Tag: University of York

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REVIEW: Steve Crowther’s verdict on Clare Hammond, Sir Jack Lyons Concert Hall, University of York, 23/10/2024

Clare Hammond: “Emotional control: nothing showy, flashy”

I THINK  I should preface this review with a huge sense of gratitude to French musicologist Jérome Dorvial, who discovered and researched the music of composer Hélène de Montgeroult and introduced this remarkable body of work to pianist Clare Hammond.

Hélène de Montgeroult has a quite remarkable CV: an aristocrat who married a Marquis, carried out secret diplomatic missions to London, was arrested but kept her head by improvising an emotional set of variations on the Marseillaise. De Montgeroult was a radical and this was very evident in the advanced language and Romantic style of these studies.

The first study (No. 62) sounded Chopin-esque – a  beautiful right-hand melody crossing over a rippling accompaniment, almost like a love duet. The sensitivity of Ms Hammond’s playing was exemplary.

No. 67 had echoes of Mendelssohn’s Songs without words. The swirling accompaniment feature was still present, but the soaring melodies were more animated. No. 104 was characterised by quickly articulated, rhythmically driven playing. To be sure, these works are pedagogical, but they are musical gems first and foremost.

No. 110 and back to Chopin. The shaping of the gorgeously ornamented bel canto melody was sublime. In No. 111 it was Schubert, for me anyway. Forceful, driving and a great way to sign off.

Dorvial described de Montgeroult as the “missing link between Mozart & Chopin”, and listening to this insightful performance of the studies, it is hard not to see why.

Despite declaring that she “once felt the soul of Beethoven in Bonn”, Cécile Chaminade’s music positively eschews any radical trends. She said of Debussy that “his music is to my ears . . . well, grey, a bit grey”. And yet I did feel the soul of Debussy in the opening Impromptu Op. 35, No.5.

And, when performed as wonderfully as this, I am sure he’d have been as thrilled as myself. The Etude Romantique, Op. 132 was a delightful rollercoaster ride full of joy and dazzling brilliance.

Here the influence of Chopin was so palpable, it could have been an homage to the great man, but I also heard a snapshot of Wouldn’t It Be Loverly? from My Fair Lady. Maybe.

What struck me when listening to Ms Hammond’s performance of the two Fauré Nocturnes was how technically demanding they are. In the Nocturne No. 8 in Db major the rhapsodic melody sang quite seamlessly in and out of all three registers, producing a gentle but intriguing experience.

The opening Nocturne No. 12 in E minor could not have been more different. Talk about the cry of a tortured soul, this was it. But you cannot have the dark – the anxiety was palpable – without the light, a sensual, rich-flowing tenderness, and, mercifully, Clare Hammond’s interpretation expressed both.

I have never heard Beethoven’s Sonata in C# minor, Op. 27, No.2 (“Moonlight”) live and Ms Hammond’s performance was just remarkable. It is easy to forget how radical the first movement is. It completely turns expectations, the laws of thermo-driven dramatic precedents, on their head.

We still get the same structural blueprint, but it is transformed into a Zen-like meditation. The playing was hypnotic and the thread mercifully maintained through the diminished 7th chords to the close.

The second movement Allegretto, which Liszt christened “a flower between two chasms”, was charm personified; the music danced. Ms Hammond’s adherence to Beethoven’s dynamic and articulation markings were integral to this. The syncopated rhythms of the Trio delivered contrast rather than any dramatic intent.

This, of course, belongs to the blistering helter-skelter drive of the closing Presto agitato with its now familiar sudden dynamic and expressive gear shifts. What really struck me here was the emotional control: nothing showy, flashy. There was an understated control.

The performance as a whole, and this final movement in particular, reminded me of the great Richard Goode’s approach to the Beethoven Sonatas. The youthful exuberance of the opening Allegro con spirito of Mozart’s Sonata in D, K. 311 was brilliantly refreshing.

Clare Hammond: “Evoking the musical imagery of a storm”

The playing was crystal-clear with the dynamic shaping of the driving semiquaver passages and the tapering-off of the musical phrases impeccably nuanced: a distinctive feature of the recital as a whole.

The central G major Andantino con espressione was just lovely: delicate with a dream-like quality. The longer Rondeau: Allegro returns to the exuberance of the opening movement. The young Mozart’s evolving powers of expression are evident here, as are the characteristics of the Mannheim style of composition: sharp dynamic and textural contrasts. The playing had a natural, instinctive flow; it oozed panache.

I was really struck by Clare Hammond’s performance of Clara Schumann’s Drei Romanzen, Op.21. They really are standout pieces; wonderfully crafted miniatures with a depth suggesting a larger canvas.

The influence of Brahms was obvious, particularly in the opening Andante with its ‘sombre Brahmsian melody’. By contrast, the short Allegretto: Sehr zart zu spielen did indeed bring out the delicate, playful nature of the ‘light-hearted semiquavers’. The closing Agitato proved to be a quite an energetic signing off. Impressive piece, impressive performance.

Then, out of nowhere, American composer Jeffrey Mumford dropped in to say hello. I really like Jeffrey Mumford, who says: “Being a black composer is itself a very subversive act because you offend both sides.” And I really like his music. The compositions invariably have beautiful aphoristic titles – such as tonight’s Of Ringing And Layered Space.

Clare Hammond performed the first of these five movements, Jenny – for pianist Jenny Lin, which delivered a static, dream-like atmosphere. Yes it was (quite) complex and modern – whatever that means now, but seductive and very accessible.

The recital closed with another set of five studies: Chopin’s Etudes, Op. 25, Nos. 1, 2, 4, 11 and 12. No.1 (‘Pollini’) is a study focusing on arpeggios and tone colour. Ms Hammond’s light-touch legato playing was, unsurprisingly, impeccable – the beautiful right-hand melody singing out of and with this gorgeous accompaniment.

