Ukraine, it was impossible to ignore thoughts of that benighted country when the music turned melancholic. A marvellous curtain-raiser for the festival, which continues daily until August 24.
REVIEW: Martin Dreyer’s verdict on North York Moors Chamber Music Festival, Enlightenment, St Michael’s Church, Coxwold, August 13
Festival curator and cellist Jamie Walton. Picture: Matthew Johnson
THE special magic of this festival was neatly crystallised in this afternoon recital, which featured a Beethoven string trio and Weber’s Clarinet Quintet.
A packed, rapt audience erupted joyously at the end of each, the first a rare visitor to our concert platforms, the second a much-loved repertoire piece.
You will see it claimed that Beethoven wrote his ‘early’ string trios (he was still in his twenties) as preparation for a full-scale incursion into the world of the string quartet, as if they were but student pieces.
Not a bit of it. With only three voices – violin, viola and cello – a composer has a restricted choice of harmony. In particular, all three parts need to be fully independent, the viola in particular.
In Beethoven’s String Trio Op 9 No 1 on G, we found Meghan Cassidy’s versatile viola paired with Benjamin Baker’s violin, almost as second violin, or with Jamie Walton’s cello, as the composer played off the two duos against one another. In other words, the viola role was vital and emerged here with great clarity.
All three players attacked the bold, arpeggios of the opening allegro with relish, before a delicately song-like slow movement in which the rests were delightfully prolonged. The brisk scherzo had a ruminative trio, a nice contrast.
In the finale, the moto perpetuo tailed off mid-stream into an apparent cul-de-sac. But the joke was on us and the rapid syncopation resumed, right into an accelerated coda. This was Beethoven the adventurer, while still learning from Haydn.
Weber’s Clarinet Quintet is a work of almost relentless jollity – and thoroughly good fun. Matthew Hunt is a clarinettist known for his sense of humour, so the score is tailor-made for him. With Charlotte Scott leading the string quartet, there was lively support for his sprightly cavorting. But the heart of the work lay elsewhere, in the deeply melancholic Adagio.
Here, Hunt’s quiet, superbly sustained legato brought tears to the eyes, these eyes anyway. Towards the end he produced two echo-scales so pianissimo that they were virtually a whisper, a prodigious feat of breath control – and very moving.
The succeeding Scherzo brimmed over with wit and good humour, a total contrast and genuinely funny. The finale was never going to reach these heights, but we could only marvel as Hunt’s unashamed virtuosity carried the day through Weber’s flirtations with vapidity.
Spreading her wings: Elle Wootton in The 13-Storey Treehouse at Grand Opera House, York. Picture: James D Morgan
SHAKESPEARE sonnets, a treehouse with bowling alley and sea monster, The Magpies’ music festival and a thrilling children’s workshop will keep the summer diary busy, advises Charles Hutchinson.
Family show of the week: The 13-Storey Treehouse, Grand Opera House, York, today and tomorrow, 1pm and 5pm
ADAPTED by Richard Tulloch (The Book Of Everything, Bananas In Pyjamas), this one-hour play for children aged six to 12 brings Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton’s story to stage life with a seriously funny cast and a treehouse replete with a bowling alley, a secret underground laboratory, self-making beds and a marshmallow machine.
Expect magical moments of theatrical wizardry and a truckload of imagination from the cast of Elle Wootton, Edwin Beats and Ryan Dulieu when Andy and Terry forget to write their debut play. Where will they find flying cats, a mermaid, a sea monster, an invasion of monkeys and a giant gorilla? Find out this weekend. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.
Maurice Crichton’s Callum, the director, and Alexandra Logan’s Lily, the upstart actress, exchange words in the dress rehearsal for York Shakespeare Project’s Summer Sonnets in the Holy Trinity churchyard, in Goodramgate, York. Picture: John Saunders
Wedding invitation of the week: York Shakespeare Project, Summer Sonnets, Holy Trinity churchyard, Goodramgate, York, today to August 17, except August 12, 6pm and 7.30pm plus 4.30pm today and next Saturday
AUDIENCES are invited to a secret wedding at Holy Trinity, where they will meet the church’s most famous couple – Anne “Gentleman Jack” Lister and Ann Walker – while enjoying a complimentary drink.
Linked by Josie Campbell’s script, York Shakespeare Project’s tenth anniversary selection of Shakespeare sonnets will be performed in character by Maurice Crichton; Marie-Louise Feeley; Liam Godfrey; Emily Hansen; Halina Jaroszewska; Alexandra Logan; Sally Mitcham; Grace Scott; Effie Warboys; Helen Wilson and director Tony Froud. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk/show/summer-sonnets/.
Lincoln Lightfoot: Taking part in the York River Art Market today
York’s answer to the Left Bank in Paris: York River Art Market, today and tomorrow; August 17 and 18, 10am to 5pm
ORGANISED by jewellery designer and York College art tutor Charlotte Dawson, York River Art Market sets out its stalls on the Dame Judi Dench Walk riverside for a ninth summer season. Up to 30 artists and makers per day will be exhibiting ceramics, jewellery, paintings, prints, photographs, clothing, candles, T-shirts, shaving products and more. Admission is free.
Castle Howard: “Silence” is golden in the Boar Garden tonight when DJs fill revellers’ headphones with Nineties’ dancefloor nuggets
Hush-hush event of the week: 90s’ Outdoor Silent Disco, Castle Howard, near Malton, today, 7pm to 10pm
CASTLE Howard’s Boar Garden plays host to some of Great Britain’s best 90s’ DJs, spinning pop, R&B and band favourites in a feel-good experience. Revellers can select from three different channels of music while wearing state-of-the-art LED headphones. sets. Valid photographic ID may be requested on entry to this strictly 18-plus event. Box office: eventbrite.co.uk/e/90s-silent-disco-at-castle-howard-tickets-846091200557.
Artist Peter Hicks in his studio, working on his Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal commission
Exhibition of the week: Peter Hicks, Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Garden, near Ripon
PETER Hicks’s summer exhibition, Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal – A Landscape Painter’s Perspective, is being extended to September 15. On show are works painted in response to the John and William Aislabie-designed landscapes at Fountains during Hicks’s 2023 residency.
Commissioned by the National Trust, the Yorkshire landscape artist’s paintings, studies and sketchbooks are on display in Fountains Mill. Hicks specialises in abstract landscapes with acrylic washes on canvas and board, making his own benches and brush handles and using humble, accessible materials. Tickets: nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/yorkshire/fountains-abbey-and-studley-royal-water-garden.
The Magpies: Running their fourth music festival at Sutton Park, near York
Festival of the week: The Magpies Festival, Sutton Park, near York, today
RUN by transatlantic folk band The Magpies, The Magpies Festival is rooted in the trio’s native Yorkshire, where they first met. Now in its fourth year, the 2024 event will be headlined today by Sam Kelly & The Lost Boys at 10pm, preceded by Charm Of Finches, 12 noon, The Often Herd, 2pm, Jesca Hoop, 4pm, The Magpies, 6pm, and Nati (formerly known as Nati Dreddd), 8pm.
The poster for the Three Day Thriller workshop for children at Helmsley Arts Centre
Children’s activity of the week: The Three Day Thriller, Helmsley Arts Centre, August 12 to 14, 10am to 2pm. CANCELLED
BUCKLE up for this improvising and devising workshop for 11 to 16-year-olds, designed to look at different theatre and performance techniques to make a new story in the thriller genre. The focus will be on character, plot and staging to create excitement, mystery and suspense, keeping audiences on the edge of their seats. At the end of day three, the work explored will be shared with family and friends. Places on the £75 workshop can be booked on 01439 771700 or at helmsleyarts.co.uk.
Robert Gammon: Playing at Dementia Friendly Tea Concert at St Chad’s Church, York
Dementia Friendly Tea Concert: Robert Gammon, piano, St Chad’s Church, Campleshon Road, York, August 15, 2.30pm
PIANIST Robert Gammon returns to St Chad’s to perform Bach’s Prelude and Fugue in F sharp Minor from the Well Tempered Clavier Book 2, Schumann’s Kinderszenen and two Chopin Polonaises. As usual, 45 minutes of music will be followed by tea and homemade cakes in the church hall.
“This relaxed event is ideal for people who may not feel comfortable at a formal classical concert, so we do not mind if the audience wants to talk or move about,” says organiser Alison Gammon. Seating is unreserved; no admission charge, but donations are welcome.
Elkie Brooks: Heading out on her Long Farewell Tour. Leeds and York await. Picture: Neil Kirk
Gig announcement of the week: Elkie Brooks, Long Farewell Tour, Leeds City Varieties Music Hall, September 12; York Barbican, April 11 2025
AFTER 64 years of performing live, the “British queen of blues”, Elkie Brooks, is to undertake her Long Farewell Tour, visiting Leeds and York among 24 dates.
The Salford singer, 79, will perform such hits as Pearl’s A Singer, Lilac Wine, Fool (If You Think It’s Over), Sunshine After The Rain, No More The Fool and Don’t Cry Out Loud in a career-spanning show of blues, rock and jazz numbers that will showcase material from her forthcoming 21st studio album for the first time. Box office: elkiebrooks.com/elkie-brooks-tour-dates-2024; leedsheritagetheatres.com and yorkbarbican.co.uk.
