Jamie Walton, Cellist

Welcome to the North York Moors Chamber Music Festival — “Vienna to France”. Each concert will include works from the the classic Viennese and French schools. This festival will launch later in the year from 16th to 28th August to celebrate music, historical churches and an area of astounding natural beauty which I’ve come to regard as a second home. Over the past five years or so we have given around forty concerts in the region and so this Festival is the culmination of a desire to expand this activity along with the extraordinary local demand for music.

The concept is simplicity and accessibility both in terms of repertoire and of price. Keeping ticket prices to a minimum invites locals to participate as a regular audience within venues that in themselves celebrate the rich history of the moors. This erases any hint of elitism and I feel the potential power of music to bind locals together regardless of religion or politics is a great motivation.

August is a particularly spectacular time of year for the North York Moors, covered in heather at the height of summer. From the extraordinary Lastingham church with its Anglo-Saxon crypt to Whitby Abbey, the panorama across the largest moorland in Europe to the ethereal remnants of Rievaulx—this National Park is one of the outstanding areas of historical and natural beauty in our land.

We welcome support as we bring this event into its second year, which is why we’ve set up The North York Moors Chamber Music Festival Trust, now a charitable company. The aim is to generate such interest that it becomes an annual celebration so if you wish to make a donation please enclose the gift aid form (if you are a UK tax payer) to ensure your donation goes further. Cheques payable to The North York Moors Chamber Music Festival Trust would be most gratefully received; please send to The NYM Chamber Music Festival, The Granary, Appleton-le-Moors, York YO62 6TF. The accounts will be made readily available as part of our annual returns to the Charity Commission.

Week One:

• 16th August

  St Mary’s Church, Lastingham

  Programme to include Schubert piano trio in E flat, Fauré Romance for cello and organ and the Ravel piano trio

• 18th August

  St Oswald’s Church, Lythe

  Programme to include Mozart quintet for piano and wind, Mozart sonata for four hands, Pleyel quintet for piano and wind and Rameau Suite for four winds and four hands

• 20th August

  St Hilda’s Church, Danby

  Programme to include Beethoven, Haydn and Mozart string trios and the Ravel duo

• 21st August

  St Nicholas’ Church, Guisborough

  Programme to include Mozart string quintet in C, Debussy string quartet and Schoenberg Verklärte Nacht

Week Two:

• 23rd August

  St Hilda’s Priory, Sneaton Castle, Whitby

  Programme include Mozart piano quartet in E flat, Mahler piano quartet, Fauré piano quintet No.1 and Chausson Concert

• 25th August

  All Saints' Church, Hawsker

  Programme to include Beethoven septet, Ravel Introduction and Allegro, Debussy trio for harp, flute and violin and Poulenc sextet

• 27th August

  All Saints' Church, Wykeham

  Programme to include quartets by Haydn, Beethoven and Ravel

• 28th August

  St Hilda’s Church, Westcliff, Whitby

  Programme to include Widor Toccata, Schubert string quintet in C, Poulenc sonata for two pianos and Saint-Saëns Carnival of the Animals

Musicians:

Violins

Jack Liebeck

Madeleine Easton

Magnus Johnston

Ben Hancox (Sacconi quartet)

Hannah Dawson (Sacconi quartet)

Violas

Sasha Zemtsov

Robin Ashwell (Sacconi quartet)

Simon Browne

’Cellos

Jamie Walton

Guy Johnston

Cara Berridge (Sacconi quartet)

Double bass

Graham Mitchell

Harp

Sharron Griffiths

Piano

Daniel Grimwood

Adam Johnson

Pianoforte

John Irving

Flute

Dan Watts

Horn

David Tollington

Natural horn

Anneke Scott

Oboe

Sarah Brown

James Eastaway

Clarinet

Jillian Allan

Basset clarinet

Jane Booth

Bassoon

Connie Tanner

Jane Gower