Beverley Early Music Festival returns this Spring

This year’s Beverley and East Riding Early Music Festival will return in a live format this year, following last year’s online offering, bringing live concerts to venues across the picturesque Yorkshire town of Beverley. The 2022 festival line up will feature well-loved ensembles, as well as emerging young artists, with concerts, films and a pub performance as well as workshops and talks.

British period instrument ensemble Florilegium will open the weekend with their Masterpieces of the Baroque concert featuring works of JS Bach, performed in Beverley Minster.

Festival director, Dr Delma Tomlin MBE, said: ‘This year’s theme is From Minstrels to Masterpieces, a festival designed to make you smile and be grateful for the joy of music.’

Also appearing at Beverley Minster are the Spanish ensemble Sarbacanes with their diverse programme, Music for Garden and Table which will also include a variety of works from Vienna in the second half of the 18th century. Additionally, internationally acclaimed ensemble Prisma will present an afternoon and an evening performance of their programme exploring the British dance music of the 17th century.

The festival features a concert by BBC Radio 3, RCM and NCEM New Generation Baroque Ensemble, Ensemble Molière, designed to provide a soundtrack to Louis XIV’s daily life. Other guest artists will include Richard Egarr & Alexandra Nepomnyashchaya.

The finale of the festival will feature British solo-voice ensemble I Fagiolini who will present their concert, Draw on, sweet night: Madrigals of John Wilbye. Performing the John Wilbye's Golden Age madrigals in St John’s Catholic Church.

This year’s festival will also feature talks and workshops on topics including Exploring Baroque Music and From Minstrels to Masterpieces.

You can find the full festival programme here.