In Focus: North York Moors Chamber Music Festival, August 11 to 24
North York Moors Chamber Music Festival curator Jamie Walton. Picture: Matthew Johnson
THE ground-breaking North York Moors Chamber Music Festival is returning for its 16th consecutive season after record audience figures last summer.
Running from August 11 to 24 with the title of Echos, the festival uses moorland churches and an acoustically treated venue in the grounds of Welburn Manor, attracting international artists, many of them committing to the entire fortnight by taking up residencies.
This summer, these musicians include violinist Alena Beava, Benjamin Baker and Charlotte Scott; pianists Vadym Kholodenko, Katya Apekisheva, Daniel Lebhardt and Leeds International Piano Competition prize-winner Ariel Lanyi; clarinettist Matthew Hunt and mezzo-soprano Anna Huntley, who originates from Yarm. The programme will feature a Young Artists Focus too.
The festival’s 14 afternoon and evening concerts will present music by Schubert, Rachmaninoff, Mozart, Schumann, Elgar, Debussy and Mendelssohn, together with thrilling 20th century classics.
Each concert will take the audience on a musical journey through the narrative of specific themes, in carefully curated, thought-provoking music that pushes the boundaries.
As well as Welburn Manor, concerts will take place at churches including St Michael’s, Coxwold; St Mary’s, Lastingham; St Hilda’s, Danby, and St Hedda’s, Egton Bridge.
Festival curator and cellist Jamie Walton says: “Expect to be stirred, thrilled and at times moved as we explore the phenomenon of influence, of cycles through the ages, musical shadows, and themes which echo the times. These concerts are intense for both the audiences and artists but often revelatory and transformative.
“There’s a palpable sense of common purpose and feeling between all those who are there participating in the experience, either on stage or as a listener. It’s a profoundly reassuring experience, and one which we all cherish.”
Who will be playing at North York Moors Chamber Music Festival
Violinist Alena Baeva performing at North York Moors Chamber Music Festival in 2023. Picture: Matthew Johnson
Violin: Alena Baeva; Benjamin Baker; Marike Kruup; Emma Parker; Victoria Sayles; Charlotte Scott; Bridget O’Donnell and Simmy Singh
Viola: Meghan Cassidy; Simone van der Giessen; Max Mandel; David Shaw
Cello: Rebecca Gilliver; Tim Posner; Jamie Walton and Deni Teo
Double bass: Misha Mullov-Abbado
Piano: Katya Apekisheva; Vadym Kholodenko; Joseph Havlat; Ariel Lanyi; Daniel Lebhardt
Clarinet: Matthew Hunt
Flute: Thomas Hancox and Silvija Scerbaviciute
Mezzo soprano: Anna Huntley
Plus: The Paddington Trio
North York Moors Chamber Music Festival: the programme
Charlotte Scott: Returning to North York Moors Chamber Music Festival in 2024. Picture: Matthew Johnson
August 11, 2pm, Passing Themes, Marquee, Welburn: Corelli – Violin sonata in D minor op 5 no 12 (‘La Folia’); Rachmaninoff – Variations on a Theme of Corelli op 42*; Dvořák – Piano trio no 4 in E minor op 90 (‘Dumky’)
August 12, 7pm, Tales From The Stage, Marquee, Welburn: Stravinsky – The Soldier’s Tale Suite; Poulenc – Sonata for violin and piano*; Debussy – Bilitis for flute and piano; Poulenc – L’Invitation au Chateau; Stravinsky – Divertimento (The Fairy’s Kiss Suite)
August 13, 2pm, Enlightenment, St Michael’s, Coxwold: Beethoven – String trio op 9 no 1 in G major; Weber – Clarinet quintet in B-flat major op 34
August 14, 7pm, Echoes and Embers, Marquee, Welburn: Dutilleux – Sonatine Myths; Simpson – Eleven Echoes of Autumn*; Szymanowski – Myths op 30; Simpson – An Essay of Love
August 15, 2pm, Landscape and Memory, St Mary’s, Lastingham : Dowland – Lachrymae Antiquae; Purcell – Chacony in G minor (arr. Britten); Adès – O Albion; Adès – Alchymia
August 16, 7pm, Towards The Edge, Marquee, Welburn: Shostakovich, Piano trio no 2 in E minor op 67*; Zarębski – Piano quintet; Liszt – La lugubre gondola II; Shostakovich – Piano trio no 2 in E minor op 67*; Zarębski – Piano quintet in G minor op 34
August 17, 7pm, Vienna!, Marquee, Welburn: Mozart – Sonata for violin and piano no 21 in E minor K304; Webern – Langsamer Satz; Schoenberg – Chamber Symphony no 1 op 9 (arr. Webern)*; Berg – Adagio for violin, clarinet and piano Schubert – Fantasy in C major for violin and piano D934
Pianist Daniel Lebhardt: A regular player at North York Moors Chamber Music Festival. Picture: Matthew Johnson
August 18, 2pm, Heading East, St Hilda’s, Danby: Kodály – Intermezzo for string trio; Dohnányi – Serenade in C for string trio op; Kodály – Duo sonata for violin and cello op 7
August 19, 7pm, Songs For The Earth, Marquee, Welburn: string quartet & double-bass
August 20, 7pm, La Belle Époque, Marquee, Welburn: Debussy – Violin sonata in G minor; Fauré – La Bonne Chanson op 61*; Chausson – Chanson perpétuelle op 37; Chausson – Concert for violin, piano and string quartet op 21
August 21, 7pm, A Wartime Story, Marquee, Welburn: Elgar – Sonata for violin and piano in E minor op 82*; Prokofiev – (War) Sonata for piano no 8 in b-flat major op 84; Ravel – Piano trio in A minor
August 22, 2pm, Jubilation, St Hedda’s, Egton Bridge: Brahms – String quintet no 2 in G major op 111; Mendelssohn – String octet in E flat major op 20
August 23, 7pm, Ghosts Of History, Marquee, Welburn: Beethoven – Piano trio op 70 no 1 in D major (‘Ghost’); Saariaho – Light and Matter; Matteis – Fantasia for violin in A minor*; Elgar – Piano quintet in A minor op 84
August 24, 2pm, A New Dawn, Marquee, Welburn; Schumann – Gesänge der Frühe op 133; Schubert – Adagio e Rondo Concertante D487*; Schumann – Piano quartet in E flat major op 47
* Interval follows
The North York Moors Chamber Music Festival stage at last summer’s event in the Welburn Abbey marquee. Picture: Matthew Johnson
More Things To Do in York and beyond “poo power” from August 17 onwards. Here’s Hutch’s List No 34, from The Press, York
DON’T poo-poo Ada Grey’s exhibition for children at Nunnington Hall, advises Charles Hutchinson, as he picks cultural highlights for the weeks ahead.
Wedding invitation of the week: York Shakespeare Project, Summer Sonnets, Holy Trinity churchyard, Goodramgate, York, August 17 at 4.30pm, 6pm and 7.30pm
AUDIENCES are invited to a secret wedding at Holy Trinity, where they will meet the church’s most famous couple – Anne “Gentleman Jack” Lister and Ann Walker – while enjoying a complimentary drink.
Linked by Josie Campbell’s script and theatrical characters, York Shakespeare Project’s tenth anniversary selection of Shakespeare sonnets is performed in character by Maurice Crichton; Marie-Louise Feeley; Liam Godfrey; Emily Hansen; Halina Jaroszewska; Alexandra Logan; Sally Mitcham; Grace Scott; Effie Warboys; Helen Wilson and director Tony Froud. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk/show/summer-sonnets/.
Mopping up: Marie-Louise Feeley’s Doreen and Helen Wilson’s Maureen, the church-cleaning double act in York Shakespeare Project’s Summer Sonnets. Picture: John Saunders
York’s answer to the Left Bank in Paris: York River Art Market, August 17 and 18, 10am to 5pm
YORK River Art Market sets out its stalls on the Dame Judi Dench Walk riverside for its third weekend this summer, featuring up to 30 artists and makers per day. Among today’s stallholders will be Bejojo Art, Jillie Lazenby, Woody’s Creations, Emily Littler, Happy Pot Mama, Magdalena Biernacka, Kissed Frog, I’ve Been Creative, Matt Lightfoot Photography, Inky Print Designs and Wood Wyrm.
Popping up tomorrow will be Urban Infill Store, Wild Orange Tree, Jo O’Cuinneagan, Rock and Twig Studio, David Lobley Photography, The Littlest Falcon, Feather Isle, Fei’s Crochet, Painter Merv, Stairwell Books, Ounce Of Style and plenty more. Look out for York singer-songwriter Heather Findlay on busking duty tomorrow. Admission is free.
Heather Findlay: Busking at August 17’s York River Art Market. Picture: Adam Kennedy
Exhibition of the week: Ada Grey, Splat! Patter! Plop!, Nunnington Hall, Nunnington, near York, until September 8
DIVE into a world where the “hilarity of poo” takes centre stage in this “unique children’s illustration exhibition like no other” by Ada Grey, creator of such picture books as Poo In The Zoo, Island Of Dinosaur Poo and Super Pooper Road Race.