No. 2 (‘The Bees’) came across buzzing with a continuous stream of rhythmic cross-accents – right-hand  quaver triplets counterpointed with left-hand crotchet triplets and syncopation to great effect. The moto perpetuo legato playing, with very little pedal support, was flawless.

No. 4 (‘Paganini’) came across as delightfully quirky: left-hand leaping staccato quavers accompaniy the right-hand singing melody. In No. 11 (‘Winter Wind’) the lefthand was dominated by a dotted rhythm march with the right hand chromatically covering much of the piano keyboard. This was, amongst other things, an exercise in sheer stamina. It also (surely) referenced the famous Revolutionary Study.

The set and programme ended with the seriously challenging study No. 12 (‘Ocean’). As with No. 2, we heard cross-rhythms, syncopation, loud, dramatic sforzando accents. It came across as also richly contrapuntal.

Clare Hammond’s playing did indeed evoke the musical imagery of a storm, the pianist clearly relishing the unrelenting, almost elemental nature of this remarkable study.

Review by Steve Crowther

A footnote:

WE know that Liszt was a dedicated lover who had many relationships. We know he was attracted to Chopin’s lover, Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupin de Francueil, aka George Sand, which never bodes well. We know that Chopin had dedicated these Op. 25 Etudes to Franz Liszt’s mistress, Marie d’Agoult. And, after having just listened to Ms Hammond’s tortuous, passionate performance of the final C minor Etude, “the key of pathos”, I think I can see why.

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REVIEW: York Shakespeare Project in The Two Gentlemen Of Verona, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York ***1/2

Effie Warboys’ Silvia, Nick Patrick Jones’s Proteus, right, and Thomas Jennings’s Valentine in York Shakespeare Project’s The Two Gentlemen Of Verona. Picture: John Saunders

AMERICAN writer, director, performer and teaching artist Tempest Wisdom [they/them] headed to York to pursue a Masters degree in theatre-making at the University of York in 2021.

Itinerant from the days of their father serving in the Marine Corps., always moving every couple of years, like so many before  however, once here they never left, first setting up York’s variation on Seattle’s Bard in a Bar, the Shakespeare karaoke night Bard at the Bar in The Den at  Micklegate Social.

Now, after directing Anorak in Next Door But One’s Yorkshire Trios in the Theatre Royal Studio earlier this year, Tempest is at the helm of York Shakespeare Project for the first time for the rarely performed  The Two Gentlemen Of Verona: “possibly the first play Shakespeare ever wrote and certainly the only one with a part for a canine,” they say.

Tempest has re-set Shakespeare’s 1593 comedy of cross-dressing, mistaken identity and courtly love as a play within a play, staged by Monkgate Music Hall, “a bawdy, raucous place” peopled by a host of Victorian variety acts.

Liz Quinlan’s sharp-shooting Speed, left, and Lara Stafford’s comedy act Launce. Picture: John Saunders

On the piano throughout is musical director Stuart Lindsay in a dapper waistcoat beneath a luxuriant moustache. On the piano too is a portrait of Queen Victoria, her face as “not amused” as ever. Determined to amuse, however, is Jodie Mulliah’s Chairwoman. No stranger to steering talent in the right direction as a secondary school drama teacher, she keeps her gavel busy in introducing act after act.

Their task is to deliver both their speciality act and lines of Shakespeare’s text, be it the North America golden gunslinger Speed (multi-disciplinary theatre-artist-turned scientist Liz Quinlan, in her YSP debut and first theatrical adventure for seven years), or Lara Stafford’s Launce in a comedy double act with canine companion Crab (a wooden puppet handled with the aid of a drawer handle on its besuited back by puppeteer Wilf Tomlinson).

Stuart Green, who returned to the stage after 35 years last year as The Torturer in York Theatre Royal’s community play Sovereign, has particular fun sending up furniture-chewing acting skills as the pompous Antonio. Forever looking for his Hamlet, his performance appears to be torn from Michael Green’s book The Art Of Coarse Acting.

For “proper” acting, look no further than Mark Payton’s Duke of Milan. Once part of Riding Lights Theatre Company before becoming an English teacher, he is belatedly treading the boards anew, every last vowel the thespian in resonance and intonation.

Dapper pianist Stuart Lindsay and the portrait of Queen Victoria in the Monkgate Music Hall. Picture: John Saunders

The sparring of Charlie Barrs’ Panthino and Four Wheel Drive director Anna Gallon’s Lucetta and later the antics of the Outlaws (Pearl Mollison, K Maneerot and Celeste North Finocchi) add to the merriment and mayhem.

What of the ‘Two Gents’, you ask. Ah yes, there’s the play. Step forward, in dapper straw hats and clowns’ rouge cheeks, the gentlemanly, but not very gentlemanly, all too arrogant and deceitful Proteus (Nick Patrick Jones) and Valentine (Thomas Jennings), not born a gentleman, but definitely as romantic as his name.

Proteus should be focusing on love-struck Julia (Lily Geering) but has his wandering eye on his friend Valentine’s secret love, Silvia (Effie Warboys), who the Duke of Milan has earmarked for the socially superior but unctuous Thurio (Charlie Spencer in circus ringmaster attire). 

Jones’s programme profile speaks of having “no experience of music hall or vaudeville, but in many ways his whole life is an extended Buster Keaton routine”. As it happens,  it is Jennings who reminds you more of the “Great Stone Face” of American silent cinema, but Jones is suitably duplicitous, dark beneath the light air.

Warboys, one of the best discoveries of York Shakespeare Project’s recent years and now studying for a Masters at the Shakespeare Institute, gives her best performance yet as Silvia. As a bonus, she returns to her musical roots to reveal a delightful singing voice in The Lass Of Richmond Hill.

