York Early Music Festival

This year's York Early Music Festival in July will be presenting nine days of concerts, talks and workshops under the title Connections. Alongside visiting ensembles such as The Sixteen, the Tallis Scholars and Gabrieli Consort & Players, the York International Young Artists Competition will be returning.

The Sixteen will be performing their Choral Pilgrimage programme based around Parry's Songs of Farewell, whilst the Tallis Scholars look at connections between Josquin, Palestrina and Byrd, and Gabrieli Consort & Players present A Venetian Coronation, their recreation of the 1595 Coronation Mass of the Venetian Doge at St Mark’s. Other performers include gamba specialists Paolo Pandolfo & Amélie Chemin; The Gonzaga Band; The Rose Consort of Viols; the University of York Baroque Ensemble; Orí Harmelin; Profeti della Quinta; the Yorkshire Baroque Soloists; and Ensemble Voces Suaves.

For the competition, ten groups from across Europe will give informal recitals at St Margaret's Church (home of the National Centre for Early Music) before competing for the prize. The winners will receive a professional CD recording contract from Linn Records, a cheque for £1000, and opportunities to work with BBC Radio 3 and the National Centre for Early Music. There are also additional prizes supported by Cambridge Early Music, the European Union Baroque Orchestra Development Trust, and the Friends of York Early Music Festival. 

Full details from the festival website.