Noted for the vibrant colours, lively characters and comical twists of her children’s tales, for the first time Grey is showcasing illustrations of such beloved characters as Bob McGrew and Hector Gloop in iconic moments from her favourite stories. Children have the chance to immerse themselves in Ada’s books, draw inspiration to create their own characters and proudly display their creations in the Poop-a-Doodle gallery. Grey will drop in on August 20 to run workshops for children from 11am to 4pm. Tickets and workshop bookings: nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/yorkshire/nunnington-hall/exhibitions.
Poo power: Illustrator and author Ada Grey’s exhibition at Nunnington Hall
Dance show of the week: Michael Flatley’s Lord Of The Dance, York Barbican, August 20 to 25, 7.45pm, plus Saturday matinee at 2.30pm
IN the words of Lord Of The Dance impresario Michael Flatley: “Our 2024 tour promises to be an extraordinary journey that will take audiences to the next level once again.
“In 2024, this extraordinary experience for fans will feature new staging, fresh choreography, new costumes, cutting-edge technology, and special effects lighting. It’s a celebration of a lifetime of standing ovations and we aim to leave the audience spellbound.” Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.
Lord Of The Dance: “Aiming to leave the audience spellbound” at York Barbican
York gig of the week: Please Please You & Brudenell presents Lanterns On The Lake, The Crescent, York, August 23, 7.30pm
FORMED on Tyneside in 2007, Lanterns On The Lake combine dreamy, melancholic indie rock with beautiful layers of texture and celestial melodies. Led by singer and songwriter Hazel Wilde, the 2020 Mercury Prize nominees have supplied soundtrack music to Conversations With Friends, Uncanny, Made In Chelsea, Skins and the video game Life Is Strange and recorded an orchestral live album with the Royal Northern Sinfonia.
Their latest album, June 2023’s Versions Of Us, is full of existential meditations, “examining life’s possibilities, facing the hand we’ve been dealt and the question of whether we can change our individual and collective destinies”. Box office: thecrescentyork.com/events/lanterns-on-the-lake.
Lanterns On The Lake’s Hazel Wilde, Paul Gregory, Bob Allan and Angela Chan: Playing The Crescent on their return to York
Another slice of MeatLoaf: MeatLoud – Bat Out Of Hades, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, August 24, 7.30pm
FOUNDED in 2015, this powerhouse tribute to MeatLoaf and songwriter Jim Steinman is fronted by vocalist Andy Plimmer, who is joined Sally Rivers to take on the guise of Bonnie Tyler, Celine Dion and Cher. The second half features a complete performance of the classic 1977 album Bat Out Of Hell. Box office: 01904 501935 or josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk.
MeatLoud: Paying tribute to MeatLoaf and Jim Steinman at Joseph Rowntree Theatre
New season opener: Jake Vaadeland & The Sturgeon River Boys, Selby Town Hall, September 4, 7.30pm
SELBY Town Hall kicks off its autumn season with the debut visit of Jake Vaadeland & The Sturgeon River Boys, purveyors of bluegrass and rockabilly from Saskatchewan, Canada.
Selby Town Council arts officer Chris Jones enthuses: “I absolutely love these guys. It’s probably the show I’m most looking forward to in the second half of the year. At just 21 years old, Jake is terrifyingly talented. He and the band – dressed in authentic 1950s’ suits – make the most fantastically fun, upbeat, toe-tapping music, already gracing the main stages of festivals across North America.” Box office: 01757 708449 or selbytownhall.co.uk.
Jake Vaadeland & The Sturgeon River Boys: Making debut appearance at Selby Town Hall next month
Theatre chat: An Evening With Simon Russell Beale, York Theatre Royal, September 10, 7.30pm
WAS Shakespeare an instinctive “conservative” or, rather, gently subversive? How collaborative was he? Did he add a line to Hamlet to accommodate his ageing and increasingly chubby principal actor Richard Burbage? Did he suffer from insomnia and experience sexual jealousy?
In An Evening With Simon Russell Beale, in conversation with a special guest, the Olivier Award-winning actor will share his experiences of “approaching and living with some of Shakespeare’s most famous characters”, from his school-play days as Desdemona in Othello to title roles in Hamlet and Macbeth. Expect anecdotes of Sam Mendes, Nick Hytner, Stephen Sondheim and Lauren Bacall too. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.
Simon Russell Beale: Shakespeare actor, now starring as Ser Simon Strong in House Of The Dragon, will be in conversation at York Theatre Royal in September
“Think The Great Gatsby meets Sinatra At The Sands meets Back To The Future”:Postmodern Jukebox, Moonlight & Magic World Tour, York Barbican, May 7 2025
RETRO musical collective Postmodern Jukebox have announced the 34-date UK & Australia/New Zealand leg of next year’s Moonlight & Magic World Tour that includes a return to York Barbican.
“If we’ve learned anything from ten years of touring the world, it’s that great music has the ability to transcend time and space in a way that is best described as ‘magic,” says Postmodern Jukebox creator and show director Scott Bradlee, whose parallel musical universe reimagines pop hits in 1920s’ jazz, swing, doo-wop and Motown settings. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.
Postmodern Jukebox: Retro musical collective head back to past triumphs at York Barbican
Shed Seven performing Throwaways with special guest Peter Doherty at York Museum Gardens on July 19. Picture: Barnaby Fairley
Step One: Night two of the Sheds’ 30th anniversary homecoming concerts, Live At York Museum Gardens, presented by Futuresound, on July 20
Set list: Let’s Go; Speakeasy; Where Have You Been Tonight?; High Hopes (with Duke Witter); Dolphin; Devil In Your Shoes; Tripping With You (with Laura McClure); Bully Boy (with Huntington School Choir); Ocean Pie; Parallel Lines; In Ecstasy (with Rowetta); On Standby; Going For Gold; Suspicious Minds; Talk Of The Town; Getting Better; Let’s Go Dancing.
Encores: Room In My House; Throwaways (with Peter Doherty); Disco Down; Chasing Rainbows (with choir, McClure, Rowetta and support acts Doherty, Brooke Combe and Apollo Junction).
CharlesHutchPress viewpoint: As central as a centre-spot, standing with a cluster of chanting York City fans, former manager Michael Morton (February-August 2023) at their core, and a bunch of Sheds-loving former University of York students, meeting up from all over the country for the first time since 1997.
Different set list? Out went She Left Me On Friday (they left it out on Saturday), People Will Talk and The Heroes. In came: Where Have You Been Tonight? and Parallel Lines.
Other differences?
*Shed Seven arrived on stage at 8.30pm rather than 8.40pm.
*Different members of Huntington School Choir sang Bully Boy.
*The Sheds’ friend Stuart Allan, guitarist and vocalist in York band Johnny And The Dunebugs, guested on guitar throughout the Sheds’ set, introduced by Rick Witter as “the fifth Beatle”.
The same on both nights:
*The show-opening recorded poetry reading of The Boys Are Coming Home – a hymn of praise to York’s “characters, cobbles and quirks” – by Matt Abbott, Wakefield poet, educator, activist and former frontman and lyricist of Skint & Demoralised. Commissioned by guitarist Paul Banks.
*Backing singers Mary Pearce and Beverly Skeete, as featured on the Shed Seven albums Instant Pleasures, A Matter Of Time and the upcoming Liquid Gold.
*Special guests Laura McClure, from Reverend And The Makers, Rowetta, from the Madchester Nineties’ scene, and The Libertines’ Peter Doherty, all reprising their contributions to the Sheds’ number one album, A Matter Of Time.
*Brass section of Tim Hurst, trombone; Andy Cox, saxophone; Jamie Brownfield, trumpet.
*The presence of a film crew, led off on Friday by the camera following Rick Witter from the Museum Street entrance, “walking towards the stage like a boxer entering the ring” (to quote Ste’s comment on CharlesHutchPress’s review of the first night.
Why filming?
“The idea of filming the weekend is trifold,” says Rick. “We wanted to make a video for the most recent Liquid Gold release, Getting Better, which came out on Monday evening (July 22). Worth a watch!
“We’re also releasing a ‘Live At Museum Gardens’ variant to coincide with the release of Liquid Gold on September 27. And then possibly we’ll release a DVD of the Museum Gardens gigs, along with all the promo vids from A Matter Of Time onwards and a small documentary about the Sheds. The year of the Sheds indeed.”
Final CharlesHutchPress thoughts: Loved Room In My House and Talk Of The Town becoming latter-day crowd favourites already. Rick’s “dad dancing” with son and Serotones singer Duke in High Hopes. The set – pre-encores – closing with Let’s Go Dancing’s a cappella coda, “Lonely words seek an empty page/Curtain call, time to leave the stage/ It’s time to stop…”.
Peter Doherty and his dapper chapeau – plonked briefly on Witter’s head – loving every minute, whether in Throwaways or the everything-plus-the-kitchen-sink Chasing Rainbows finale. The departing hordes still singing Chasing Rainbows as they crossed Lendal Bridge, homeward bound and euphoric.