Tempest Wisdom: Directing York Shakespeare Project for the first time

Geering is in fine form too, righteous in Julia’s indignation at Proteus’s deceptions, but canny, mischievous and nimble when taking on a disguise.

Jonathan Cook gives the requisite strong performance as the strongman variety act (Sir Eglamour) in a show full of such cameos, but amid so much physical comedy and clowning, with bursts of song too (Champagne Charlie et al), Tempest ensures Shakespeare’s expose of bad behaviour still hits home

Tempest’s cast makes use not only of Vivian Wilson’s set design but the stairs, doorways and mezzanine level too for a frantic climactic chase around the auditorium in Benny Hill style. Make that chase after breathless chase. Everyone then assembles, like a baying public gallery, to see Proteus being put in his place: wiping the smile off comedy’s face, if only briefly.

Shakespeare’s plays have a habit of running to three hours, and this production is no different, but comedies would always benefit from a shorter running time, for all the fast pace here.

Tempest Wisdom’s show, however, is full of original ideas, bags of energy, not-so-courtly romance, topical sexual politics, music hall ribaldry and slapstick aplenty.

York Shakespeare Project in The Two Gentlemen Of Verona, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, tonight at 7.30pm; tomorrow, 2.30pm and 7.30pm. Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk. 

Nick Patrick Jones’s Proteus and Lily Geering’s Julia in disguise in The Two Gentlemen Of Verona. Picture: John Saunders
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Tempest Wisdom turns York Shakespeare Project’s ‘Two Gents’ into Victorian music hall with scene-stealing dog at Theatre@41

Puppeteer Wilf Tomlinson and a bare-footed Lara Stafford (Launce) in rehearsal for York Shakespeare Project’s The Two Gentlemen Of Verona. Picture: Tony Froud

WHAT can a dog puppet do that a human can’t? Find out in York Shakespeare Project’s  The Two Gentlemen Of Verona at Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, from tomorrow to Saturday.

‘Two Gents’ is possibly the first play Shakespeare ever wrote and certainly the only one with a part for a canine.

Settling into a mission to bring all Shakespeare’s plays to York on a second cycle, these facts could have presented YSP with some interesting challenges. Luckily YSP found a director eager to deliver a fascinating take on this 1593 comedy.

Originally from the United States of America, Tempest Wisdom studied theatre at the University of Chicago before pursuing a Masters degree in theatre-making at the University of York.

Already making their mark on the York theatre scene as the creator and host of the bi-monthly Bard at the Bar, a Shakespeare karaoke night at Micklegate Social, now Tempest is bringing their enthusiasm and talent to YSP’s autumn production.

“I’m setting The Two Gentlemen Of Verona in a Victorian music hall,” says Tempest. “A bawdy, raucous place where a host of variety acts will come together to stage the play.”

Theatre@41 will be transformed for the occasion, giving cast members  the exciting challenge of becoming variety performers, each delivering their special act as well as lines from Shakespeare’s play, including Launce with his performing dog, Crab.

Nick Patrick Jones’s Proteus and Mark Payton’s Duke Of Milan in the rehearsal room. Picture: John Saunders

“The play-within-a-play structure combines Shakespeare’s signature wit with the razzle-dazzle and slapstick of an evening of variety,” says YSP chair Tony Froud. “A live pianist will add to the Victorian feel of the evening; Shakespeare’s characters will seamlessly rub shoulders with classic music-hall songs, such as Champagne Charlie and The Lass Of Richmond Hill, as the newly assembled company of knife throwers, strongmen, musicians and comedians pool their skills to bring together this rarely-performed comedy.”

Tempest explains the rationale behind the music-hall setting. “Two Gentlemen is one of Shakespeare’s earliest works, and you can already see the characteristic zaniness of his comedies beginning to take shape: cross-dressing, love songs, ribald humour.

“In my opinion, the best Shakespeare productions use their setting to complement the themes and tone of the text, and I thought a music hall, with its quick pace, slapstick and bawdiness, would be the best way to bring that zaniness to its full potential.”

The Two Gentlemen Of Verona is known by some as the play enjoyed by Dame Judi Dench’s Elizabeth I in the 1998 film Shakespeare In Love. The Queen is particularly taken by the performing dog, Crab, who, in time honoured fashion, outshines the actors.

The appearance of a dog is one of the most famous features of the play. In YSP’s production, Crab will be a puppet, built and brought to life by the capable hands of York theatre-maker and puppeteer Wilf Tomlinson.

“Working with Wilf is a joy,” says YSP cast regular, Lara Stafford, who plays Crab’s owner, Launce. “Crab might not have any lines but he’s got a huge presence; it’s a complete double act, and we’re having a great time in rehearsal. There are a lot of things human actors aren’t allowed to do that dog puppets can get away with. It’s going to be very funny.”

In the spotlight: director Tempest Wisdom

Tempest Wisdom

Where are you from?

“My answer changes depending on how much time you have! My father served in the Marine Corps through the entirety of my childhood, so I had a typical ‘military brat’ upbringing, moving across the world every couple of years.

“To this day, I haven’t lived anywhere longer than four years, and that was an anomaly. That’s all going to change, though: rehearsals for this production began on my third Moving-To-York anniversary, and if I have my way, I’ll be sticking around for several more.”

Where did you study and what part did Shakespeare play in your education?

“I went to school at the University of Chicago, where I had the honour of studying with the Shakespeare scholar David Bevington. He came to every production the Shakespeare troupe on campus ever put on, and would host a wine-and-cheese dramaturgy night at his home for the team.

“One of the highest compliments I have ever received was from him, when I played Antipholus & Antipholus in a vaudeville production of The Comedy of Errors (from which I have stolen shamelessly for Two Gents. If by any chance the director of that show ever reads this article: hello, Jacob, I’m not sorry!)

“Professor Bevington came up to me afterwards and told me it was one of his favourite student productions he’d ever seen. There are many people back in the States that I wish could see this show, and he is foremost among them.

