THIS rather enchanting concert by Beth Stone (flutes) and Daniel Murphy (plucked strings) could be likened to a historical musical journey from the 15th Century to the present day.
The first stop was the 15th Century and the musical station entitled Renaissance Flute & Lute. Rabanus Maurus’s haunting Veni Creator Spiritus was paired with Guillaume Dufay’s setting (originally for three voices). Beth Stone’s chocolatey flute tone was simply gorgeous.
Of the next pairing, I particularly enjoyed Guglielmo Ebreo da Pesaro’s courtly dance Falla Con Misuras, as did lutenist Daniel Murphy, whose crisp syncopated rhythms added to the music’s delicate vitality.
The performances of the Thomas Campion and Robert Johnson pieces were also rhythmically engaging and it is no surprise that both composers were professional lutenists.
This set closed with a touching duet by French composer Balthazar de Beaujoyeulx, Overture from Balet Comique de la Royne. The ballet was inspired, evidently, by the escape of Ulysses from the clutches of the enchantress Circe (from Homer’s Odyssey). And yes, the performance was indeed enchanting.
Now it wasn’t until I disembarked at the platform marked Baroque Flute &Theorbo that, despite the excellent performances and refreshing informative communication by players, I realised that the musical journey hadn’t been a particularly gripping one.
This all changed with the set of arias by Claudio Monteverdi. Take the performance of Quel Sguardo Sdegnosetto, the last one of the set, for example. Ms Stone’s flute playing really captured the pretty radical, virtuosic vocal melody, which itself responds to the emotionally descriptive poetic text. But it was the hypnotic ground bass, the closing Chaconne that sealed the deal.
Before we arrived at our final destination, Modern Flute & Guitar, we stopped off for refreshments at Eight-Keyed Classical Flute & Nineteenth Century Guitar. Diabelli’s arrangement of Louis-Luc Loiseau de Persuis’ Six Favourite Airs from Nina Ou La Folle Par Amour was brimming with wit and energy, and clearly enjoyed by both performers and ourselves.
Diabelli’s arrangement of Gioachino Rossini’s The Thieving Magpie Overture was even better and even more rewarding. Well, it is Rossini. Ps Diabelli’s transcription is simply inspired.
For me, the final set of pieces was mixed. The best of the musical bunch was undoubtedly Jacques Ibert’s Entr’acte. This popular, flamenco-inspired work had a quirky, gently bonkers quality. The opening breathless toccata was followed by an Iberian serenade before returning to a vibrant recapitulation or return. I loved it.
François Borne’s Fantasie Brillante Sur Carmen was really well transcribed, brilliant, in fact. But it soon outstayed its welcome. It was just too long. For me, the Broadway hits simply don’t work.
The earlier vocal transcriptions worked because they were creatively transformed. Here we simply had songs without words. Stephen Sondheim’s gem, Send In The Clowns, was played beautifully. But in my head I added the words; I heard Judy Collins’ 1975 version – it was originally written for Glynis Johns. So too with Gershwin’s I Got Rhythm and Hurwitz’s City of Stars.
With this in mind, the duo says that “future project plans include commissioning new works for both the modern flute and guitar combination and also the historical flutes and lute/theorbo instrumentation”. And this has to be a good thing.
As for Edvard Grieg’s Morgenstemming (from Peer Gynt), for flute and guitar? Well, this shouldn’t have worked but, because of the utterly musical playing by both Beth Stone and, particularly, Daniel Murphy on guitar, it did; beautifully.
James Iha, left, Jimmy Chamberlin and Billy Corgan of The Smashing Pumpkins: Playing Scarborough Open Air Theatre on August 13
AMERICAN alt. rockers The Smashing Pumpkins will play TK Maxx Presents Scarborough Open Air Theatre on August 13 on their Aghori Tour. Tickets will go on sale at 10am on Friday at ticketmaster.co.uk.
Billy Corgan, James Iha and Jimmy Chamberlin’s multi-platinum-selling band will be supported on the Yorkshire coast by Ealing post-punk revival band White Lies.
Since emerging from Chicago, Illinois, in 1988 with their iconoclastic sound, Smashing Pumpkins have sold more than 30 million albums worldwide and collected two Grammy Awards, seven MTV VMAs and an American Music Award.
Corgan, Iha and Chamberlin continue to fuse rock, pop, shoegaze, metal, goth, psychedelia and electronia into a kaleidoscope of melancholic melodies, fuzzy distortion, bombastic orchestration, incendiary fretwork, eloquent songcraft, and unshakable hooks.
Their back catalogue is highlighted by 1991’s platinum-selling Gish, 1993’s quadruple-platinum Siamese Dream, 1995’s diamond-certified Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness, 1996’s platinum Adore (1998) and 2000’s gold-selling Machina/The Machines Of God.
In 2023, The Smashing Pumpkins released ATUM, a rock opera presented in three acts, alongside a sold out North American tour. Only nine months later came Aghori Mhori Mei, their 13th studio album.
London guitar band White Lies topped the charts with their 2009 debut album To Lose My Life, leading to a BRIT Award nomination, a stadium tour with Coldplay, appearances on David Letterman and Later…With Jools Holland, and five further studio albums.
Julian Murray, venue programmer for promoters Cuffe and Taylor, says: “The Smashing Pumpkins have been at the forefront of alternative rock for more than 30 years and remain true standard bearers.
“We have had so many requests down the years from fans to bring them here, so we are delighted to announce this show. It’s going to be another incredible night here, which we know The Smashing Pumpkins’ legions of fans will absolutely love.”
Corgan and co also will perform at TK Maxx presents Live at The Piece Hall, Halifax, on August 12.
The Scarborough Open Air Theatre diary for 2025 now comprises: June 11, The Corrs and Natalie Imbruglia; June 13, Gary Barlow; June 14, Shed Seven plus Jake Bugg and Cast; June 20; Pendulum and their newly confirmed support act, Swedish rockers Normandie, June 21, Basement Jaxx and June 27, Snow Patrol.
Into July, when July 5 features The Script plus Tom Walker; July 6, UB40 featuring Ali Campbell plus Bitty McLean, July 10, Blossoms plus Inhaler and Apollo Junction; July 11, Rag’n’Bone Man plus Elles Bailey and Kerr Mercer; July 12, McFly plus Twin Atlantic and Devon; July 19, Craig David presents TS5; July 23, Judas Priest plus Phil Campbell & The Bastard Sons and July 26, Texas.
Faithless and Orbital are booked in for August 2, with further August additions expected from Cuffe and Taylor. Watch this space. To book tickets for the 2025 season, head to ticketmaster.co.uk.