Step two: New single Waiting For The Catch and new album Liquid Gold
Shed Seven with Issy Ferris, of Ferris & Sylvester, guest vocalist on Liquid Gold orchestral reworking of Waiting For The Catch. Picture: Andy Little
“HI MATE. Sorry just shooting a video to a new song. It’s all go.” So messaged Rick Witter, on July 22, explaining his delay in answering a handful of CharlesHutchPress questions.
That song is new single Waiting For The Catch, a duet with Issy Ferris, of UK folk/rock/Americana duo Ferris & Sylvester, who released their second album, Otherness, on March 1 on Arch Top Records.
Premiered on the Zoe Ball Breakfast Show on BBC Radio 2 on August 8, Waiting For The Catch is a new reworking of an Instant Pleasures bonus track from the York band’s career-spanning orchestral album Liquid Gold. Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HKKvnD-tII.
“Waiting For The Catch fits perfectly alongside some of our biggest hits,” says Rick. “The song has the classic ‘Can’t live with you, can’t live without you’ sentiment and we felt making it a duet would fit perfectly with the lyrical theme.
“So we invited the amazing Issy Ferris to add her beautiful voice to the track, which gives it a yearning, but also vengeful energy. You want to hear Shed Seven arena-sized? No problem, it’s our pleasure.”
Liquid Gold’s orchestral reinventions were recorded in collaboration with arrangers Fiona Brice and Michael Rendall. Brice had worked previously with Liam Gallagher and Placebo, while Rendall had teamed up with the Sheds for 2017’s Top Ten comeback album Instant Pleasures and A Matter Of Time.
“This year we celebrate 30 years as recording artists and, after reminiscing about our career, we thought we’d celebrate the milestone by revisiting some key songs from our past,” says Rick.
“The idea being that if we cherry picked a hatful of songs and recorded them now, it would be a coherent stroll down memory lane but also sit sonically beside A Matter Of Time. A logical next step.”
Rick continues: “We see this record as a gateway into the world of Shed Seven. We also felt that adding an orchestra to each track would lend the whole project a unique slant. The songs have become widescreen, full of colour.
“The original recordings will always hold a special place in our hearts but re-recording the chosen songs was an exciting prospect for us. It’s a gift from the band to our loyal supporters and will hopefully introduce some golden moments throughout our career to a whole new audience. Enjoy, and here’s to the next 30 years!”
A signed copy of Liquid Gold: One of multiple formats of the new album
Set for release on Cooking Vinyl on September 27, Liquid Gold can be pre-ordered at shedsevenn.lnk.to/LiquidGoldPR, with formats ranging from signed copies and vinyl to CD and cassette versions.
The Sheds have just launched a new bootleg edition, each with artwork individually hand-stamped by the band, that adds three songs from their BBC Piano Room session, a live recording of Casino Girl, and remix of In Ecstasy.
That Piano Room session in May saw the Sheds perform Chasing Rainbows, Talk Of The Town and a cover of Duran Duran’s Planet Earth with the BBC Concert Orchestra at Maida Vale studios.
The album track listing will be: Getting Better; Speakeasy; Devil In Your Shoes; On Standby; Going For Gold; Waiting For The Catch (featuring Issy Ferris); Better Days; Parallel Lines; Disco Down; Ocean Pie; new composition All Roads Lead To You and Chasing Rainbows.
A special Live @Museum Gardens 2CD edition can be pre-ordered at store.shedseven.com/product/148214?password=LG-YORK-EM. Featuring a bonus disc of live tracks recorded at the two shows, it comes with alternative artwork to commemorate the occasion.
In the immediate aftermath of the Museum Gardens shindigs, the Sheds released a video of the Liquid Gold version of Getting Better, filmed on and off stage over the two days, capturing the band, special guests Peter Doherty, Rowetta and Laura McClure and Friday support acts The Lottery Winners and Serotones, Huntington School choir and audience members…and Witter riding through York on a bike.
Or, as Black Arts PR’s press release puts it: “The video is a joyous celebration of one of the biggest highlights of Shed Seven’scareer. It captures every moment of the day: fans getting the party underway as they arrive; Rick Witter strolling through the audience and posing for photos and pinching a sip of beer; clips of friends including Peter Doherty, Lottery Winners, Rowetta, Laura McClure and Serotones (featuring Rick’s son Duke) all relishing the occasion; and the band embracing before they step on stage. The most emotional moment is saved until the end – the band taking their final bows in front of a sea of adoration.”
Post-gigs, The Shedsposted on social media: “Watch to the end, you won’t be disappointed… you might even feature. Enjoy and thanks once again for making this weekend so special.” Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnJnjir47QE.
Already, the Sheds had previewed the album by releasing two tasters, Speakeasy and Devil In Your Shoes. Pre-orders for Liquid Gold have exceeded the numbers reached with January’s A Matter Of Time. Could Shed Seven notch up two number one albums in a year? Roll on September 27.
Step Three: T-T-T-Talk Of The Town in multiple towns and cities, 50 shows in all
Shed Seven doing a record store promotion for A Matter Of Time at HMV York in January
AFTER in-store performances and personal appearances, including HMV York, to launch A Matter Of Time in January and the 30th anniversary homecoming celebrations at York Museum Gardens in July, the Shed Seven boys are back in town after town over the rest of 2024.
First up comes a guest spot on Blossoms’ bill at Live From Wythenshawe Park Presents: Blossoms, Inhaler & More @ Wythenshawe Park, Manchester on August 25, followed by BBC Radio 2 In The Park at Moor Park, Preston, on September 8.
Next will be in-store appearances promoting Liquid Gold from September 8 to October 16 and a sextet of gigs in October combining playing 1994 debut album Change Giver in full with a greatest hits set too.
In the traditional biennial Shedcember slot will be a 23-date 30th Anniversary Tour, the Sheds’ biggest-ever winter itinerary, joined by special guests The Sherlocks. Back home in time for Christmas, Rick Witter and Paul Banks will bring down the curtain on the Sheds’ annus mirabilis with a brace of special acoustic duo performances at Huntington Working Men’s Club. Sheds’ bassist Tom Gladwin will do a DJ set each night
AUGUST
25th: Manchester, Wythenshawe Park (guests to Blossoms)
SEPTEMBER
8th: Preston, BBC Radio 2 In The Park
27th: Manchester, HMV (1pm – SOLD OUT)
27th: Bury, Wax & Beans (6pm – SOLD OUT)
28th: Birmingham, HMV (1pm – SOLD OUT)
28th: Leamington Spa, Head Records (5pm – SOLD OUT)
29th: London, Rough Trade East (5pm – SOLD OUT)
29th: London, Rough Trade East (7pm – SOLD OUT)
30th – Southampton, Vinilo (1pm – SOLD OUT)
30th: Brighton, Resident (6.30pm – SOLD OUT)
OCTOBER
1st: Bristol, Rough Trade (12 noon – LOW TICKETS)
1st: Bristol, Rough Trade (5pm – SOLD OUT)
2nd: Nottingham, Rough Trade (midday – SOLD OUT)
2nd: Nottingham, Rough Trade (6pm – SOLD OUT)
3rd: Sheffield, Bear Tree Records (midday – SOLD OUT)
3rd: Liverpool, Jacaranda (7pm – SOLD OUT)
4th: Newcastle, Beyond Vinyl (6.30pm – SOLD OUT)
10th: Kingston-upon-Thames, Pryzm (Change Giver show, hosted by Banquet Records)
11th: Kingston-upon-Thames, Pryzm (Change Giver show, hosted by Banquet Records – SOLD OUT)
12th: Coventry, HMV Empire (Change Giver show)
16th: Edinburgh, Assai Records (midday – SOLD OUT)
16th: Glasgow, HMV (5pm – SOLD OUT)
17th: Glasgow, SWG3 (Change Giver show, hosted by Assai Records)
18th: Manchester, Academy 2 (Change Giver show, hosted by Crash Records – SOLD OUT)
19th: Leeds, Beckett Student Union (Change Giver show, hosted by Crash Records – SOLD OUT)
Party time: Shed Seven’s Rob ‘Maxi’ Maxfield, left, Paul Banks, Rick Witter, Tom Gladwin and Tim Wills celebrate 30th anniversary on November and December tour
NOVEMBER – 30th ANNIVERSARY HEADLINE TOUR
14th: Sheffield Octagon (SOLD OUT)
15th: Cardiff University, Great Hall
16th: Liverpool University, Mountford Hall (LOW TICKETS)
18th: Halifax, Victoria Theatre (LOW TICKETS)
19th: Hull City Hall
21st: Aberdeen Music Hall (SOLD OUT)
22nd: Glasgow, O2 Academy (SOLD OUT)
23rd: Edinburgh, O2 Academy (LOW TICKETS)
25th: Leicester, O2 Academy (LOW TICKETS)
26th: Margate Dreamland
28th: Bristol O2 Academy (SOLD OUT)
29th: Newcastle O2 City Hall (LOW TICKETS)
30th: Leeds O2 Academy (SOLD OUT)
DECEMBER – 30th ANNIVERSARY HEADLINE TOUR
2nd: Oxford O2 Academy (SOLD OUT)
3rd: Lincoln Engine Shed (LOW TICKETS)
5th: Stockton Globe
6th: Manchester O2 Victoria Warehouse (SOLD OUT)
7th: Birmingham O2 Academy (SOLD OUT)
9th: Norwich, The Nick Rayns LCR, University of East Anglia (SOLD OUT)
10th: Cambridge Corn Exchange (LOW TICKETS)
12th: Bournemouth O2 Academy (LOW TICKETS)
13th: Nottingham Rock City (SOLD OUT)
14th: London O2 Academy Brixton (SOLD OUT)
DECEMBER – RICK WITTER & PAUL BANKS INTIMATE ACOUSTIC SHOWS
21st: York, Huntington Working Men’s Club (SOLD OUT)
22nd: York, Huntington Working Men’s Club (SOLD OUT)
Any remaining tickets are on sale via shedseven.com at https://gigst.rs/SS24.