“More recently, I received my Masters in Theatre-Making from the University of York.”

York Shakespeare Project’s poster for The Two Gentlemen Of Verona at Theatre@41, Monkgate, York

What first drew you to performing and now directing Shakespeare? 

“I’ve been performing and studying Shakespeare since I was 11 years old, when I was cast in a bit part in a school production of Romeo & Juliet. I was given the iconic ‘Do you bite your thumb at me, sir?’ line in Act I, Scene I… and I completely flubbed it!

“To me, the fun of directing Shakespeare in particular, and really any exciting script, is in the storytelling. These are densely packed texts on both the macro and micro level, and it’s my job as director to puzzle out how to unpack as much as possible, to use the mechanics of the stage to reveal, highlight, comment or inflect.

“In many ways it’s the same with clowning: the challenge is to tell a story to the audience as clearly as possible. In this case, the text and the clowning have brought out the best in each other. I find that happens very often with Shakespeare: the man knew how to write for clowns!”

What gave you the idea to give Two Gents a Victorian variety act/music hall setting?

“Like I said, I think a strong sense of physical comedy and clown in a performance of Shakespeare really allows the text to sing. In this case, I mean that literally: this performance features a poem from the text set to original music composed by our music director, Stuart Lindsay.

Charlie Spencer’s Thurio, left, and Nick Patrick Jones’s Proteus in the rehearsal room at Theatre@41, Monkgate, York. Picture: John Saunders

“So, clown was my first port of call when thinking about staging Two Gents. In terms of the music hall specifically, this play features such a zany cast of characters, many of whom only show up for a scene or two, and I wanted to highlight each and every one of them as a series of variety acts.

“There are plenty of interesting thematic resonances between this setting and the text, particularly when it comes to the sexual politics of 16th-century courtly romance and the prudishness for which the Victorians are known; the ideas Shakespeare is exploring around the construction of a public persona and the codification of celebrity that occurred in large part as a result of the national popularity of the music hall, and the evolving social codes around how women were allowed to exist in public.

“But to be completely honest with you, the primary thought that went into the choice was ‘how much fun would it be if…?’

“And, not to spoil anything, but the play-within-a-play framework gives us leeway to question and push back against some assumptions that Shakespeare’s text makes.”

How would you describe an evening at Bard at the Bar to the uninitiated?

“I need to start by saying that Bard at the Bar was not my idea. I lived in Seattle before I came here, where Bard in a Bar was my absolute favourite social event. When I left, I missed it so terribly, and I felt so strongly that York would love this sort of thing that I sought the blessing of the creator, Anthea Carns, to bring it with me.

“Bard at the Bar is Shakespeare, ‘karaoke’ style. What that means is I choose a play and pick out a couple key scenes, which are then performed sight-unseen by volunteers on the night.

“Everyone has a script in one hand, a drink in the other, and mischief on the brain. Recently we’ve had a love sonnet performed to a dog, a fight involving a chair being thrown (a stage fight, of course, not a real one), an a cappella rendition of Tom Jones’s It’s Not Unusual, and lots and lots of dirty jokes.

“It takes place on the last Sunday of every other month in The Den at the Micklegate Social, and both lovers of Shakespeare and those completely unfamiliar with his work have told me how much fun it is.

“I unfortunately had to cancel the last one because I caught Covid, but I’m pleased to announce that we are back on for November 24 (7pm), when we’ll be doing ‘The Scottish Play’ [Macbeth]. The best place for updates on that project is @bardatthebar_york on instagram and eventbrite.”

Who’s in the York Shakespeare Project cast for ‘Two Gents’?

Effie Warboys’ Silvia and Pearl Mollison’s Outlaw mid-rehearsal. Picture: John Saunders

Proteus:   Nick Patrick Jones

Valentine: Thomas Jennings

Silvia: Effie Warboys

Julia: Lily Geering

Chairwoman:  Jodie Mulliah

Pianist:  Stuart Lindsay

Panthino:  Charlie Barrs

Speed:  Liz Quinlan

Launce : Lara Stafford

Crab:  Wilf Tomlinson

The Duke of Milan: Mark Payton

Thurio:  Charlie Spencer

Antonio:  Stuart Green

Lucetta: Anna Gallon

Sir Eglamour: Jonathan Cook

The Outlaws:  Pearl Mollison, Kay Maneerot and  Celeste North Finocchi

York Shakespeare Project in The Two Gentlemen Of Verona,  Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, Tuesday (cut-price preview) to Saturday,  7.30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee. Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk. “Book now for the event of the 19th century!” says Tempest.

Mark Payton’s Duke of Milan, left, and Charlie Spencer’s Thurio. Picture: John Saunders
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REVIEW: Steve Crowther’s verdict on Duo Pleyel – Richard Egarr and Alexandra Nepomnyashchaya, 9/10/2024

Duo Pleyel: Richard Egarr and Alexandra Nepomnyashchaya

Duo Pleyel – Richard Egarr and Alexandra Nepomnyashchaya (fortepiano), Mozart’s Real Musical Father, Sir Jack Lyons Concert Hall, University of York

I THOUGHT Duo Pleyel’s programme title, Mozart’s Real Musical Father, was a bit of a stretch, but it turned out to be an inspired one.

The pieces in the programme were composed between 1772 and 1786 and showcase the early developmental years of the piano duet, as well as musically documenting the unlikely, or rather, little known, friendship between Mozart and JC Bach [German composer Johann Christian Bach, youngest son of Johann Sebastian Bach].

Bach was a major composer at this time and clearly a major influence on the young Mozart, but his music seems to have been relegated to the second division by both history and fashion. So the chance to hear these two sonatas was very welcome and illuminating.

Both performances displayed the relative simplicity, elegance and immediacy we expect from the reactionary style galant, a modern style that gives primacy on melody and harmony overcomplex counterpoint. But the works were very different in character.

