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Star-studded line-up for festival
CLASSIC music fans will love the internationally star-studded line-up at the North York Moors Chamber Music Festival.
Famous cellist Jamie Walton, who founded the festival, aims to make it an event for local audiences that removes any suggestion of elitism.
And the national importance of this fledgling festival, which features performances at venues across the Whitby area and beyond, can already be measured by a major Arts Council grant in difficult financial times.
Mr Walton said: "I couldn't believe just how relaxed and happy I felt at the end of last year's fortnight.
"You grow so accustomed to the pressures placed on musicians, particularly when performing in major concert venues, you tend to forget the pure and simple joy of music-making.
"'Surely this is what music is all about', has been the response from those taking part last year.
"We all fell in love with the countryside and the quaint old churches, for this must surely be one of the most beautiful places in the world.
"It's my job to select the theme, this year it is 'Vienna to France'.
"Then I asked all those who are taking part to offer music they want to play and which is in their repertoire and we have built the festival in that way."
The opening concert, in Lastingham, has already sold out, and with eight concerts in eight locations, the artists include the brilliant virtuoso violinist, Jack Liebeck, this year's Classical Brit award winner, with cellist Guy Johnston, pianist Daniel Grimwood, and the Sacconi Quartet.
The first concert in the Whitby area is at St Oswald's in Lythe at 7pm on Wednesday 18 August and will feature music by Mozart, Pleyel and Rameau.
It will be followed at 7pm on Friday 20 August with a concert in St Hilda's Church, Danby, when musicians will play the works of Haydn, Beethoven, Mozart and Ravel.
And the second week kicks off on Monday 23 August, 7.30pm at St Hilda's Priory, Sneaton Castle, when the programme will feature music from the Romantic period including Faure, Mahler, Mozart and Chausson.
This will be followed by an unusual concert on Wednesday 25 August at 7pm at All Saints Church in Hawsker, which has almost sold out.
It will feature harp and wind instruments in a fantastic programme of Beethoven, Ravel, Debussy and Poulenc.
The grand finale like last year, is at St Hilda's Church on the West Cliff on Saturday 28 August at 7pm.
This will see a magnificent programme opened by Beverley Minster's organist Alan Spedding who opens with Widor's Toccata followed by the famous Schubert string quintet in C which, after the Poulenc sonata for two pianos is concluded with all the musicians coming together with Saint-Saens' Carnival of the Animals.
This music is popular with children and all children wanting to attend this concert get free entry if accompanied by an adult.
North York Moors Chamber Music Festival runs from 16 to 28 August.
For more information log on to www.nymchambermusicfestival.org or call (01751) 417795.
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Saturday 04 February 2012
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