Paul Banks and Rick Witter: Concluding Shed Seven’s 30th anniversary celebrations on home turf at Huntington Working Men’s Club on December 21 and 22. Picture: David Harrison
Elkie Brooks: Heading out on her Long Farewell Tour. Picture: Neil Kirk
AFTER 64 years of performing live, the “British queen of blues”, Elkie Brooks, is to undertake her Long Farewell Tour, visiting York Barbican on April 11 2025.
In celebration of her six decades on the concert platform, the Salford singer will perform such hits as Pearl’s A Singer, Lilac Wine, Fool (If You Think It’s Over), Sunshine After The Rain, No More The Fool and Don’t Cry Out Loud in a career-spanning show of blues, rock and jazz numbers that will showcase material from her forthcoming 21st studio album for the first time.
“I love performing live,” says Elkie, 79. “The audiences are always so appreciative, so full of energy, and after 40-plus long years of performing a well-worn repertoire, both myself and my band really feed off the vibrancy of the crowd. And believe me – the British people know how to have a good time! When an audience brings their A-game, I’ll certainly bring mine.”
Promoted by Bookbinder & Joyce, the Long Farewell Tour will span September 7 2024 to May 2 2025, its 24 dates taking in a second Yorkshire gig at Leeds City Varieties Music Hall on September 12.
ELKIE began singing professionally in 1960. Born Elaine Bookbinder to a Jewish baker in Manchester, at 15 she won a talent contest at the Palace Theatre, Manchester, judged by Don Arden, manager of Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard and The Small Faces and father of Sharon Osbourne.
The next few years were an education. Elkie sang in cabaret clubs up and down the country and found herself supporting The Beatles at their 1964 Christmas shows at Hammersmith Odeon.
Her first hit, in 1964, was a version of Etta James’s Something’s Got A Hold On Me, featuring a pre-Led Zeppelin Jimmy Page on guitar. She toured with The Small Faces and The Animals, and by the end of the 1960s, she was singing jazz with Humphrey Lyttelton’s band. A few short years later, she was co-fronting Vinegar Joe with Robert Palmer.
After Vinegar Joe’s dissolution, she found herself joining southern American boogie band Wet Willie: only a temporary diversion before was back on home turf, now a newly minted, grown-up solo singer.
Her solo debut album, 1975’s Rich Man’s Woman, was banned in some quarters, on account of its raunchy sleeve, but 1977’s Two Days Away album soon ignited the blue touch, thanks to its signature song, Pearl’s A Singer, co-written and produced by Elvis stalwarts Leiber & Stoller.
The hits flowed: Fool (If You Think It’s Over), Lilac Wine, Sunshine After The Rain, Warm And Tender Love, Don’t Cry Out Loud and her highest-charting single, No More The Fool. Her million-selling 1981 album, Pearl, stayed on the charts for 79 continuous weeks.
Over the course of the next 25 years, she has released 20 albums. By 2012, she had more chart albums under her belt than any other British female artist. On the concert stage, she has played the London Palladium, Royal Albert Hall, Wembley Arena and Ronnie Scott’s, shared the bill with The Beach Boys and Santana at Knebworth in 1980 and toured regularly.
Elle Wootton in The 13-Storey Treehouse at Grand Opera House, York. Picture: James D Morgan
SHAKESPEARE sonnets, a treehouse with bowling alley and sea monster, The Magpies’ music festival and a thrilling children’s workshop will keep the summer diary busy, advises Charles Hutchinson.
Family show of the week: The 13-Storey Treehouse, Grand Opera House, York, today(8/8/2024) to Sunday, 1pm and 5pm
ADAPTED by Richard Tulloch (The Book Of Everything, Bananas In Pyjamas), this one-hour play for children aged six to 12 brings Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton’s story to stage life with a seriously funny cast and a treehouse replete with a bowling alley, a secret underground laboratory, self-making beds and a marshmallow machine.
Expect magical moments of theatrical wizardry and a truckload of imagination from the cast of Elle Wootton, Edwin Beats and Ryan Dulieu when Andy and Terry forget to write their debut play. Where will they find flying cats, a mermaid, a sea monster, an invasion of monkeys and a giant gorilla? Find out this week. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.
Josie Campbell: Writer of the script to accompany Shakespeare’s sonnets in York Shakespeare Project’s outdoor show at Holy Trinity, Goodramgate, York
Wedding invitation of the week: York Shakespeare Project, Summer Sonnets, Holy Trinity churchyard, Goodramgate, York, Friday to August 17, except August 12, 6pm and 7.30pm plus 4.30pm on both Saturdays
AUDIENCES are invited to a secret wedding at Holy Trinity, where they will meet the church’s most famous couple – Anne “Gentleman Jack” Lister and Ann Walker – while enjoying a complimentary drink.
Linked by Josie Campbell’s script, York Shakespeare Project’s tenth anniversary selection of Shakespeare sonnets are performed in character by Maurice Crichton; Marie-Louise Feeley; Liam Godfrey; Emily Hansen; Halina Jaroszewska; Alexandra Logan; Sally Mitcham; Grace Scott; Effie Warboys; Helen Wilson and director Tony Froud. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk/show/summer-sonnets/.
The poster for Safe Suburban Home Records’ August ’24 Roadshow at The Crescent, York
York gig of the week: Safe Suburban Home Records presents August ’24 Roadshow, Cowgirl, Teenage Tom Petties and Oort Clod, The Crescent, York, Friday, 7.30pm
SAFE Suburban Home Records will be in party mood at The Crescent, celebrating Friday’s release of York garage rock quartet Cowgirl’s new album, Cut Offs. Built around chief songwriters Danny Trew Barton and Sam Coates, they wrap melodies in walls of wailing guitar fuzz.
Teenage Tom Petties deliver transatlantic slacker rock with just the right amount of slop, fuzz and melody; Manchester’s mask-wearing Oort Clod promise post-punk, garage rock and jangly indie. Box office: thecrescentyork.com.
Fountains By Water, by Peter Hicks, on show at Fountains Abbey. Picture: Joe Cornish
Exhibition of the week: Peter Hicks, Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Garden, near Ripon
THIS summer’s run of Peter Hicks’s exhibition, Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal – A Landscape Painter’s Perspective, is being extended to September 15. On show are works painted in response to the John and William Aislabie-designed landscapes at Fountains during Hicks’s residency in 2023.
Commissioned by the National Trust, the Yorkshire landscape artist’s paintings, studies and sketchbooks are on display in Fountains Mill. Hicks specialises in abstract landscapes with acrylic washes on canvas and board, making his own benches and brush handles and using humble and accessible materials, such as old margarine pots for mixing his paints. Tickets: nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/yorkshire/fountains-abbey-and-studley-royal-water-garden.
Actress, vocalist and accordion player Natalia Tena fronts Molotov Jukebox at The Magpies Festival, backed by Balkan fiddle, Latin trumpet and a pounding rhythm section, on Friday
Festival of the week: The Magpies Festival, Sutton Park, near York, Friday and Saturday
RUN by transatlantic folk band The Magpies, The Magpies Festival is rooted in the trio’s native Yorkshire, where they first met. Now in its fourth year, the 2024 event will be headlined on Friday on the main stage by bi-lingual six-piece Molotov Jukebox at 10pm, preceded by Chris While & Julie Matthews, 6pm, and Jim Moray, 8pm.
Friday’s Brass Castle Stage bill features Em Risley, 5pm; Taff Rapids Stringband, 7pm; The Turbans, 9pm, and Easingwold musician Gary Stewart’s Graceland, 11pm.
Saturday’s main stage bill will be topped by Sam Kelly & The Lost Boys at 10pm, preceded by Charm Of Finches, 12 noon, The Often Herd, 2pm, Jesca Hoop, 4pm, The Magpies, 6pm, and Nati (formerly known as Nati Dreddd), 8pm. Saturday’s Brass Castle Stage line-up comprises Painted Sky, 1pm; Suntou Susso, 3pm; Northern Resonance, 5pm; Awkward Family Portraits, 7pm, and Marvara, 9pm. Box office: themagpiesfestival.co.uk/tickets.