The Sonata in F, op 18, no.6 was indeed “full of unbridled fun and playful virtuosity”. The music positively zipped along with the players knocking ideas back and forth; the communication between the two came across as simply instinctive. A real feature throughout the concert performance.

It was also inspired, resulting in creative decorative enrichment and even ‘unwritten’ cadenzas. Was this genuinely an in-the-moment thing? I don’t know, but it sounded like it.

Having said that, I actually preferred the Sonata in A, op 18, no.5. It just radiated with tenderness. And who wouldn’t be seduced by those gorgeous extended cadences.

The concert opened with Mozart’s early Sonata in D K.381. What struck me here was the dramatic exploitation of the contrasting register and dynamics. It was almost symphonic – loud ‘orchestral’ tuttis etc. But then Mozart was not only an instinctive ‘operatic’ composer, it was also in his DNA.

Richard Egarr is not only an exceptional musician, he is also an excellent communicator, albeit a slightly whacky one. A self-confessed Trekkie, who performs regularly “all over the planet”, presumably Earth, he engages with the audience in a singularly unique manner.

There was an early window (after the Mozart) into the pedalling on this distinguished 1848 Pleyel piano with a parallel drawn with the state-of-the-art IPhone16. He even threw in a reference to Karl Marx just for good measure.

I suppose the standout performance must have been Mozart’s Variations in G, K 501. The theme had echoes of The Magic Flute; the ‘miserable’ 4th variation was so engaging with heartfelt, touching exchanges.

But it was the signing off – the incredible use of the piano’s sordino lever, leaving the music disappearing into the mist – that was so telling. Haunting and quite magical. As indeed, was the playing in the Adagio of the Sonata in Bb, K. 358 where it just melted into the ears.

The musical chemistry between Richard Egarr and Alexandra Nepomnyashchaya was palpable and the concert performance sounded like a shared intimacy. This was further enhanced by the natural charm and communicative skills of Mr Egarr himself, who included the audience as a genuine part of the concert experience.

Review by Steve Crowther

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How might a greener Piccadilly look in a ‘sustainable future’? Find out in this weekend’s exhibition at Spark:York

Christopher West and his six-year-old son, Edison, who are both participating in Spark: York’s Envisioning A Greener Piccadilly art competition

SPARK: York is hosting an art exhibition on Saturday and Sunday with a focus on Envisioning A Greener Piccadilly: Ideas For A Sustainable Future in the city centre.

The creative community venue, in Piccadilly, York, asked artists to respond to this theme with the aim of “cultivating community engagement and starting a dialogue about how the neighbourhood can evolve to better serve both the residents of today and future generations”.

This year’s exhibition builds on the success of last year’s competition at Spark, where participants imagined York in 100 years’ time and created a time capsule for the people of York in 2050, aligning with the United Kingdom’s net-zero target.

The time capsule is stored at the University of York’s Borthwick Institute and is registered officially with the Time Capsule Society in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

Spark: York wants to “curate creativity and encourage visionary ideas for a more sustainable central street in York, especially in light of the significant developmental changes under way”. Sixteen artists have submitted work to the 2024 event, showcasing a diverse range of concepts, from lush green spaces teeming with wildlife to socially minded community areas and cutting-edge eco-tech solutions.

How will Piccadilly look in a greener future?

Various media will be showcased including watercolour, acrylics, lino print, digital art and mixed-media collages using natural and recycled materials. Submissions were made in two age categories: under 15 and 15+, highlighting collaborative efforts between parents and children, as well as contributions from artists across the region, including Leeds and Tadcaster.

The entries were evaluated carefully by an expert panel of Spark’s resident artists, including Leon François Dumont, Jessica Mallorie and Kat Olsson.

Leon said: “The judging panel were thrilled to see such imaginative entries. The artworks ranged from full street plans for a greener city, to abstract shapes and colours representing the moods and sensations residents might experience in a future Piccadilly, interconnected with nature. We’re excited for York to see them all exhibited together, to start conversations on a green makeover for the city.”

Envisioning A Greener Piccadilly: Ideas For A Sustainable Future, on show at Upstairs SHOW space, Spark: York, Piccadilly York, August 31 and September 1, 12 noon to 10pm. Entry is free and everyone is invited.

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Next Door But One takes next steps to help creative talent with The Producing Hub

Next Door But One’s leadership team: creative engagement manager El Stannage, left, producer Joshua Goodman, artistic director Matt Harper-Hardcastle, associate director Kate Veysey and communications coordinator Anna Johnston

HOT off winning two York Enterprise Awards, Next Door But One is launching The Producing Hub to expand its provision of professional development for creative talents in the city.

Over the past year, the York community arts collective has supported 68 performing arts professionals to nurture their skills and achieve career goals through a series of workshops, one-to-one mentoring and by providing micro-commissions for new work, such as the Yorkshire Trios showcase at York Theatre Royal Studio in late-March.

“Seventy-five per cent have started a new project or developed an existing one; 68 per cent have applied for and secured new jobs or commissions; 50 per cent have applied for funding for their work, and have showcased that work too,” says Next Door But One (NDB1) chief executive officer and artistic director Matt Harper-Hardcastle.

“As one participant described their involvement: ‘The biggest impact from engaging in NDB1’s professional development is how much confidence I’ve gained. I’ve since secured further professional work, I have less imposter syndrome and feel like I belong in this industry.

“The experience of working with NDB1 made me feel validated that I have the skill to pursue acting professionally, and what my USP [unique selling point] is in the industry. I’m able to effectively communicate what I can offer the industry and NDB1 has been instrumental in helping me understand this’.”

James Lewis-Knight, artistic director of Clown Space, recipients of Next Door But One support for professional development

Matt reflects: “We’ve always said that NDB1 is a place where creatives can hang their hat. Being a freelance artist can often feel very lonely, isolating and a bit discombobulating,” he says. “We saw this acutely during Covid. As the world started to open up again following the pandemic, we had an influx of local creatives getting in touch for advice.