Freida Nipples: Hosting a cabaret night of burlesque exhibitionism in The Old Paint Shop at York Theatre Royal Studio
FROM exhibitionist burlesque to imaginative dance moments, wildlife illuminations to bend-and- snap musical empowerment, Charles Hutchinson finds February fulfilment.
Cabaret night of the week: Freida Nipples Presents…The Exhibitionists, The Old Paint Shop, York Theatre Royal Studio, tonight, 8pm
YORK’S very own internationally award-winning burlesque artiste Freida Nipples welcomes some of her favourite and most fabulous performance artists from across Great Britain and beyond to The Old Paint Shop’s flesh-flashing cabaret night.
“Get ready to be dazzled, shocked and in awe,” says Freida. “Only a few things are guaranteed: glamour, gags and giggles.” Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk, for returned tickets only.
Chris Newman and Maire Ni Chathasaigh: Heading to Helmsley Arts Centre
Folk gig of the week: Maire Ni Chathasaigh and Chris Newman, Helmsley Arts Centre, tonight, 7.30pm
MULTIPLE award-winning, internationally renowned virtuoso harp and guitar duo Maire Ni Chathasaigh and Chris Newman return to Helmsley after playing to a full house there in December 2023.
County Cork harpist Chathasaigh and flat-picking guitarist, improviser, composer and record producer Newman have toured to 24 countries on five continents, playing venues ranging from village halls and town halls to palaces in Kyoto and Istanbul, from London’s Barbican to Cologne’s Philharmonia. Expect a fusion of traditional Irish music, hot jazz, bluegrass and baroque, spiced with new compositions and Newman’s subversive wit. Box office: 01439 771700 or helmsleyarts.co.uk.
Unstoppable! Evie Hart, Sean Moss, Hobie Schouppe, Juliette Tellier, Donny Beau Ferris, Risa Maki and Oliver Rumaizen in Jasmin Vardimon Company’s Now. Picture: Tristram Kenton
Dance show of the week: Jasmin Vardimon Company, York Theatre Royal, today, 2.30pm with post-show discussion and 7.30pm
NOW, a new creation by choreographer Jasmin Vardimon MBE, celebrates her company’s 25th anniversary in a work that reflects the current moment, the present, and the continuous movement of time in a terpsichorean toast to the beauty of imagination and art.
Rooted in her interest in contemporary lives, the structures of society and the ever-changing socio-political dynamics, Vardimon uses her distinctive dance theatre style to tell a story of our time with an international cast of performers and relevant and iconic moments from the Ashford, Kent company’s repertoire. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.
Jamie Walton: Cello soloist at York Guildhall Orchestra’s concert tonight at York Barbican. Picture: Matthew Johnson
Classical concerts of the week: Yorkshire Bach Choir, Bach To The Future, St Lawrence Parish Church, York, tonight, 7.30pm; York Guildhall Orchestra: Sibelius, Bloch, Tchaikovsky & Shostakovich, York Barbican, tomorrow, 3pm
PETER Seymour conducts Yorkshire Bach Choir on a choral journey through German polyphony, including music by Schutz, Johann Bach, JS Bach, Mendelssohn, Brahms and Rheinberger tonight. Professor Thomas Schmidt gives a pre-concert talk at 6.45pm. Box office: 01904 658338 or ncem.co.uk.
Jamie Walton, cellist and North York Moors Chamber Music Festival artistic director, will be the soloist for Ernst Bloch’s “rarely played, but utterly beautiful” Shelomo in tomorrow afternoon’s concert by the York Guildhall Orchestra. Sibelius’s Karelia Suite, Tchaikovsky’s Romeo And Juliet and Shostakovic’s Symphony No. 9 in Eb feature too in conductor Simon Wright’s programme. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.
Dominic Halpin & The Hurricanes: Turning the Grand Opera House into a honky-tonk in downtown Nashville
Country gig of the week: A Country Night In Nashville, Grand Opera House, York, tomorrow, 7.30pm
DOMINIC Halpin & The Hurricanes re-create a buzzing honky-tonk in downtown Nashville, capturing the energy and atmosphere of an evening in the home of country music, featuring songs from its biggest stars both past and present: Johnny Cash to Alan Jackson, Dolly Parton to The Chicks, Willie Nelson to Kacey Musgraves. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.
Colour & Light: Illuminating York Minster with wildlife imagery
Illumination of the week: Colour & Light, York Minster South Transept, February 12 to March 2
THIS free outdoor event promises a “mesmerising projection” of famous and lesser-known stories of York’s animal world, from the peregrine falcons that call the Minster home and the foxes that roam the city after dark, to the horses on which the Romans rode into Eboracum and the legendary dragons carved into York’s history.
Colour & Light will run nightly from 6pm to 9pm with projections on a ten-minute loop. The final hour each evening will feature a designated quiet hour with reduced noise and crowd levels, ensuring everyone can enjoy the event. No tickets are required.
Pop Princesses : A fairytale epic adventure of pop hits and show favourites at the Grand Opera House
Children’s pop concert of the week: Pop Princesses World Tour, Grand Opera House, York, February 13, 6pm
IN a magical show where four fabulous fairytale princesses become pop stars on an epic adventure, they just love to sing the hits of Taylor Swift, Meghan Trainor, Miley Cyrus, Dua Lipa and Lizzo, complemented by a few of the best songs from all your favourite films and musicals. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.
Drag bingo agogo: Velma Celli’s Dragamama Bingo, Wagamama, Goodramgate, York, February 13, doors 6.30pm
YORK international vocal drag diva Velma Celli, alias West End musical star Ian Stroughair, has won the Best Cabaret prize at Perth Fringeworld 2024 – again! – Down Under. Next Thursday, Velma turns bingo caller for an evening of camp comedy drag bingo fun and games in Dragamama Bingo at Japanese restaurant Wagamama. Eyes down for a full house and a feast of Velma cabaret from 7pm to 9pm. Box office: https://tinyurl.com/4hmukk69.
Emma Swainston’s Elle Woods in York Light Opera Company’s Legally Blonde The Musical. Picture: Matthew Kitchen Photography
Musical of the week: York Light Opera Company in Legally Blonde The Musical, York Theatre Royal, February 13 to 22, 7.30pm nightly (except February 16) plus 2.30pm matinees on February 15, 20 and 22
JOIN Elle Woods, a seemingly ditzy sorority girl with a heart of gold, as she tackles Harvard Law School to win back her man. Along the way, Elle discovers her own strength and intelligence, “proving that you can be both a beautiful blonde and brilliant”.
