We are delighted to return to the wonderful North York Moors Chamber Music Festival - remarkable not only for the outstanding standard of musicianship and performance but especially the unique leadership, enthusiasm and inspiration of festival Founder and Curator, Jamie Walton. Jamie was one of the few folk on the planet to achieve (against all odds) TEN live performances WITH audience in the summer of 2020. This year, the 18th season of the Festival, has the theme of Creation. We visit during the first week of the festival and attend five concerts details of which are shown below.
Once again, we have taken over the delightful White Swan at Pickering for our five night stay. The hotel is situated in the heart of the historic market town and the ideal base for our concerts and sightseeing over the coming days. The hotel is an historic 'golden stone' Inn. Vintage rooms in the main building are reached by stairs (1st and 2nd floors) but luggage will be taken to and from your room for you. In the courtyard at the rear of the hotel are 8 'Hideaway' rooms all with step-free access and walk-in showers. Please specify your preference of room type when booking.
St Peter and St Paul's Church, Pickering contains one of the most complete sets of medieval wall paintings in Britain and the town is also home to the North York Moors Historic Railway.
On Wednesday, Thursday and Friday we will have included visits to the market town of Helmsley, the remains and wonderful setting of Rievaulx Abbey, the historic home of the Dukes of Norfolk, Castle Howard, along with visits to some of the delightful villages and estates of the area.
We will dine at the hotel on two evenings, in Helmsley on one evening and 'at the seaside' on one evening - all meals include wines and soft drinks.
Feeder coach pick-ups from our usual Northwest and Fylde pick up points and Malton Station (closest mainline station to Pickering) with main line service via York.
To Book please click the 'Book This Tour' button above right. Our team will then confirm your place and send you a secure payment link for the deposit of £600 per person. The final balance is due 1st June.
You can experience Jamie's passion and determination in this interview from 2024 with Ella Lee’s classical music podcast, Classical Circuit:
https://shows.acast.com/65749ad7438c7c00134db16a/65e45181e79511001674ada7?seek=225
Concert Details:
Monday 10th August, Mystique - 7pm Marquee, Welburn
Debussy, Szymanowski, Ravel
Tuesday 11th August, Dialogue - 2pm St Hildas, Danby
Bach, Berio, Saariaho, Isabella Gellis
Wednesday 12th August, Order From Chaos -7pm Marquee, Welburn
Szymanowski, Prokofiev, Schumann, Mozart
Thursday 13th August, The Dividing Line - 2pm St Hedda’s, Egton Bridge
Musgrave, Charlotte Bray, Kurtág, Ives, Schubert
Friday 14th August, Landspeak - 7pm Marquee, Welburn
Schumann, Dvořák, Janáček, Adès, Bartók
A note about Welburn Marquee - the pandemic of 2020 and last minute restrictions on performance venues gave rise to one of the unique aspects of the Festival - the Marquee at Welburn Manor Estate. Open sided on pleasant evenings, the solid wood floor and custom designed back boards create an excellent soundscape for chamber music - so much so that it has now become a permanent fixture of the festival.