“Sixty-seven per cent had had a large proportion of their work cancelled; 50 per cent had struggled to secure the same amount of work since; 42 per cent had considered leaving the industry and their chosen career altogether, and 58 per cent have felt a significant disconnection from the industry as a whole. Local freelancers are the lifeblood of NDB1’s work, so we knew we had to do something about it.”

Since those shockwaves of 2021, NDB1 has provided 28 micro-commissions to writers, directors and actors, run three programmes of professional development workshops, a full year’s coaching for emerging companies and countless one-to-ones with York artists to provide bespoke advice and signposting.

“Now we are launching our most ambitious and robust programme of support for creatives through The Producing Hub Next Door But One,” says Matt. “‘It’s a way to pull together and formalise all the responsive support we’ve been providing into something we can really shout about and invite more people into.”

Firstly, backed by funding from City of York Council (through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund) and Arts Council England, over the next year NDB1 will provide producing support for Thunk-It Theatre’s next tour of New Girl and for the company development of Clown Space, the York company run by professional clown James Lewis-Knight and Emily Chattle that specialises in teaching clowning, full mask and physical theatre.

“Clown Space are at a point where they need support with their creative business plans, vision values and funding mechanisms,” says Matt.

Creative 1:1s. Seed Funding.Seminars. Next Door But One has help and advice on hand for York arts talents

Thunk-It Theatre artistic director Becky Lennon says: “We are thrilled to be joining The Producing Hub. We’ve been lucky to be supported by NDB1 since we first began in 2020 and are excited to be co-producing our now Arts Council England-funded production, New Girl, this autumn with the wonderful support from the NDB1 Team.

“The Producing Hub is a great way for us to learn how to produce our own work in a supported professional set-up. We cannot wait to see how we develop with the amazing backing from the team.”

Secondly, in partnership with York Theatre Royal, NDB1’s Opening Doors will return from November 2024 to provide a series of free professional development workshops built from the needs expressed by York creatives.

“We’re also really excited to take our informal one-to-one surgeries and the ‘cuppa catch-ups’ we regularly have with creatives to provide regular opportunities for creatives to sit with members of the NDB1 team and get the advice they need,” says Matt.

NDB1 associate director Kate Veysey adds: “I think it’s down to our approachability, but we regularly have creatives getting in touch to ask our advice on new projects, to look over applications and even just to be a friendly face to artists who are new to the city.

Thunk-It Theatre in New Girl: Receiving Next Door But One support for next tour

“We really see the value in these quick, responsive interventions and happily go offering space, support and coffee, but as a small team ourselves we were reaching capacity.

“From September, however, NDB1 will be offering bookable slots around the city, for York creatives to set the agenda and receive the headspace of our leadership team on whatever is needed.”

This 1:1 service has been made possible with a grant from YOR4Good, partnering with the University of York’s School of Arts and Creative Technologies, and with the support of Explore York library service and Theatre@41, Monkgate.

Kate continues: “We’re excited by this as we can offer seed funding to support creatives to overcome particular barriers to their desired career progression. This could be affording fees for training courses, hiring space to have a table-read of a new script or even covering access costs to take up new opportunities.”

In addition, a casting call is open until September for NDB1’s May 2025 production of How To Be A Kid. “We’ll be casting from new graduates from the past two years, who’ll do a three-week rehearsal process, incorporating professional training as part of a touring production, with advice on, for example, acquiring professional headshots and talking to casting agents,” says Matt.

To stay up to date with these opportunities and to learn how to engage NDB1’s services, creatives are advised to sign up to the mailing list and fill out Expression of Interest forms, available via the website: nextdoorbutone.co.uk.

Double winners: Kate Veysey, second left, El Stannage, Matt Harper-Hardcastle amd Anna Johnston, of Next Door But One, with Warrick Dent, left, from LNER, after receiving the Community Changemaker and Inclusive Business awards at the 2024 York Enterprise Awards. Picture: Alex Holland
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SPARK: York competition invites artists to give Piccadilly green makeover for eco-friendly future. Entry deadline: August 4

Give Piccadilly a green makeover: SPARK:York’s poster for this summer’s art competition

SPARK:York is launching an art competition to transform Piccadilly into an eco-friendly haven in York.

“Let your imagination soar, paint a sustainable future and win eco-friendly prizes, with the chance to star in an exhibition this summer,” says Paulina Lewicka, marketing coordinator for the creative community venue in Piccadilly.

Artists and creatives of all ages and abilities are encouraged to paint, draw or craft a sustainable, green paradise in the heart of York. Alongside prizes, participants have the opportunity to inspire others to consider the role of environmental sustainability in urban design.

Competition details:

Prizes:

 20 finalists: Artwork showcased in an exhibition in the SPARK:York events space in late- August.

Ten shortlisted artists: Exclusive art masterclass with one of SPARK’s resident artists.

Winners of 15+ category and under-15 category: £50 SPARK gift voucher, £50 gift voucher for Heima (the eco-friendly homeware and hardware shop in Gillygate) and an exclusive art masterclass with a SPARK resident artist.

Submission deadline: August 4.

Last summer’s York In 100 Years art competition exhibition in the SPARK:York events space

Finalists and winners will be announced on SPARK’s social media channels by August 15.

Entries will be judged by an expert panel of SPARK’s resident artists, including Leon François Dumont, Jessica Mallorie and Kat Olsson.

Paulina says: “As our neighbourhood undergoes change and redevelopment, we’d like to imagine a greener, more sustainable Piccadilly. With this art competition, we hope to inspire a dialogue on what this part of York could transform into in order to best serve the local community.

“We invite local artists of all ages to participate and we’re looking forward to seeing how they will blend creativity and sustainability in their creations.”