Emma Swainston’s Elle Woods leads Martyn Knight’s 35-strong cast in this feel-good, sassy and stylish show with a powerful message about staying true to yourself, booted with music and lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin and book by Heather Hach. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.
Festival of the week: National Parks Dark Skies Festival, North York Moors, February 14 to March 2
THIS year is the tenth anniversary of the Dark Skies Festival and where better to celebrate than on the North York Moors, one of only 21 locations in the world to be recognised for pristine, dark skies as an International Dark Sky Reserve.
Look out for Stargazing Experiences in Dalby Forest; Stargazing at Ampleforth Abbey; the Robin Hood’s Bay Dark Skies Ghost Walks; Evening Adventure Walks with River Mountain Rescue; a Night Navigation Experience with Large Outdoors; Dancing with The Long Dead Stars on a walk to Boggle Hole and plenty more. For full details, visit: darkskiesnationalparks.org.uk/north-york-moors-events.
Robert Hayward as The Dutchman in Opera North’s The Flying Dutchman. Picture: James Glossop
LIKE a red rag to a bull, Wagner’s nautical traveller has provoked many concepts from opera directors. It was not an urge that Annabel Arden was able to resist, closely partnered by her designer Joanna Parker, in this new production.
Although sung in German, Act 1 opens in The Home Office, the government department responsible for processing those seeking asylum. Ocean views on a video during the overture have already conjured thoughts of desperate voyagers in tiny dinghies trying to cross the English Channel, so when we see a crowd of identically-suited bureaucrats, red-ribboned identity tags around their necks, buzzing busily against a backdrop of rapid-fire digital gobbledygook, it is all of a piece.
Myth and legend appear to have gone out of the window. Where is Daland’s boat, or the Dutchman’s for that matter? They never appear. Daland is the smug minister weathering the storms thrown into the path of the ship of state.
Layla Claire’s Senta, centre, with the ladies of the Chorus of Opera North in The Flying Dutchman. Picture: James Glossop
It is true that when the Dutchman’s vessel should be putting into port, a crane-load of nautical gear is lowered onto the central table, as if it were the dockside. Above this are two thin metal curtains, cut on an angle, which could well be interpreted as sails.
In truth, there has been some inkling of this twin-layered approach: before the overture, and at the start of the other two acts, the recorded voices of actual refugees speak in broken English of the trials they have endured on their way to this country.
These two strands, myth and modernity, are uneasy bedfellows throughout the evening. Alarm bells always ring when it takes several well-reasoned essays and interviews in a 50-page programme-book (not read by many of the punters, certainly not in advance) to explain and justify any departure from what the composer envisaged.
Robert Hayward as the Dutchman and Layla Claire as Senta in The Flying Dutchman. Picture: James Glossop
It is entirely possible that first-timers at Holländer find it all convincing or are simply not bothered; more experienced listeners will be at the very least bewildered. But that’s all part of the fun.
There are multiple compensations in the music. Music director Garry Walker seems to have stepped straight into the Wagnerian mantle he inherited from Richard Farnes. His strings are immediately on fire – one rapid run is positively spine-tingling – and there is steely determination in the brass calls.
But he also allows the score to breathe, which suits his principals admirably. Robert Hayward’s Dutchman cuts an androgynous figure on first appearance, long straggly hair, a necklace and seemingly a dress under his long cloak – until he opens his mouth and the full world-weariness flows such as no other baritone can match. His career in Leeds alone stretches back well over 30 years. He is still in imperious voice at the finish.
Layla Claire’s Senta and Edgaras Montvidas’s Erik/Steersman in The Flying Dutchman. Picture: James Glossop
Clive Bayley, another familiar face in these parts, revels in taking off his ministerial role as Daland, injecting humour with subtle inflexions. Edgaras Montvidas doubles excellently as Erik and the Steersman, finding a Lied-style Sehnsucht in Erik’s Act 2 aria but a biting vitriol at Senta’s rejection.
Layla Claire was unable to sing on this opening night but acted an emotionally immature Senta prostrated by her infatuation with immense conviction. Mari Wyn Williams sang the role from the side with considerable charm, reserving extra heft for the dénouement. Molly Barker, stepping up from the chorus, makes her mark as Mary.
The final showdown between the two crews takes place at a civil-service shindig with the Dutchman behind the bar at first, before he climbs onto it for his peroration. But the chorus is so thrilling there is no need to reason why.
Review by Martin Dreyer, 1/2/2025
Further performances in Leeds until February 21, then on tour until March 28, full details at www.operanorth.co.uk. Leeds box office: 0113 243 0808 or leedsheritagetheatres.com.
The Chorus in Opera North’s The Flying Dutchman at Leeds Grand Theatre. Picture: James Glossop
Untitled 7, by Neil Bunting, from Art Of Protest’s Outsider Inside York exhibition
A DANDY giant, outsider art, drag bingo and Cuban rhythms light up Charles Hutchinson’s early February diary.
Exhibition of the week: Outsider Inside York – An Exhibition of Words and Pictures, Art of Protest Gallery, Walmgate, York, on show until February 16
OUTSIDER Inside York celebrates the diverse voices of five artists who have used creativity to reshape their lives and challenge the status quo, revealing art’s transformative power in overcoming adversity.
Taking part will be Boxxhead, alias York mixed-media artist Kevin McNulty; former British Army soldier and PTSD sufferer Kevin Devenport, who began painting as a form of self-expression while in prison for drug offences; Peter Stapleton, who discovered a gift for painting in oils after 22 years behind bars, and late neurodivergent artist and musician Neil Bunting, who died last year, having struggled with mental health issues and personal loss throughout his life and never exhibiting his work in his lifetime. Their works are complemented by poems by Geoff Beacon, whose latest collection, Foreboding, engages with activism and politics in York.
Jennifer Jones’s Belle in Joseph Rowntree Theatre Company’s Beauty And The Beast at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre
Fairytale of the week: Joseph Rowntree Theatre Company in Disney’s Beauty And The Beast, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, until Saturday, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee
THE Joseph Rowntree Theatre Company presents the timeless tale of Belle (Jennifer Jones), a young woman in a small provincial town, and the Beast (Adam Gill), a prince trapped under the spell of an enchantress. The Beast must learn to love and be loved in order to break the spell, but time is running out in this Disney musical adventure.
Further principal roles in Kathryn Lay’s cast go to Jim Paterson as Gaston; Tom Mennary, Lumiere; Paul Blenkiron, Maurice; Helen Barugh, Madame de la Grande Bouche; Heather Stead, Babette, and Anthony Gardner, Cogsworth. Box office: 01904 501935 or josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk.
