Dusk through the tent: North York Moors Chamber Music Festival. Picture: Matthew Johnson
IN its 17th year, the North York Moors Chamber Music Festival returns next month with a programme designed to mirror the 14-line structure of a sonnet.
Fourteen concerts will take place from August 10 to August 23, guiding audiences through a pagan year with its unfolding seasons, solstices and equinoxes.
The four elements – Fire, Air, Water and Earth – will be explored through the lens of TS Eliot’s Four Quartets and staged in four historic moorland churches: St Hilda’s, Danby; St Hedda’s, Egton Bridge; St Michael’s, Coxwold, and St Mary’s, Lastingham.
Sonnet: The theme for the 2025 North York Moors Chamber Music Festival
The remaining ten concerts will be held in an acoustically treated venue in the grounds of Welburn Manor, near Kirkbymoorside.
Festival curator and internationally renowned cellist Jamie Walton says: “This year’s festival, Sonnet, celebrates the art of collaboration in awe-inspiring settings, taking audiences on a musical quest through interwoven themes within a central storyline.
“Each concert is titled after a celebrated poem alongside music that reflects the time of year, guiding us through the 12 months, with the Summer Solstice as our opening and closing landmark.
Cellist Jamie Walton: Curator of the North York Moors Chamber Music Festival
“The festival promises to be another exhilarating and thought-provoking experience, and we hope you will join us as we explore the pagan cycle of the year.”
Combining moorland churches with the Welburn Manor acoustically designed venue – an innovation introduced in 2020 to allow the festival to continue despite the pandemic – has proven to be a popular formula for the festival, attracting international artists, many of whom commit to the entire fortnight by taking up residencies.
This year, these will include violinists Alena Baeva, Benjamin Baker, Emma Parker, Oliver Heath, Charlotte Scott and Victoria Sayles; viola players Simone Gramaglia, Simone van der Giessen and Gary Pomeroy; cellists Rebecca Gilliver, Tim Posner and Jamie Walton; double bass player Will Duerden; pianists Katya Apekisheva, Joseph Havlat, Daniel Lebhardt, Anna Tibrook and Huw Watkins and harpsichordist David Gerrard.
Taking part too will be tenor James Gilchrist; clarinettists Julian Bliss and Matthew Hunt; French horn player Ben Goldscheider; flautist Silvija Ščerbavičiūtė and harpist Celine Souat. Completing the line-up will be The Waldstein Trio.
Jamie Walton says: “Many of our artists return every year, embracing residencies and immersing themselves in the festival as a creative retreat. This camaraderie allows the freedom to rehearse in a relaxed setting, forming ensembles that bring fresh interpretations to the repertoire, inspired by the landscape, the people and the atmosphere.”
Tickets for individual concerts are £18; a season ticket for all 14 costs £190. As ever, under-30s gain free entry to any of the concerts. To book, email bookings@northyorkmoorsfestival.com, call 07722 038990 or visit northyorkmoorsfestival.com.
For the full festival programme, head to northyorkmoorsfestival.com.
Violinist Alena Baeva playing at the 2024 North York Moors Chamber Music Festival. Picture: Matthew Johnson