Artists

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Ryedale District Council supports the Ryedale Festival.

VOYAGES AND HOMECOMINGS

Life’s a voyage that’s homeward bound’ – Herman Melville

Welcome to the 2010 Ryedale Festival. For a fortnight this July, the stunning landscapes and spectacular venues of Ryedale provide the setting for a very varied programme featuring some of the most exciting performers around, including new and emerging artists as well as many of international renown.

The theme of this year’s festival is ‘Voyages and Homecomings’. We begin with our Community Opera: this year recreating the story of Homer’s Odyssey – the oldest voyage in Western literature. We will also celebrate the voyages of several composers – Bach’s 300 mile walk to hear Buxtehude, Mozart’s last major concert tour to Paris, Mendelssohn’s happy times in Italy – and the masterpieces which were inspired by them. On the other hand, our operatic double-bill includes two very different homecomings. Britten tells the story of the Prodigal Son seriously and movingly, whereas for Mendelssohn it is a lyrical comedy of errors (newly translated by John Warrack).

Those who never came home are remembered in an evening of music and poetry from the 1st World War - ‘Goodbye to all that’. Other literary events include an evening marking the 25th anniversary of the death of Philip Larkin (including some Larkin-approved jazz!) and the return of festival favourite Lucy Beckett speaking on Dante. Another important anniversary – 200 years since the birth of Robert Schumann – is celebrated in Schumann Day, where his music will be heard in the context of the fascinating story of his life.

Chamber music is at the heart of our festival and we are delighted to welcome the Fitzwilliam Quartet as ensemble in residence. This acclaimed group will join forces with longstanding friends and colleagues to lead our programme of chamber music making. We also extend a warm welcome to many distinguished soloists including Dame Felicity Lott, Tasmin Little, Catrin Finch, Colin Carr, Alison Stephens, Craig Ogden, Claire Booth and many others. Other instrumental and vocal colours are provided by the performers of the coffee concerts and, on a larger scale, we will also be joined by the Yorkshire Bach Choir, the Orchestra of Opera North and the Northern Sinfonia.

We want our festival to reach as many people as possible in Ryedale so this year a project entitled Reaching Ryedale will involve several young musicians in taking music to those who are unable to attend the festival events or who may not be aware what the festival has to offer. So we will be ‘on tour’ within Ryedale, bringing many short informal concerts to residential homes for the elderly, centres for disabled adults, schools, pubs, restaurants and many other places across the region.

On a personal note, I am delighted and very excited to have joined the Ryedale team. I could not have been made more welcome and I look forward to meeting as many of you as possible during the course of the festival. Justin Doyle has obviously done a superb job in his years as Artistic Director (I am very grateful to be inheriting such inspired ideas as the Triple Concert and the Ryecrawl) and I look forward to working with everyone in building on all that he has achieved.

We are very grateful to the Ryedale District Council for their continuing support of the festival and to the many sponsors, trusts and individuals who enable us to present such a broad programme of events. Our thanks also go to the Patrons and Friends who do so much to support the festival and to our army of volunteers who, throughout the year, constantly ensure that the wheels of the festival are kept well-oiled!

The final, essential ingredient in any festival is its audience and I very much look forward to seeing you all here in July for two inspiring weeks of music-making and much more.

Christopher Glynn / Artistic Director