Meet The Smartest Giant In Town in Little Angel Theatre’s show at the Grand Opera House, York
Children’s show of the week: Little Angel Theatre in The Smartest Giant In Town, Grand Opera House, York, today, 10am and 1pm
GEORGE wishes he were not the scruffiest giant in town. When he sees a new shop selling giant-sized clothes, he adopts a new look: smart trousers, smart shirt, stripy tie, shiny shoes. Now he is the smartest giant in town…until he bumps into some animals that desperately need his help – and his clothes!
So runs Little Angel Theatre’s latest puppet-filled stage adaptation of a typically heart-warming Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler picture-book tale of friendship and helping those in need. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.
The poster artwork for Just Us & A Piano at Helmsley Arts Centre
Fundraiser of the week: Just Us & A Piano, Songs From Musical Theatre Broadway and the West End, Helmsley Arts Centre, tonight and Friday, 7.30pm
JULIE Lomas and pianist Neil Bell bring together a grand piano and an ensemble of 1812 Theatre Company singers to celebrate the world of musical theatre to raise much-needed funds for Helmsley Arts Centre.
Songs from the Broadway classics of George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Jerome Kern and Richard Rodgers through to Cabaret, Wicked, My Fair Lady, Les Miserables, Hamilton and Andrew Lloyd Webber will be performed by Amy Gregory, Esme Schofield, Joe Gregory, Julie Lomas, Kristian Gregory, Natasha Jones, Oliver Clive and Phye Bell. Box office: 01439 771700 or helmsleyarts.co.uk.
Beverley Beirne: Fronting her trio at The Old Paint Shop on Friday
Jazz gig of the week: The Beverley Beirne Trio, The Old Paint Shop, York Theatre Royal Studio, Friday, 8pm
BEVERLEY Beirne sings songs of hope, passion, of living life to the full, of day dreaming, regret, love lost and love found and ultimately of dancing through the game and rhythm of life from Dream Dancer, long-listed for a Grammy Best Jazz Vocal Album.
Listen out for interpretations of David Bowie’s Let’s Dance, Let’s Face The Music And Dance and a bluesy take on The Clash’s Should I Stay Or Should I Go. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.
Drag diva deluxe at the double: The Velma Celli Show, Impossible York Wonderbar, St Helen’s Square, York, Friday, doors 7pm, show time 8pm to 10pm; Dragamama Bingo, Wagamama, Goodramgate, York, February 13, doors 6.30pm
YORK international vocal drag diva Velma Celli, alias West End musical star Ian Stroughair, has won the Best Cabaret prize at Perth Fringeworld 2024 – again! – in Australia. On Friday, Velma returns to her regular York joint for a night of sassy song and saucy badinage. Box office: https://tinyurl.com/24s4yyjt.
Next Thursday, Velma turns bingo caller for an evening of camp comedy drag bingo fun and games in Dragamama Bingo at Japanese restaurant Wagamama. Eyes down for a full house and a feast of Velma cabaret from 7pm to 9pm. Box office: https://tinyurl.com/4hmukk69.
York Latinos: Celebrating Cuban music and culture at The Milton Rooms, Malton
Cuban celebration of the week: York Latinos, A Night of Latin Music and Dance, Milton Rooms, Malton, Saturday, 8pm
YORK Latinos pay homage to the traditional rhythms of their homelands while infusing them with contemporary flair in a celebration of Cuban music and culture featuring a dancer from Havana.
Specialising in a variety of Latin genres, they blend the vibrant beats of salsa and the soulful melodies of Cuban Son, complemented by Merengue, Bachata and Cumbia. Box office: 01653 696240 or themiltonrooms.com.
Chris Newman andMaire Ni Chathasaigh
Folk gig of the week:Maire Ni Chathasaigh and Chris Newman, Helmsley Arts Centre, Saturday, 7.30pm
MULTIPLE award-winning, internationally renowned virtuoso harp and guitar duo Maire Ni Chathasaigh and Chris Newman return to Helmsley after playing to a full house there in December 2023.
County Cork harpist Chathasaigh and flat-picking guitarist, improviser, composer and record producer Newman have toured to 24 countries on five continents, playing venues ranging from village halls and town halls to palaces in Kyoto and Istanbul, from London’s Barbican to Cologne’s Philharmonia. Expect a fusion of traditional Irish music, hot jazz, bluegrass and baroque, spiced with new compositions and Newman’s subversive wit. Box office: 01439 771700 or helmsleyarts.co.uk.
BRITISH electronic music pioneers Faithless and Orbital will unite for a night on the Yorkshire coast on August 2 at TK Maxx presents Scarborough Open Air Theatre.Tickets go on sale at 10am on Friday at scarboroughopenairtheatre.com.
Orbital – aka brothers Phil and Paul Hartnoll, from Otford, Kent – will open the double bill before headliners Faithless take to the stage at Great Britain’s biggest outdoor concert arena.
Almost 30 years since releasing 1996 debut album Reverence, Faithless continue to deliver boundary-breaking dance music. Rollo Armstrong, Sister Bliss and Maxi Jazz’s London band have sold more than 20 million albums, including 17 Top 40 singles and six top ten albums (three peaking at number one), while amassing more than a billion streams.
Among their UK top ten singles are Salva Mea, We Come 1, One Step Too Far, Mass Destruction, Insomnia and God Is A DJ.
Last year, Faithless returned to the live arena after an eight-year hiatus to play sold-out shows across Europe.
At the seaside: Orbital’s Phil and Paul Hartnoll
In the mid-1990s, Orbital reinvented the notion of what a dance act could do live, turning multitudes of rock fans on to the limitless pleasures of electronic music.
They have crafted a catalogue of ambitious yet accessible music, informed by a wide range of genres from ambient and electro to punk and film scores.
Since breaking through with their landmark 1990 Top 20 hit Chime, Orbital have released ten studio albums, including 1993’sOrbital 2 and 1996’s In Sides. Their most recent release, 2023’s Optical Delusion, included furious lead single Dirty Rat, a collaboration with Sleaford Mods.
Faithless and Orbital join Basement Jaxx, Pendulum, Craig David, Rag’n’Bone Man, Snow Patrol, Judas Priest, Blossoms, Shed Seven, Texas, UB40 featuring Ali Campbell, The Corrs, Gary Barlow and The Script among the artists confirmed for the summer ahead at Scarborough OAT.
“Belle is everything I wished I could be when I was growing up,” says Joseph Rowntree Theatre Company lead actress Jennifer Jones
THE Joseph Rowntree Theatre Company will present Disney’s spin on the timeless tale of Belle, a young woman in a small provincial town, and the Beast, a prince trapped under the spell of an enchantress, at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, from tomorrow to Saturday.