SPARK hosted its inaugural art competition last summer with a theme focused on the future of York. The competition attracted 19 submissions from York artists and young talents who shared their visions of this history-steeped city in 100 years.

SPARK:York in Piccadilly, York

The event culminated in an exhibition showcasing all the entries. Visitors were invited to participate in creating a time capsule, where they could leave messages and mementos for the people of York in 2050, the year of the UK’s net-zero target.

SPARK collaborated with the Borthwick Institute for Archives at the University of York to ensure the safekeeping of the time capsule.

For more information and to submit artwork, visit www.sparkyork.org/thoughts/art-competition.

SPARK: York: the back story

HOUSED in shipping containers in Piccadilly, SPARK champions the creative and independent community, providing a home for the next generation of entrepreneurs in York.

Discover food, drink, retail, events and entertainment with a Yorkshire flavour. The all-access facilities provide a comfortable space for individuals and groups to meet and relax.

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REVIEW: Steve Crowther’s verdict on Ensemble Intercontemporain, Sir Jack Lyons Concert Hall, York, April 17

Ensemble Intercontemporain: “The Rolls-Royce of contemporary music performers“

YorkConcerts presents Ensemble Intercontemporain, Sir Jack Lyons Concert Hall, University of York, April 17

ON Wednesday evening, the Rolls-Royce of contemporary music performers, Ensemble Intercontemporain, performed an extraordinary programme of music by Martin Suckling, Thomas Simaku and Olivier Messiaen.

The concert opened with Martin Suckling’s Visiones (after Goya), an inspired response to a specific drawing from Goya’s unique, if somewhat unsettling, Witches and Old Women Album. The Visiones depicts an intimate dance between a possibly inebriated old couple with another chap looking on, or rather on the floor looking up. The image seems to have an uncomfortable erotic edge, perhaps sex in old age.

Anyway, to Mr Suckling’s work. In response to the Goya sketch, Visiones (after Goya) has three instrumentalists, cello, clarinet and piano, and three sections. In the first part, the clarinet and cello dance, serenade each other in ‘repeated microtonal lyrics’.

The percussive piano creates distance and commentary. The effect is very distinct, haunting and not a little spooky. Yet there is intimacy and it is this, as well as the superb playing by Martin Adámek (clarinet) and Renaud Déjardin (cello), that draws you into this sound world.

There is also a genuine warmth of engagement. This is particularly obvious in the second section ‘lullaby’ before the dance becomes ritualistic. The third section is a kind of distorted recapitulation; a memory, a nightmare. Maybe.

The piano (the imperious Dimitri Vassilakis) now sings the song, the clarinet has the role of ‘soft multiphonics’ commentary whilst the cello lets rip to very dramatic effect. The dance returns but now transformed. To be sure the piece was, like the Goya, unsettling. But it was true to the artist’s multi-layered complexity, and beauty. The performance was illuminating.

I had a bit of an issue with a2(b) for violin and cello by Thomas Simaku; not with the forceful piece itself, nor with the thrilling performance by soloists Jeanne-Marie Conquer (violin) and Renaud Déjardin (cello), but with the extensive programme note.

OK, the instrumental explanation of a2 (a due) was fine; it made perfect sense. However, the dramatisation of opposites – a response to the ‘remnants of the wall in Bernauer Strasse’, a tale of contrasting cities, of brutally conflicting ideologies representing oppression and freedom in 1945 Berlin – did not.

To be fair to the composer, he clearly stated that the musical and extramusical could not be separated; they are two aspects of the same song. But for me the piece did not (and could not) deliver an image of complete opposites: because the most striking and distinguished aspect of Simaku’s music is its mastery of an organic, cellular and uniform musical language. The uncompromising, almost violent, gestures and mood swings worked perfectly well on and in their own terms.

However, the piece was jaw-droppingly good and technically seriously accomplished. I thought the fast, driving conclusion with its spent, exhausted epilogue was very effective indeed. The performers were on top of their game, and they needed to be.

Just one minor whinge before the interval: what was it with the photographer taking shots from the back of the auditorium? It was distracting and utterly unnecessary.

After the interval we were treated to the most illuminating performance of Messiaen’s Quartet For The End Of Time. For what it’s worth, the balance of the opening Crystal liturgy didn’t seem quite even, but given the quality of performers and the excellent acoustic, this is more likely due to my ears waking up again after the 20-minute break.

The second movement Vocalise, for the Angel who announces the end of time, was sublime. The control needed and delivered by clarinettist Martin Adámek was extraordinary. The effect was otherworldly, visionary; beautiful, delicate but definitely bleak.

The Interlude was an utter, quirky delight. Were there echoes of Shostakovich? I thought so. Possibly. Renaud Déjardin and Dimitri Vassilakis’s performance of Praise To The Eternity Of Jesus was the best live version I have heard.

Nothing quite prepares you for this experience; it was so hypnotic, so compelling. I think this is due to the piano ‘accompaniment’ which came across so powerfully. At first, a pulse, a heartbeat, gradually driving the cello song with almost hammer-like intensity before they melt into ecstasy, resolution. Quite extraordinary.

The Dance Of Fury, for the seven trumpets, was technically perfect. It delivered a unity of purpose and energy. Edge-of-the-seat stuff. The penultimate Tangle Of Rainbows…was brimming with physicality. It both looked back, specifically to the second Vocalise, as well as to the future and the final movement in particular. The performance of Praise To The Immortality Of Jesus, was simply divine.

Review by Steve Crowther

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2024 Yorkshire Schools Dance Festival cancelled after 242 per cent rise in hire charges at University of York since 2021

THE 2024 Yorkshire Schools Dance Festival will not go ahead.

“A significant increase in venue hire fees puts delivering the event beyond our financial capacity,” says producer Colin Jackson, who describes the annual November event as “the jewel in York’s children and young people’s creative crown”.