The poster for the Three Day Thriller workshop for children at Helmsley Arts Centre
Children’s activity of the week: The Three Day Thriller, Helmsley Arts Centre, August 12 to 14, 10am to 2pm. CANCELLED
BUCKLE up for this improvising and devising workshop for 11 to 16-year-olds, designed to look at different theatre and performance techniques to make a new story in the thriller genre. The focus will be on character, plot and staging to create excitement, mystery and suspense, keeping audiences on the edge of their seats. At the end of day three, the work explored will be shared with family and friends. Places on the £75 workshop can be booked on 01439 771700 or at helmsleyarts.co.uk.
Robert Gammon: Playing at Dementia Friendly Tea Concert at St Chad’s Church, York
Dementia Friendly Tea Concert: Robert Gammon, piano, St Chad’s Church, Campleshon Road, York, August 15, 2.30pm
PIANIST Robert Gammon returns to St Chad’s to perform Bach’s Prelude and Fugue in F sharp Minor from the Well Tempered Clavier Book 2, Schumann’s Kinderszenen and two Chopin Polonaises. As usual, 45 minutes of music will be followed by tea and homemade cakes in the church hall.
“This relaxed event is ideal for people who may not feel comfortable at a formal classical concert, so we do not mind if the audience wants to talk or move about,” says organiser Alison Gammon. Seating is unreserved; no admission charge, but donations are welcome.
The gang is back: Martin Stephenson performs with his fellow Daintees stalwarts at Milton Rooms, Malton, this autumn
Gig announcement of the week: Martin Stephenson & The Daintees, Milton Rooms, Malton, October 13, 8pm
MARTIN Stephenson’s focus will be on You Belong To Blue, the February 2023 album that saw original Daintees’ members Gary Dunn, Anthony Dunn and Charlie Smith, plus a selection of special guests, joining up with the Durham-born singer-songwriter once again.
His Malton set will feature Daintees and Stephenson solo favourites stretching back to his 1986 debut Boat To Bolivia as he dips into country, folk, jazz, blues, skiffle and reggae. Box office: 01653 696240 or themiltonrooms.com.
What’s On in Ryedale, York and beyond, from August 14 onwards. Here’s Hutch’s List No. 29, from Gazette & Herald
Tony Froud’s Reverend Ebenezer Goode in York Shakespeare Project’s Summer Sonnets. Picture: John Saunders
DON’T poo-poo Ada Grey’s exhibition for children at Nunnington Hall, advises Charles Hutchinson, as he picks cultural highlights for the weeks ahead.
Wedding invitation of the week: York Shakespeare Project, Summer Sonnets, Holy Trinity churchyard, Goodramgate, York, until August 17, 6pm and 7.30pm plus 4.30pm Saturday
AUDIENCES are invited to a secret wedding at Holy Trinity, where they will meet the church’s most famous couple – Anne “Gentleman Jack” Lister and Ann Walker – while enjoying a complimentary drink.
Linked by Josie Campbell’s script, York Shakespeare Project’s tenth anniversary selection of Shakespeare sonnets is performed in character by Maurice Crichton; Marie-Louise Feeley; Liam Godfrey; Emily Hansen; Halina Jaroszewska; Alexandra Logan; Sally Mitcham; Grace Scott; Effie Warboys; Helen Wilson and director Tony Froud. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk/show/summer-sonnets/.
Heather Findlay: Busking at Sunday’s York River Art Market. Picture: Adam Kennedy
York’s answer to the Left Bank in Paris: York River Art Market, August 17 and 18, 10am to 5pm
YORK River Art Market sets out its stalls on the Dame Judi Dench Walk riverside for its third weekend this summer, featuring up to 30 artists and makers per day. Among Saturday’s stallholders will be Bejojo Art, Jillie Lazenby, Woody’s Creations, Emily Littler, Happy Pot Mama, Magdalena Biernacka, Kissed Frog, I’ve Been Creative, Matt Lightfoot Photography, Inky Print Designs and Wood Wyrm.
Popping up on Sunday will be Urban Infill Store, Wild Orange Tree, Jo O’Cuinneagan, Rock and Twig Studio, David Lobley Photography, The Littlest Falcon, Feather Isle, Fei’s Crochet, Painter Merv, Stairwell Books, Ounce Of Style and plenty more. Look out for York singer-songwriter Heather Findlay on busking duty on Sunday. Admission is free.
Bedern Hall: Playing host to SconeFest from August 14 to 16
Festival of the week: SconeFest, Bedern Hall, Bartle Garth, St Andrewgate,York, August 14 to 16, 11am to 3pm
BEDERN Hall, York’s 14th-century dining hall, hosts the city’s second annual SconeFest, promising a new mystery flavour every day, with the chance to win an afternoon tea for two at the hall if your guess is correct. In addition, the menu will include beloved flavours such as cheese, fruit and lavender.
Director Roger Lee says: “We’re honoured to have Bernadette – famed for her Christmas Pudding scones – baking for us, and we can’t wait for everyone to experience her incredible scones.” No need to book; visitors are welcome at any time throughout the day. Takeaway scones and hot drinks will be available.
Poo power: Illustrator and author Ada Grey’s exhibition at Nunnington Hall
Exhibition of the week: Ada Grey, Splat! Patter! Plop!, Nunnington Hall, Nunnington, until September 8
DIVE into a world where the “hilarity of poo” takes centre stage in this “unique children’s illustration exhibition like no other” by Ada Grey, creator of such picture books as Poo In The Zoo, Great Poo Mystery, Island Of Dinosaur Poo and Super Pooper Road Race.
Noted for the vibrant colours, lively characters and comical twists of her children’s tales, for the first time Grey is showcasing illustrations of such beloved characters as Bob McGrew and Hector Gloop in iconic moments from her favourite stories. Children have the chance to immerse themselves in Ada’s books, draw inspiration to create their own characters and proudly display their creations in the Poop-a-Doodle gallery. Grey will drop in on August 20 to run workshops for children from 11am to 4pm. Tickets and workshop bookings: nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/yorkshire/nunnington-hall/exhibitions.
MeatLoud: Paying tribute to MeatLoaf and Jim Steinman at Joseph Rowntree Theatre
Another slice of MeatLoaf: MeatLoud – Bat Out Of Hades, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, August 24, 7.30pm
FOUNDED in 2015, this powerhouse tribute to MeatLoaf and songwriter Jim Steinman is fronted by vocalist Andy Plimmer, who is joined Sally Rivers to take on the guise of Bonnie Tyler, Celine Dion and Cher. The second half features a complete performance of the classic 1977 album Bat Out Of Hell. Box office: 01904 501935 or josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk.
Jake Vaadeland & The Sturgeon River Boys: Making debut appearance at Selby Town Hall next month
New season opener: Jake Vaadeland & The Sturgeon River Boys, Selby Town Hall, September 4, 7.30pm
SELBY Town Hall kicks off its autumn season with the debut visit of Jake Vaadeland & The Sturgeon River Boys, purveyors of bluegrass and rockabilly from Saskatchewan, Canada.
Selby Town Council arts officer Chris Jones enthuses: “I absolutely love these guys. It’s probably the show I’m most looking forward to in the second half of the year. At just 21 years old, Jake is terrifyingly talented. He and the band – dressed in authentic 1950s’ suits – make the most fantastically fun, upbeat, toe-tapping music, already gracing the main stages of festivals across North America.” Box office: 01757 708449 or selbytownhall.co.uk.
Simon Russell Beale: Shakespeare actor, now starring as Ser Simon Strong in House Of The Dragon, will be in conversation at York Theatre Royal in September
Theatre chat: An Evening With Simon Russell Beale, York Theatre Royal, September 10, 7.30pm
WAS Shakespeare an instinctive “conservative” or, rather, gently subversive? How collaborative was he? Did he add a line to Hamlet to accommodate his ageing and increasingly chubby principal actor Richard Burbage? Did he suffer from insomnia and experience sexual jealousy?
In An Evening With Simon Russell Beale, in conversation with a special guest, the Olivier Award-winning actor will share his experiences of “approaching and living with some of Shakespeare’s most famous characters”, from his school-play days as Desdemona in Othello to title roles in Hamlet and Macbeth. Expect anecdotes of Sam Mendes, Nick Hytner, Stephen Sondheim and Lauren Bacall too. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.
Elkie Brooks: Heading out on her Long Farewell Tour. Leeds and York await. Picture: Neil Kirk
Gig announcement of the week: Elkie Brooks, Long Farewell Tour, Leeds City Varieties Music Hall, September 12; York Barbican, April 11 2025
AFTER 64 years of performing live, the “British queen of blues”, Elkie Brooks, is to undertake her Long Farewell Tour, visiting Leeds and York among 24 dates.
The Salford singer, 79, will perform such hits as Pearl’s A Singer, Lilac Wine, Fool (If You Think It’s Over), Sunshine After The Rain, No More The Fool and Don’t Cry Out Loud in a career-spanning show of blues, rock and jazz numbers that will showcase material from her forthcoming 21st studio album for the first time. Box office: elkiebrooks.com/elkie-brooks-tour-dates-2024; leedsheritagetheatres.com and yorkbarbican.co.uk.
Kate Rusby: Headlining today’s bill at Underneath The Stars
THE last Underneath The Stars festival “for now” is under way today for three days of music and arts, fun and festivities at Cinder Hill, Darton Road, Cawthorne, Barnsley.