If the Beast can learn to love and be loved, the curse will end and he will be transformed into his former self, but time is running out. Should the Beast not learn his lesson soon, however, he and his household will be doomed for all eternity.
“This ‘tale as old as time’ is filled with the classic songs that you know and love, so please ‘be our guest’ and join us for this family favourite,” says director Kathryn Lay, who is joined in the production team by musical director Martin Lay and choreographer Lorna Newby.
The cast comprises Jennifer Jones as Belle; Adam Gill as the Beast; Tom Menarry, Lumiere; Jen Payne, Mrs Potts; Anthony Gardner, Cogsworth; Heather Stead, Babette; Helen Barugh, Madame de la Grande Bouche; Jim Paterson, Gaston; Kit Stroud, Lefou; Paul Blenkiron, Maurice; Alex Schofield, Monsieur D’Arque, and Stan Richardson and Paige Sidebottom as Chip.
“Belle is everything I wished I could be when I was growing up,” says Jennifer Jones. “She’s confident in who she is and willing to stand up for herself, but also kind and incredibly loyal. There are actually quite a lot of similarities between Belle’s past and my own experiences (up until the ‘being imprisoned by a cursed beast’ part), so getting to channel that into the performance is a real privilege.”
What is Jennifer most looking forward to in the show? “I’m a sucker for a big ball gown. But honestly, my favourite part of any show is listening to the overture backstage with the whole company as we wait to go on. There’s absolutely nothing like it!”
Jennifer Jones’s Belle and Adam Gill’s Beast
Naming her favourite scene, she says: “Be Our Guest is such a delight! It’s the big song from Beauty And The Beast and it’s been so exciting to see it coming together and everyone giving it so much energy. I’m lucky that my character gets to watch it all, and the grin on my face is 100 per cent genuine.”
Looking forward to playing the Joseph Rowntree Theatre, Jennifer says: “To have a full theatre so easily available to you as an amateur performer is really special. I’ve performed in nearly every theatre in York, but the Joseph Rowntree Theatre feels like home.
“It’s really an amazing community asset, and it provides so many opportunities for literally anybody to get involved, even if they’ve never stepped foot in a theatre before.”
She loves the experience of rehearsing and performing. “For me, it’s all about the people you do shows with. Of course, it’s very nice to sing for an audience that is more appreciative than my cats are, but getting to spend several nights a week having fun in rehearsals with an excellent group of people with a shared sense of purpose and belonging is the most important thing for me.”
Adam Gill shares his first name of Adam with the Beast: ”Of course that 100 per cent proves that I was made to play this part!” he says. “He’s one of the most iconic Disney characters, easily the best Disney prince, and I love the way that he changes and grows throughout the show: it’s a story that has always resonated with me.”
Adam, who picks the musical number Gaston as his highlight, “even though I’m not in it!”, has fond memories aplenty of performing at the JoRo. “I love the warm, intimate atmosphere that surrounds it,” he says.
Jim Paterson rehearsing his role as Gaston in Joseph Rowntree Theatre Company’s Beauty And The Beast
“I love the escapism taking part in shows provides, watching brilliant people build confidence and grow into characters and trying to be the best performer I can.”
Jim Paterson has one reason above all others to look forward to playing Gaston. “This is the first show I’ve done that my eight-year-old daughter can actually come and see – and it’s special as we used to play with her Disney dolls a lot and I would often be Gaston getting into various scrapes trying to marry Belle!” he says.
Beauty And The Beast contains Jim’s favourite set of Disney songs. “I can’t wait for us to share the energy of the big chorus numbers like Belle, Be Our Guest and, of course, Gaston,” he says.
What does he enjoy most about performing at the JoRo? “It’s always a delight to step on the stage and see that beautiful auditorium, but what makes it special is the sense of camaraderie among the Joseph Rowntree Theatre Company team, with everyone pitching in and supporting each other,” he says.
Summing up why he loves to perform, Jim says: “Someone once asked a writer why they wrote plays rather than novels and they replied, ‘because I like it when they applaud’. There’s something about spending weeks creating something as a team in rehearsal, then finally putting it in front of an audience and suddenly it’s an entirely different performance because of how their presence and reaction changes how it feels. It’s why live theatre is so special.”
Joseph Rowntree Theatre Company in Disney’s Beauty And The Beast, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, February 4 to 8, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee.Box office: 01904 501935 or josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk.
“There are actually quite a lot of similarities between Belle’s past and my own experiences,” says Jennifer Jones
Joseph Rowntree Theatre Company: the back story
FOUNDED in 2017, the Joseph Rowntree Theatre Company is the JoRo theatre’s official in-house production company, established to help raise funds for the maintenance and development of the Haxby Road theatre, while entertaining audiences with innovative productions of both classic and contemporary musicals.
So far the company has raised more than £23,000 from such shows as The Producers (2018), Kiss Me Kate (2019), Hello, Dolly! (2023) and Curtains (2024).
Rick Wakeman: Caped Crusader heading back to York Barbican. Picture: Lee Wilkinson
RICK Wakeman and the English Rock Ensemble will play York Barbican on the second night of his 14-date autumn tour, The Return Of The Caped Crusader Part 2, on October 14.
Keyboard wizard Wakeman, 75, first teamed up with the ensemble on February 22 and 23 2023 at the London Palladium. The response from fans and critics alike was so enthusiastic that Wakeman decided to take the band on the road for a UK tour, The Return Of The Caped Crusader, in 2024, featuring the second night’s programme, 1974’s Journey To The Centre Of The Earth, combined with a first-half medley of Yes hits.
Pre-tour, he said: “I was amazed to discover that we could have sold the Palladium shows many times over and the clamour for extra shows by fans who missed out was overwhelming.
“Following the great reaction and reviews of the shows, I am really pleased that we can again perform the Classic Yes/Journey To The Centre Of The Earth Palladium programme. Who knows? If these are successful, maybe we can do the Six Wives/King Arthur show at a later date!”
Wakeman played York Barbican on February 24 on an itinerary where the response was rapturous with standing ovations at every show, prompting fans to ask: what about a repeat performance of the first night’s Palladium set list?
“To still be playing both of these suites of music at the age of 76 is another remarkable milestone in my life,” says Rick Wakeman. Picture: Lee Wilkinson
That wish will be granted in October 2025, when Wakeman and his ensemble will perform 1973’s The Six Wives Of Henry VIII and 1975’s The Myths And Legends Of King Arthur And The Knights Of The Round Table.
