THREADS OF GOLD
Friday 24 – Sunday 26 May 2024
This year Beverley & East Riding Early Music Festival weaves together the golden threads of Beverley’s remarkable history through music and song with a distinctly Spanish twist.
Highlights of the Festival include:
Friday 24: El Gran Teatro del Mundo, this young instrumental group based in Spain captivated audiences on their UK tour last year and open this year’s festival with Life is a Dream (la vida es sueño), a magical journey through the mysteries of the night.
Saturday 25: Appearing at the festival for the first time in the resplendent surroundings of Beverley Minster, the award-winning choir Tenebrae perform their acclaimed interpretation of Tomás Luis de Victoria’s Requiem – a masterpiece of the Spanish Golden Age.
Sunday 26: And on the last night, The Telling present their heart rendering music theatre show ‘Into the Melting Pot’ which tells the stories of the women of medieval Spain thrust apart by religious intolerance.
With guest artists also including the London Handel Players, violinist Bojan Cicic and festival favourite harpsichordist Steven Devine, Song Path and the BBC New Generation Baroque Ensemble Augelletti joining in the fun, there is a host of musical concerts for all tastes.
As always, the town plays its own important role in the festival, with the programme reflecting Beverley’s unique and intriguing history. This year’s talks and tours include Medieval Pilgrimage to St John of Beverley, an illustrated talk presented by Dr John Jenkins, co-Director of the Centre for Pilgrimage Studies at the University of York and Ancient Threads and Enchanted Garments, stories of preserved textiles from Iron Age and Roman Yorkshire told by Melanie Giles, Professor in European Prehistory at the University of Manchester, and author of the award-winning Bog Bodies.
Workshops are always a hugely popular strand of the festival, providing a great opportunity to enjoy music and make new friends. The Birth of the Orchestra offers a rare opportunity for instrumentalists to explore Baroque orchestral performance and choral singers are invited to join with Tenebrae to work on the glorious music of Spain’s Golden Age.