On June 19, the organisers issued this statement: “Dearest Stargazers, it is with heavy hearts that we announce this year’s festival will be our last for now and that we have decided to take a break on our festival journey.
“Worry not though, all is on track to ensure that 2024 will be our best yet and a fitting celebration of ten stellar years. Join us if you are able”
Festival director Emma Holling explained: “We never imagined that a wild idea conceived around our dining room table, overlooking the hills near Cawthorne, would blossom into the amazing festival it is today.
“When we started a decade ago, we were driven, as now, by passion and a sense of adventure. Now, we find ourselves in different places, both personally and professionally and operating in different times. We can’t believe this will be our tenth event. It is an amazing achievement and now our adventures are leading us in different directions.”
Emma continues: “This decision, though difficult, feels right as we embrace these new chapters in our lives. Looking back, we are overwhelmed with pride and joy. From our humble beginnings to welcoming a beautiful, ever-growing audience, every moment has been a dream come true.
King Zepha: Playing on Sunday
“The laughter, music, and unforgettable memories we’ve shared together have exceeded our wildest expectations. Those we have worked with and who have supported us, together with our incredible audience and volunteer team, have been the heart and soul of this festival.
“Your involvement, energy, love, and unwavering support turned our little dream into a phenomenal and award-winning success. Each year, you’ve brought magic, transforming our event into a celebration of community, creativity, and pure joy.”
“While this news may come as a shock, we wanted to share it with you in good time and so that our stargazers can all come together to celebrate one last time.”
Could the festival return? “Never say never of course and no-one ever knows what we might do in the future,” said Emma.
As for this year: “We do know that the festival landscape is challenging at the moment and our hearts and minds are with all our festival friends and family.
“If you are thinking at all about supporting Underneath the Stars or any independent event or festival this year, now more than ever is the time to and we would urge you to do just that.”
Bill Bailey: Following up tonight’s appearance at Scarborough Open Air Theatre by headlining Sunday’s line-up at Underneath The Stars
The June 19 statement from Team UTS (Underneath The Stars) concluded: “Looking forward to this summer, plans are firmly in place to make this final festival our best and most spectacular yet, filled with love, and the biggest cheer possible.
“Thank you for being a part of this incredible journey. Let’s cherish every moment and create one last round of memories that we will treasure forever; we look forward to seeing you there!”
The festival was founded in 2014 by the production team behind South Yorkshire folk singer Kate Rusby and the Pure Records label. Kate headlines today’s bill, also featuring Blazin’ Saddles, Hope & Social, John Smith, Katherine Priddy, Oh My God! It’s The Church, Fanny Lumsden, Cahalen Morrison and Ruth Lyon.
Tomorrow’s line-up comprises headliners The Feeling, plus Rumer, Dervish, Beans On Toast, O’Hooley & Tidow, Keston Cobblers Club, Rumba De Bodas, Dolores Forever, Suntou Susso, Barnsley Youth Choir and The Hunch.
Comedian and musician Bill Bailey tops Sunday’s bill, when Lucy Spraggan, Hamish Hawk, Skinny Lister, Damien O’Kane & Friends, Gary Stewart’s Graceland, The Bar-Steward Sons Of Val Doonican, Brown Horse, King Zepha and Simeon Hammond Dallas perform too.
The Delma Tomlin sculpture in the York Trailblazers trail of tansy beetle artworks
TRAILBLAZERS in beetle form, Georgian festivities, colliery band dramas, and riverside art take Charles Hutchinson in different directions in the week ahead.
Trail of the week: York Trailblazers, around York city centre, August 1 to September 30
FACT of the day: the river Ouse has the largest population of tansy beetles in the United Kingdom. Now sculptures of these insects form a new trail, York Trailblazers, a celebration of York’s unsung heroes mounted by York Civic Trust and Make It York with National Lottery Heritage Fund support.
Nominated by the public and community groups, the Trailblazers project highlights remarkable individuals who have made a difference to people’s lives either locally or globally.
Author Terry Deary: Introducing his new novel at the York Georgian Festival this evening
Festival of the week: York Georgian Festival, today to Sunday
THE second York Georgian Festival opens tomorrow, when Horrible Histories author Terry Deary’s 6pm showcase of his new novel, A History Of Britain In Ten Enemies, will be an early highlight.
Tours, talks and fascinating hidden Georgian gems will be at the heart of the festival. The first York Georgian Ball will be held at the Grand Assembly Rooms (now home to the ASK Italian restaurant) on Saturday at 7pm. Look out for Mad Alice’s Rogues Gallery Tour around the city at 4pm on Saturday and Sunday. For the full programme and tickets, head to: yorkgeorgianfestival.co.uk.
Brass band blues: A scene from Brassed Off at the Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough
Play of the week outside York: Brassed Off, Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, tomorrow (2/8/2024) to August 31
ADAPTED for the stage by Paul Allen from the 1996 screenplay by York filmmaker Mark Herman, Brassed Off takes to the stage in a co-production by Keswick’s Theatre by the Lake, Scarborough’s Stephen Joseph Theatre and Bolton’s Octagon Theatre, directed by Liz Stevenson.
The setting is 1994, ten years after the miners’ strike, when the tight-knit mining community of Grimley, Yorkshire, is fighting to keep the colliery open. Once the uncertainty around the pit’s future becomes too much for the pit band members, loyalty is tested, pressure mounts and the community begins to break apart. Can the band find a way to play on? Box office: 01723 370541 or sjt.uk.com.
Yard Act: Leeds art rock band play in their backyard on Saturday. Picture: Phoebe Fox
Leeds gig of the week: Yard Act, Here’s Our Utopia, Leeds Millennium Square, August 3, doors 6pm; 10.30pm finish
LEEDS art rock band Yard Act play their biggest gig yet on home turf at Leeds Millennium Square this weekend in the wake of the March release of second album Where’s My Utopia?.
Co-produced by James Smith’s indie quartet and Gorillaz member Remi Kabaka Jr, the album peaked at number four, following the number two success and Mercury Prize shortlisting of 2022 debut The Overload. Support acts will be English Teacher, Fat Dog and Ultimate Thunder. Box office: 0113 376 0318 or millsqleeds.com/whatson-event/yard-act/.
Laura Joy’s poster design for the 2024 York River Art Market weekends. She will be participating in all six days. Check out her work at laurajoydesign.co.uk
York’s answer to the Left Bank in Paris: York River Art Market, August 3 and 4; August 10 and 10; August 17 and 18, 10am to 5pm
ORGANISED by jewellery designer and York College art tutor Charlotte Dawson, York River Art Market returns to the riverbank at Dame Judi Dench Walk for a ninth summer season from this weekend.
Up to 30 artists and makers per day will be exhibiting ceramics, jewellery, paintings, prints, photographs, clothing, candles, T-shirts, shaving products and more. “We care that each of the six events are never the same, so we host a different variety of creatives at each one,” says Charlotte. Admission is free.
Richard Hudson’s Unwind: On show at Thirsk Hall Sculpture Garden. Picture: Celestine Dubruel
Exhibition of the week: Thirsk Hall Sculpture Garden, Kirkgate, Thirsk, open Wednesdays to Saturdays, 11am to 5pm, last entry 4pm
THIRSK Hall Sculpture Garden showcases modern and contemporary sculptures in 20 acres of walled gardens and parkland at the grade II-listed town house, complemented by artwork in Gallery One and The Orangery.
Artists on show include Farnoush Amini, Kenneth Armitage, Tere Chad, Tim Ellis, Laura Ford, Richard Hudson, Jeff Lowe, Gerald Laing, Michael Lyons, Trory Menage, Zak Ové, Tim Pomeroy, William Tucker, Austin Wright and Emily Young. To find out more about the 2024 exhibition, visit willoughnygerrish.com. Tickets: thirskhall.com/sculpture-garden.
Chris Hagyard, pictured in Guys And Dolls mode, will sing in Bev Jones Music Company’s One Night Of Broadway Hits
Musical revue of the week: Steve Coates and Bev Jones Music Company present One Night Of Broadway Hits, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, August 3, 2.30pm and 7.30pm
BEV Jones Music Company performs hits from 26 musicals, including Guys And Dolls, in an unashamedly traditional fashion under the musical direction of James Rodgers.
His band is joined in this moving, lively and at times funny show by vocalists Chris Hagyard, Annabel Van Griethuysen, Anthony Pengelly, Ruth McNeil, Sally Lewis, Stephen Wilson, Geoff Walker and producer Lesley Jones, back on stage for this show, wearing a silver cat suit unseen since 2010, when she played Vera in Stepping Out. Box office: 01904 501395 or josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk.
Hurry up Harry: The Three Inch Fools cast for The Secret Diary Of Henry VIII at Helmsley Walled Garden
Ryedale play of the week: The Three Inch Fools in The Secret Diary Of Henry VIII, Helmsley Walled Garden, August 6, 7pm; gates 6pm
THE Three Inch Fools, founded by the Cumbrian Hyde brothers, producer James and writer, composer and director Stephen, present an essential guide on how to keep your head in the Tudor Court in a new comical take on Henry VIII and his six-pack of infamous wives.