York Barbican will be the only Yorkshire venue on the October 12 to 29 tour destined for Aylesbury, Liverpool, Glasgow, Gateshead, Manchester, Birmingham, Cambridge, Northampton, Eastbourne, Bournemouth, Torquay, London and Bristol.
Wakeman will be accompanied by the same line-up as in 2024: Dave Colquhoun, guitars and backing vocals, Adam Falkner, drums, Lee Pomeroy, bass and backing vocals, and Adam Wakeman, keyboard, guitars and backing vocals. Mollie Marriott will be lead vocalist, joined by three yet-to-be-announced backing singers.
Wakeman says: “For me, historical events, myths and legends, and great stories, should never have a date stamped on them, as they will be talked about for centuries to come. Henry’s wives and King Arthur are great examples of ‘here forever’.
“Writing music for all these fascinating people was magical and thoroughly enjoyable in every aspect, and so to still be playing both of these suites of music at the age of 76 [his birthday falls on May 18] is also another remarkable milestone in my life.
“With a stunning array of musicianship surrounding me, I only wish I could be in the audience watching and listening, so all those sitting out there will have to do it for me!”
Nina Gilligan: Headlining today’s Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club gig at The Basement
CHEEKY drag fun and games, a dandy giant, outsider art, folk luminaries aplenty and a terpsichorean comedian light up Charles Hutchinson’s early February diary.
Afternoon gig of the week: Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club presents Nina Gilligan, Ryan McDonnell, Adam Anwar and Damion Larkin MC, The Basement, City Screen Picturehouse, York, today, 4pm to 6.30pm, doors 3.30pm
2021 Leicester Mercury Comedy Award winner Nina Gilligan tops this afternoon’s comedy bill with an act described by Scottish culture magazine The Skinny as “a bolshier Mrs Merton”.
Belfast’s Ryan McDonnell interjects wit and Irish charm into his observation of everyday life. “Sometimes bizarre, often dark, he’ll guide you on a unique journey through the world as he sees it,” says master of ceremonies and club promoter Damion Larkin. Third act Adam Anwar’s stand-up material draws on themes of identity, race, and social issues. Box office: lolcomedyclubs.co.uk.
The Isolation Creations: Bingo meets drag in The Old Paint Shop
Looking for an evening of fun, games, bingo and daft prizes with a party atmosphere?Haus Of Games with The Isolation Creations, The Old Paint Shop, York Theatre Royal Studio, tonight, 8pm
CHEEKY comedy drag double act The Isolation Creations host a variety show to leave you blushing, giggling and maybe even holding a “crappy prize or two”. “Don’t come expecting RuPaul’s Drag Race,” they say. “We’re here to remind you that drag can be a bit saucy, rough around the edges and a whole lot of fun! Step into our world where the heels are a bit lower, the banter is a lot cheekier and the wigs have a delightful hint of nostalgia.”
Inspired by Les Dawson, Dame Edna, Dick Emery and Lily Savage, and begun in the pandemic lockdown, Alan and Jamie’s characters embody the spirit of classic British drag. Think of cheeky barmaids, seaside B&B landladies and your Nanna’s gossipy friends. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.
Untitled 7, by Neil Bunting, from Art Of Protest’s Outsider Inside York exhibition
Exhibition of the week: Outsider Inside York – An Exhibition of Words and Pictures, Art of Protest Gallery, Walmgate, York, today until February 16
OUTSIDER Inside York celebrates the diverse voices of five artists who have used creativity to reshape their lives and challenge the status quo, revealing art’s transformative power in overcoming adversity.
Taking part will be Boxxhead, alias York mixed-media artist Kevin McNulty; former British Army soldier and PTSD sufferer Kevin Devenport, who began painting as a form of self-expression while in prison for drug offences; Peter Stapleton, who discovered a gift for painting in oils after 22 years behind bars, and late neurodivergent artist and musician Neil Bunting, who died last year, having struggled with mental health issues and personal loss throughout his life and never exhibiting his work in his lifetime. Their works are complemented by poems by Geoff Beacon, whose latest collection, Foreboding, engages with activism and politics in York.
Meet The Smartest Giant In Town in Little Angel Theatre’s show at the Grand Opera House, York
Comedy gig of the week…and next spring too: Chris McCausland, Yonks!,Grand Opera House, York, Monday (3/2/2025) and May 17 2026
AFTER lifting the glitterball trophy as the ground-breaking first blind contestant on Strictly Come Dancing, Liverpool comedian Chris McCausland returns to his “day job” on his Yonks! tour, now to be extended into 2026. He has added a second York date after selling out the first. Meanwhile, virtuoso ventriloquist Nina Conti’s Whose Face Is It Anyway? show on February 7 has sold out too. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.
Jennifer Jones’s Belle in Joseph Rowntree Theatre Company’s Beauty And The Beast at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre
Fairytale of the week: Joseph Rowntree Theatre Company in Beauty And The Beast, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, February 4 to 8, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee
THE Joseph Rowntree Theatre Company presents the timeless tale of Belle (Jennifer Jones), a young woman in a small provincial town, and the Beast (Adam Gill), a prince trapped under the spell of an enchantress. The Beast must learn to love and be loved in order to break the spell, but time is running out.
Further principal roles in Kathryn Lay’s cast go to Jim Paterson as Gaston; Tom Mennary, Lumiere; Paul Blenkiron, Maurice; Helen Barugh, Madame de la Grande Bouche; Heather Stead, Babette, and Anthony Gardner, Cogsworth. Box office: 01904 501935 or josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk.
Meet The Smartest Giant In Town in Little Angel Theatre’s show at the Grand Opera House, York
Children’s show of the week: Little Angel Theatre in The Smartest Giant In Town, Grand Opera House, York, February 5, 1pm and 4pm, and February 6, 10am and 1pm
GEORGE wishes he were not the scruffiest giant in town. When he sees a new shop selling giant-sized clothes, he adopts a new look: smart trousers, smart shirt, stripy tie, shiny shoes. Now he is the smartest giant in town…until he bumps into some animals that desperately need his help – and his clothes!
So runs Little Angel Theatre’s latest puppet-filled stage adaptation of a typically heart-warming Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler picture-book tale of friendship and helping those in need. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.
The good folk of the Transatlantic Sessions, bound for York Barbican on Wednesday
Folk and Americana gig of the week: Transatlantic Sessions, with Loudon Wainwright III, Julie Fowlis, Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams and Niall McCabe, York Barbican, February 5, doors 7pm
TRANSATLANTIC Sessions 2025 celebrates 30 years since the original television series. Taking to the stage will be the all-star, virtuoso house band, led as ever by Aly Bain and Jerry Douglas, plus guest vocalists Loudon Wainwright III, Julie Fowlis, Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams and Ireland’s Niall McCabe.
