The National Centre for Early Music is delighted to be staging the second York Early Music Festival Online this July. The YEMF theme for 2021 is Encounters, most vitally between audience and artists in a time when enjoyment of real-life encounters continues to be restricted.
British vocal consort The Gesualdo Six will open this four-day online festival with a live streamed concert from St Margaret’s Church, York.
Guest artists feature: internationally acclaimed violinist Rachel Podger; lutenist Jacob Heringman; bass Matthew Brook working with harpsichordist Peter Seymour; the Monteverdi String Band led by Oliver Webber; York favourite, harpsichordist Steven Devine with Robin Bigwood; Jacob Heringman: The Society of Strange & Ancient Instruments with their weird and wonderful Trumpet Marine Project; baroque specialists Florilegium; and York favourites The Gesualdo Six.
In addition to concerts recorded during the festival, YEMF ’21 Online will also include exclusive commissioned highlights from guests The Rose Consort of Viols and The University Baroque Ensemble.
The online festival provides the opportunity to share some of the highlights of York Early Music Festival 2021 with the widest possible audience. The festival features concerts filmed in some of the city’s stunning venues including: Merchant Adventurers Hall; St Lawrence Church and the NCEM’s home, St Margaret’s Church
The online festival will be available to view on demand until 13 August 2021 and tickets are on sale until 6 August.
Delma Tomlin MBE, Administrative Director of the YEMF said:
‘We’re very excited to bring you the second York Early Music Festival Online, the ‘jewel in the crown’ of the National Centre for Early Music’s annual programme, enjoyed by visitors from across the world. We’re delighted that many artists will be returning to York to join us for what promises to be a summer celebration of glorious music. We’re also looking forward to welcoming artists who have not performed with us before, to our beautiful city. This has been a difficult year for everyone involved in the arts and entertainment industries and we hope you will support us and make the most of the delights that this year’s online festival has in store. Once again, I would like to extend my thanks to artists, funders, patrons and of course our wonderful audience for their continued support and we look forward to welcoming everyone back to the NCEM in the very near future”.
The York Early Music Festival was established in 1977 and is designed to celebrate York’s myriad medieval churches, guildhalls and historic houses through historically informed music making of the highest international standard. It is one of three annual festivals run by the National Centre for Early Music.
The NCEM would like to thank Arts Council England, the City of York Council and its many patrons and friends for their continued support.