In an official statement released today, he states: “The festival has been held at the University of York since 1999. Our long-established and positive relationship with the university combined with the event’s strong community focus saw us attract a subsidised rate for the hire of Central Hall for many years.

“The charges made to cover building hire and staff costs made it an affordable and viable event to run. It meant that we were able to charge schools a reasonable rate to participate, offer wraparound enrichment activities for school staff and students and make the event accessible for all by keeping ticket prices low. It was very much a partnership between us and the university.”

The event was last held at Central Hall, University of York, in 2022. “Despite a 130 per cent increase in the hire rate from the previous year, we were able to balance the books through generous financial support from Yorkshire Dance and other sponsors/donors,” explains Colin.

The festival organisers entered into discussions with York Conferences, who manage bookings for the university, in 2023 and were informed that the hire charges would again rise by another 51 per cent.

“This represented a 242 per cent increase from the 2021 rate,” says Colin. “To provide an illustration, were the hire rates £1,000 in 2021, in 2023 they would have been £3,420. The actual figures and financial increase are, of course, far more.”

The 2023 festival was relocated to the Carriageworks Theatre in Leeds with the hope that the hire rates could be renegotiated for a return to the University of York this year.

“At the end of last year we were told that the figure quoted still stood,” says Colin. “Despite our best efforts since then to achieve additional sponsorship, we have not been able to plug the gap.

“Passing the increased costs on to schools would mean significant increases in the fee to participate and ticket prices. While some schools and families could have afforded this, many would have struggled to either take part or come along to watch and removed our core objective to make the festival wholly inclusive.”

The festival organisers wrote to the University of York’s vice chancellor last year, stressing the festival’s importance for the 1,200 children and young people that took part every year and emphasising the value of the event in supporting the university’s Strategic Vision to exist for public good and the founders’ vision for strong social purpose, combating inequality and opening up access to the campus. “Our approach made no impact,” says Colin.

“Central Hall is the perfect location for the event,” the statement continues. “A large auditorium, backstage areas and additional rooms meant that we could comfortably accommodate the children, young people and staff from schools, as well as the families that came along to watch.”

While the model at The Carriageworks was successful, limited space made for a far smaller event with a reduced number of schools taking part and reduced capacity for audiences.

“At this stage, we feel we have no choice but to cancel the event,” says Colin. “We continue to hope that the university can reconsider their position and see the event for what it is.

“Not only does it have huge benefits for schools, teachers, students and pupils, its impact upon the local economy is marked. The event provided significant employment opportunities for freelance dance artists, freelance event staff and wider providers.

“We know that the festival has put dance on the map in many schools and resulted in enhanced curriculum provision for the subject. It has long been the jewel in York’s children and young people’s creative crown.”

“We have done all we can,” Colin concludes. “If you feel it appropriate to do so, you can make contact with the University of York or York Conferences.

“We must stress that we do not expect the event to make a loss for the university and we recognise that there are financial challenges for them as well as us.

“We suspect, however, that the two weekends in November that are normally earmarked for the festival will see Central Hall either dark or holding events that are not for social purpose, designed to combat inequality or open up access to the campus.”

CharlesHutchPress has contacted the University of York press office this morning for an official response and is awaiting a reply.

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REVIEW: Martin Dreyer’s verdict on Angela Hewitt, Sir Jack Lyons Concert Hall, University of York, April 12

Angela Hewitt: “A multitude of subtleties and a sensational technique”

PIANIST Angela Hewitt played preludes and fugues, framing examples by Mendelssohn, Shostakovich and Barber with the original master himself, J S Bach. These bare facts mask a multitude of subtleties and a sensational technique. She held her capacity audience spellbound.

Most performers are ill advised to open with an address, just when the punters are all agog with anticipation. But her words were delivered so graciously, with wit and charm, that we were delighted to hear her insights. And she was insistent on no applause until the interval, a smart decision that helped everyone’s focus.

In mid-career Mendelssohn made a deliberate study of Bach’s counterpoint, which resulted in his six Preludes & Fugues, Op 35. The first of these swerves between E minor and E major. Hewitt made a stunning moto perpetuo of its prelude, before robustly highlighting the fugue subject in a majestic crescendo to its climactic chorale.

Shostakovich was another composer to hold Bach in reverence and he wrote a full set of 24 Preludes & Fugues, Op 87 in 1951. The spare textures of the F minor fugue, No. 18, are ideally suited to Hewitt’s style and its counterpoint emerged with immense clarity.

Even more incisive was the demanding fugue that concludes Barber’s piano sonata, its relentless cross-accents dazzling at high speed.

Hewitt had opened with the earliest numbers from the Book I of Bach’s Well-tempered Clavier, a handful more than the programme had promised – perhaps she was in the zone and forgot herself. No-one minded in the least, quite the contrary. Her ability to give differing degrees of prominence to contrapuntal lines, even as many as three or four, remains one of the wonders of her intelligent approach to Bach.

The last of Bach’s six partitas (dance suites in all but name), BWV 830 in E minor, is one of the towering monuments of the keyboard repertory. The crispness of her rhythms was especially apparent here.

After a rhapsodic Toccata, with a fine central fugue, the Allemande was phrased with particular subtlety, so that the succeeding Corrente, taken at some pace, had a jack-in-the-box flavour by comparison; the abrupt Air was brisk too.

The stately Sarabande was deeply melancholic, its dotted rhythms making it taut, even edgy. There was room here for a touch more serenity. After a witty Gavotte, the Gigue, even with the jagged intervals of its fugue, was remarkably balletic, further testament – although none was needed – to Hewitt’s prodigious dexterity, both mental and physical.

As an encore, she wound down with the very first of Mendelssohn’s Songs without Words, in E major, generating a wonderful cantabile.

Review by Martin Dreyer

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