Joined by Phil Cunningham, John Doyle, Michael McGoldrick, Tatiana Hargreaves & Allison de Groot, John McCusker, Donald Shaw, James Mackintosh and Daniel Kimbro, they will interweave original material with age-old tunes and songs as they explore shared roots and find new common ground, celebrating the rich musical traditions that connect Scotland, Ireland and the United States. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.
Beverley Beirne: Fronting her trio at The Old Paint Shop on Friday
Jazz gig of the week: The Beverley Beirne Trio, The Old Paint Shop, York Theatre Royal Studio, February 7, 8pm
BEVERLEY Beirne sings songs of hope, passion, of living life to the full, of day dreaming, regret, love lost and love found and ultimately of dancing through the game and rhythm of life from Dream Dancer, long-listed for a Grammy Best Jazz Vocal Album.
Listen out for interpretations of David Bowie’s Let’s Dance, Let’s Face The Music And Dance and a bluesy take on The Clash’s Should I Stay Or Should I Go. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.
Craig David: Parading his singing, MC and DJ skills at Scarborough Open Air Theatre this summer
Gig announcement of the week: Craig David Presents TS5, TK Maxx Presents Scarborough Open Air Theatre, July 19
SOUTHAMPTON rhythm & blues musician Craig David parades his triple threat as singer, MC and DJ at his TS5 party night – patented at his Miami penthouse – on the East Coast this summer. Expect a set combining old skool anthems from R&B to Swing Beat, Garage to Bashment, while merging chart-topping House hits too.
“I cannot wait to bring my TS5 show to Scarborough and the beautiful Yorkshire coast in July,” enthuses David, 43. “2025 is a massive year for me as it’s the 25th anniversary of my debut album [Born To Do It] and my debut number one single (Fill Me In]. What better way to celebrate than bringing the party to Scarborough this summer.” Box office: scarboroughopenairtheatre.com.
In Focus: What’s the line-up for Futuresound Group’s first York Comedy Festival in York Museum Gardens? ADDED ON 3/2/2025
Dara Ó Briain
THE inaugural YorkComedyFestival will take place on Sunday, July 6 in the finale to Futuresound Group’s second season of Live At York Museum Gardens shows.
Irish comedian, broadcaster and writer Dara Ó Briain and Canadian comedian, writer, presenter, actress and singer Katherine Ryan will co-headline the open-air bill of nine acts, also featuring Maisie Adam, Joel Dommett, Clinton Baptiste, Angelos Epithemiou, Vittorio Angelone, Scott Bennett and host Stephen Bailey.
Ó Briain will be playing York for a second time this year: his 2025 tour show Re:Creation is heading for a sell-out at York Barbican on May 14 with tickets on sale at yorkbarbican.co.uk. He hosted 21 series of Mock The Week from 2005 to 2022 among myriad TV appearances on such shows as Have I Got News For You, Robot Wars, Dara And Ed’s Big Adventure, Dara Ó Briain’s Science Club and Three Men In A Boat.
Katherine Ryan
Ryan is a team captain on 8 Out Of 10 Cats and has appeared on Never Mind The Buzzcocks, A League Of Their Own, Mock The Week, Would I Lie to You?, QI, Just A Minute, Safeword and Have I Got News for You.
Maisie Adam, who grew up in Pannal, Harrogate, is an award-winning stand up, podcaster and comedy panellist; whip-smart stand-up, broadcaster and author Joel Dommett hosts ITV’s The Masked Singer.
Also taking part in the first comedy festival in York since Martin Witts’s Great Yorkshire Fringe (2015-2019) will be Phoenix Nights’ resident clairvoyant, Clinton Baptiste; cult surrealist comedian Angelos Epithemiou, from Shooting Stars; Italian-Irish offbeat comic, podcaster and rising star Vittorio Angelone and the brain behind viral hit Stand Up From The Shed, Scott Bennett. Comedian and presenter Stephen Bailey will be on compere duty.
YorkComedyFestivalwill follow Futuresound’s three Museum Gardens concerts, headlined by Elbow on July 3 andNile Rodgers & CHIC on July 4, with one more name to be announced for July 5.
Maisie Adam. Picture: Matt Crockett
Andy Smith, of Futuresound Group, said: “We’re thrilled to be introducing York Comedy Festivalthis July as part of our second series; building on our collaborative offering with a wider variety of entertainment beyond music.
“Our inaugural sell-out concert series last summer gave us the opportunity to see the lasting cultural impact that these large-scale outdoor events have on the city so this year we’re really excited to be bringing world-class comedy to York Museum Gardens alongside some incredible live music”
Richard Saward, head of operations at York Museums Trust, said: “The introduction of a comedy festival as part of Live at York Museum Gardens is a fantastic addition to the programme and York Museums Trust is delighted to be hosting this special evening. We are looking forward to welcoming these amazing comedians to York.”
BINGHAM String Quartet’s programme for tomorrow’s York Late Music concert at the Unitarian Chapel, St Saviourgate, York, will be a tale of two promoters.
The 7.30pm concert at features two first performances: Anthony Adams’s String Quartet No. 2 and Steve Crowther’s String Quartet No. 4 in a celebration not only of two composers but also a friendship spanning more than 40 years of these co-founders of Soundpool and York Late Music.
Here is Anthony Adams’s take on the historical journey, but bear in mind that the story begins in a pub, so perhaps not all details can be guaranteed as factual.
“Soundpool was conceived at a meeting in a pub in York sometime during 1981, between me, Michael Parkin, Ian Taylor and Steve Crowther (still one of the main driving forces behind Late Music), who by that time had met Mike Parkin and was a student of his,” recalls Anthony.
“Soundpool was initially conceived as a vehicle for the performance of our work and for the promotion of contemporary music in general. We planned to form ensembles using York musicians, most of whom at that time we did not know and had not met.”
These included Barry Russell and Nick Williams (composers, conductors), Edwina Smith (flute), Tim Brooks (trombone and piano), Christopher Fox (composer, conductor), Tom Endrich (composer, conductor), Amanda Crawley (soprano) and Barrie Webb (trombone, conductor). Ian Taylor was a regular on both classical and electric guitar too.
York Late Music administrator and composer Steve Crowther: Premiering his String Quartet No. 4 at the Unitarian Chapel, St Saviourgate, York, tomorrow
“In 1991, Tony and Mike Parkin decided they had taken Soundpool as far as they could and invited Steve Crowther and David Power to take the project forward. In 1995, at the suggestion of Martin Pople at York Arts Centre, it was renamed Late Music. And there we have it.”