Unexpectedly thrust into the limelight, Henry must navigate the ups and downs of courtly life, all while fighting the French yet again and re-writing religious doctrine. Bring chairs, blankets, picnics, but not umbrellas. Park in the Cleveland Way car park. Box office: 01439 771700, helmsleyarts.co.uk or threeinchfools.com.
Korn-ucopia of heavy metal hits at Scarborough Open Air Theatre on August 8
Coastal gig of the week: Korn, Scarborough Open Air Theatre, August 8, gates 6pm
FORMED in California in 1993, Korn continue to push the limits of alt. rock and heavy metal after 40 million album sales, two Grammy awards and countless tours. Expect to hear such anthems as Blind, Falling Away From Me, Here To Stay, Freak On A Leash, Twisted Transistor, Make Me Bad and Did My Time as their European tour arrives in Yorkshire. Support acts will be Wargasm and Loathe. Box office: scarboroughopenairtheatre.com/korn.
Riley Catherall: Playing Pig & Pastry, York, on a tour that takes the Australian singer-songwriter to Nayland, Kirton in Lindsay, High Wycombe and Stockholm, Uddevalla and Oland in Sweden
Introducing: Riley Catherall, Pig & Pastry, Bishopthorpe Road, York, August 8. Doors: 7.30pm for 8pm start
MELBOURNE singer-songwriter Riley Catherall’s graceful trajectory into the Australian alt-country world has not gone unnoticed. So much so that he will be playing in York on Thursday, promising songs of poetic sincerity from his June 14 sophomore album The Light, The Beautiful Liar and his 2021 debut When I Go, a record focused on leaving, losing love and finding somewhere to settle down. Box office: wegottickets.com/event/624233/.
Anastacia: Playing York Barbican next May on her Not That Kind 25th Anniversary Tour
Gig announcement of the week: Anastacia, Not That Kind 25th Anniversary Tour, York Barbican, May 4 2025
CHICAGO singer-songwriter Anastacia will play York Barbican as the only Yorkshire concert of the 13-date British and Irish leg of her Not That Kind tour next year, marking the 25th anniversary of her debut album.
“I didn’t get to do a tour for my first album, which makes this all the more special,” says Anastacia. “I can’t believe it’s been 25 years since Not That Kind; we will be sure to celebrate in true Anastacia style. It’ll be one big anniversary party. I can’t wait to see you all there !” Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk/whats-on/anastacia-2025/.
In Focus:The Magpies Festival, Sutton Park, near York, August 9 and 10
Actress, vocalist and accordion player Natalia Tena fronts Molotov Jukebox at The Magpies Festival, backed by Balkan fiddle, Latin trumpet and a pounding rhythm section, on Friday
RUN by transatlantic folk band The Magpies, The Magpies Festival is rooted in the trio’s native Yorkshire, where they first met. Now in its fourth year, the 2024 event will be headlined on Friday on the main stage by bi-lingual six-piece Molotov Jukebox at 10pm, preceded by Chris While & Julie Matthews, 6pm, and Jim Moray, 8pm.
Friday’s Brass Castle Stage bill features Em Risley, 5pm; Taff Rapids Stringband, 7pm; The Turbans, 9pm, and Easingwold musician Gary Stewart’s Graceland, 11pm.
Saturday’s main stage bill will be topped by Sam Kelly & The Lost Boys at 10pm, preceded by Charm Of Finches, 12 noon, The Often Herd, 2pm, Jesca Hoop, 4pm, The Magpies, 6pm, and Nati (formerly known as Nati Dreddd), 8pm. Saturday’s Brass Castle Stage line-up comprises Painted Sky, 1pm; Suntou Susso, 3pm; Northern Resonance, 5pm; Awkward Family Portraits, 7pm, and Marvara, 9pm.
Festival organisers The Magpies
The all-female The Magpies – Bella Gaffney (singer, songwriter, guitarist and banjo player), fellow founder Holly Brandon (fiddle player and tunesmith) and Ellie Gowers (guitarist, singer and songwriter) – are set on championing gender equality in the music industry, achieving gender parity in both line-up and staff, as well as providing a safe and comfortable environment for female musicians and festival goers.
Festival director Holly Brandon says: “We are so excited to put on The Magpies Festival. We’ve been over the moon at the response to the festival, from the incredible performances from world-class folk musicians to the high-energy spirit that our attendees brought along. It’s felt like a whole new feel to a folk festival.”
Box office: themagpiesfestival.co.uk/tickets.
Sam Kellly & The Lost Boys: To be found at The Magpies Festival at Sutton Park on Saturday
York Georgian Festival: for fans of fans and the period alike
THE second York Georgian Festival runs from today to Sunday, buoyed by an “overwhelming turnout” and VisitYork Tourism Awards nomination for last August’s inaugural event.
Day one’s highlight, Horrible Histories author Terry Deary’s 6pm showcase of his new book, A History Of Britain In Ten Enemies, has sold out.
In response to much demand, the festival will host the first York Georgian Ball at the Grand Assembly Rooms, now home to the ASK Italian restaurant, in Blake Street, on Saturday at 7pm. This ballroom played host to dances and dinners in the 18th and 19th centuries, and now guests will be dressed in their finest as they country-dance under the chandeliers this weekend.
Further festival highlights will be tours, talks and the chance to discover hidden Georgian gems across the city.
Festival creator Sarah White, events and marketing manager for York Mansion House, says: “I am delighted to be working with some of the most beautiful museums, venues and minds in York to bring this festival to life. We want to showcase the impact of this time period on the modern day, and we also want to dance the night away.”
Terry Deary: Introducing his new book this evening
Thursday
10am: Behind the Scenes Curator Tour, at Fairfax House.
10am to 3pm (pre-bookable tours available): Tours and Tea for Charity at York Medical Society, 23 Stonegate.
10am to 5pm (last admission 4pm): Discover the “illegal chapel” at Bar Convent Living Heritage Centre.
10.30am to 5pm (last admission 4pm): Hobs Go Georgian, a fun family trail at York Mansion House. Free with admission.
11.30am: 18th century cooking demonstration, York Mansion House. Free with admission.
11.30am: Blood, Guts and Bedlam Tour, from York Medical Society.
2.30pm: Dressing a Georgian Lady, York Mansion House. Free with admission.
4pm: Rogues Gallery Tour with Mad Alice, around the city.
6pm: Terry Deary previews his new book, A History of Britain in Ten Enemies. SOLD OUT.
7pm: Mad Alice History Talk and Gin Tasting, at Impossible York bar.
Friday
10am to 5pm (last admission 4pm): Discover the “illegal chapel” at Bar Convent Living Heritage Centre.
10am to 3pm (pre-bookable tours available): Tours and Tea for Charity at York Medical Society, 23 Stonegate.
10.30am: Georgian Dance Class at the Guildhall.
10.30am to 5pm (last admission 4pm): Hobs Go Georgian: a fun family trail at York Mansion House. Free with admission.
11.30am: 18th century cooking demonstration, York Mansion House. Free with admission.
11.30am: Blood, Guys and Bedlam Tour, from York Medical Society.
2.30pm: Fan language, York Mansion House. Free with admission.
4pm: Rogues Gallery Tour, with Mad Alice, around the city.
7.30pm: Bridgerton by Candlelight, Ignite Concerts. SOLD OUT.
Saturday
10am to 5pm (last admission 4pm): Discover the “illegal chapel” at Bar Convent Living Heritage Centre.
10.30am to 5pm (last admission 4pm): Hobs Go Georgian, a fun family trail at York Mansion House. Free with admission.
11am: Regency Rejigged dance performance, St Helen’s Square.
11.30am: 18th century cooking demonstration, York Mansion House. Free with admission.
2pm: Regency Rejigged dance performance, St Helen’s Square.
2pm: Anatomy of a Ball, Barley Hall Coffee Shop.
2.30pm: Dressing a Georgian Lady, York Mansion House. Free with admission.
3pm: Regency Rejigged dance performance, St Helen’s Square.
4pm: The Raree Show of The Fox Trap’t, Holy Trinity Church, Goodramgate. SOLD OUT.
4pm: The Rogues Gallery Tour, with Mad Alice, around the city.
5pm: Family Walking Tour: A Day in the Life of Jane Ewbank, with York Georgian Society, starting from St Helen’s Square.
7pm: The York Georgian Ball, at Grand Assembly Rooms.
Sunday
10.30am to 1pm: Hobs Go Georgian: a fun family trail at York Mansion House. Free with admission.
11am: Regency Rejigged dance performance, St Helen’s Square.
11.30am: 18th century cooking demonstration, York Mansion House. Free with admission.
1pm: Uncovering The Parrot: A Forgotten Women-Led Satirical Periodical of the 18th Century at York Mansion House. SOLD OUT. York Mansion House will be closed temporarily from 12.30pm to 2.20pm to accommodate this ticketed event.
2pm: Regency Rejigged dance performance, St Helen’s Square.
2.30pm: Fan language, York Mansion House. Free with admission.
4pm: Rogues Gallery Tour, with Mad Alice, around the city.