Adams’s 15-minute String Quartet No. 2 falls roughly into two parts. “The first part is constructed of many overlapping layers,” he says. “The second half is compositionally simpler, acting as a ‘foil’ to the first half, in some ways a second movement, a long-drawn-out coda.”
Crowther’s String Quartet No. 4 has the dedication “Slava Ukraini!”, which has been a “symbol of Ukrainian sovereignty and resistance … since 2018” (Wikipedia).
“This is the subjective, political driver of the piece, a response to Putin’s barbaric land grab,” says Steve. “The abstract narrative, however, is a soundscape of fast musical moments, often repeated, the potential energy of the work, and release, the kinetic.
“Counterpoint in the form of canonic dialogue can be heard throughout the one-movement piece. Yet there is song, and harmony in the form of symmetry.”
Haydn’s String Quartet in F, Op.77 No.2 and Philip Glass’s String Quartet No.3, Mishima, book-end the two world premieres to complete a hopefully innovative programme.
Mishima was written in 1985 for the soundtrack to the film Mishima – A Life In Four Chapter, a biopic about the life of Yukio Mishima (1925-1970), a quirky Japanese author, poet, playwright, actor and model, who attempted a coup and committed ritual suicide by seppuku in 1970.
Steve Bingham will give a pre-concert talk at 6.45pm with a complimentary glass of wine or juice for all attendees. Box office: latemusic.org/product/bingham-string-quartet-tickets-1-feb-2025 or on the door.
Anthony Adams: the back story
Composer Anthony Adams: World premiere of his new work String Quartet No. 2 at the Unitarian Chapel tomorrow
IN an attempt to address the existential questions of “Why are we here? What is the meaning of it all?”, composer Anthony Adams was drawn to science, studying Biochemistry and Bacteriology at Liverpool University.
He and fellow student Tom Burke (later director of Friends of the Earth and other environmental organisations) found common purpose in philosophy.
Disillusion with science resulted, eventually, in a rejection of academic study at Liverpool and, during five years working as a bus conductor and driver, Adams resumed his piano studies and developed a consuming interest in music. He then enrolled at Bangor University to study music composition.
“By the time I went to Bangor, I already had quite a strong background in music and had made many compositional attempts,” he says. “I was totally ready for William Mathias’s composition teaching methods.
“He would usually analyse a piece of music at the piano, discussing it with us as he went along, which I found an ideal way to learn as I already had an extensive background in many genres and periods of music.
“He would then set us a compositional task to be completed in a week. That discipline I found really helpful. Concurrently with weekly composition lessons, there were weekly lectures on 20th century music with Jeffrey Lewis.
“These were seriously helpful, as Jeffrey was also a composer and had an extensive knowledge of current trends in contemporary music as well as a deep knowledge of the music of the first half of the 20th century.”
Adams met fellow composers Michael Parkin and Ian Taylor and, along with lecturers John Hywel and Jeffrey Lewis, formed a strong bond of friendship.
As a composer, Adams flourished in this supportive and creative environment. Notable works written at this time were: La Morte Meditata for Soprano and Orchestra (1976); a large ensemble piece Changes, Modes And Interludes (1977) and The Closing Of Autumn for String Quartet and Soprano (1980).
He moved to York in early 1981, meeting up again with Michael Parkin and Ian Taylor. However, at university there had been plenty of opportunities for performance and those did not now exist. They decided to create an organisation to address this need. Soundpool was duly born.
In 1984, as part of that year’s York Festival, Soundpool staged its last completely “homegrown” concert, an evening of music theatre, comprising Cheap Tricks by Michael Parkin and Adams’s Mishima: Part One, as well as a work by Christopher Fox and one or two other pieces. Many weeks of rehearsals were held with a considerable number of performers. “It was quite an achievement for all involved and the whole evening was a success,” he says.
An abstract artwork by composer Anthony Adams
“Over the next few years, I recall some memorable concerts: the Delta Saxophone Quartet, and Michael Nyman and Alexander Balanescu (violin) with an evening of Nyman’s music (mainly from The Draughtsman’s Contract) among them. This latter was, at the time, the best attended concert that Soundpool had promoted.
“Three other short-lived ensembles were formed in the mid-1980s as spin-offs from Soundpool and gave performances at Soundpool concerts and elsewhere: Commedia (flute, trombone, cello, dancer), Ancient Voices and Firebird.
“Barrie Webb (still on the staff at the University of York as a trombone teacher) was involved in Commedia (trombone) and Firebird (conductor). Alan Hacker and Karen Evans were involved in Ancient Voices.”
During the Soundpool years in the 1980s, Adams wrote mainly for small and medium-sized ensembles. Notable pieces included Six Winter Haiku (soprano and ensemble); Nine Summer Haiku (soprano, flute, guitar); The Reflective Mirror (clarinet and piano); 2 + 2 for saxophone quartet; Five Pictures (large ensemble) and Arabesque (large ensemble).
During the mid-1980s he started drawing and painting and Five Pictures (1986) was a musical response to coloured drawings he had done.
In 1991, Tony and Mike Parkin decided they had taken Soundpool as far as they could as invited Steve Crowther and David Power to take the project forward. In 1995, at the suggestion of Martin Pople at the York Arts Centre, it was renamed Late Music.
By 1992 Adams had divorced and remarried. He had two teenage children, a baby, and the responsibility for three other children under ten. That did not leave much time for composing, although in the 1990s he wrote two more pieces: Dace, a celebration of the birth of his third child, Candace (1993); and Lewis, solo violin (1994). Both works were commissioned by Late Music and premiered as part of the Late Music Festival.
In 2011 he started to think more again about composition and over the next three years produced 40 electronic works totalling around 30 hours of music. “Apart from exploring a new sound world, I used them to investigate ways of structuring compositions which were very difficult using conventional instruments, especially in small ensembles – in particular working in ‘layers’.”
“The 2nd String Quartet was begun at the close of this period of creating electronic works, sometime in 2014. I started it with the idea that the material would be manipulated electronically as in the works of the previous period,” he says.
“However, possibly because I had exhausted my interest in electronics at that point, nothing came of what I had started, and it was abandoned for a couple of years. After writing a set of piano studies in about 2017, I had the idea that the string quartet material could be turned into a piano piece and I spent about three years, on and off, working at that.
“By 2020, it was obvious that that wasn’t going to work, and I returned to the idea of a string quartet, this time without any electronic input. Without any pressure to finish it and with no performance in view, I worked on it for about three years until I was satisfied with it; it was finished in early 2024.”
Tomorrow, the world premiere will be performed by the Bingham String Quartet.
