Jazz, folk, horror movies and more – it could be the most varied season yet at the National Centre for Early Music.
The new NCEM season brochure has just been published. Running from September through to March 2017 it includes a host of women artists.
They include the amazing Northumbrian pipes player Kathryn Tickell with her group The Side (October 17, 7.30pm), English folk’s mightiest duo O’Hooley & Tidow (November 1, 7.30pm) and trumpeter Laura Jurd (November 11, 7.30pm) who is a BBC New Generation Artist for 2015-17.
Also featured are the prolific trombone player Annie Whitehead (November 20, 7.30pm) and the extraordinarily talented Julia Biel (December 17, 7.30pm), regarded as one of the best British vocalists to emerge in an age.
Both Kathryn and Annie are part of this season’s ‘In Conversation’ slots, where NCEM director Delma Tomlin finds out more about their inspirations and influences. These take place at 7pm prior to their concerts.
Sounds from around the globe
The NCEM continues to bring world-class world music to York and teams up again with world music promoter Making Tracks.
This season it welcomes Argentinian accordionist Chango Spasiuk (November 13, 7.30pm), Sardinian and South African guitarists Paolo Angeli & Derek Gripper (February 16, 7.30pm) and Eastern European musicians Sklamberg & The Shepherds (March 22, 7.30pm).
There’s a special buy one get one free ticket offer for this music series so worth taking advantage if you have a passion for world music!
There is an abundance of folk this season, both English and Scottish, and the centre continues to work closely with the Black Swan Folk Club. Organisers are delighted to welcome RANT (October 3, 7.30pm), Breabach (October 24, 7.30pm), Chris Wood (November 30, 7.30pm) and Steve Knightley (February 3, 7.30pm).
Film season
The NCEM has an enduring relationship with the Aesthetica Short Film Festival 2016 and will be screening films on Friday, November 4, from 10am to 10pm and Sunday, November 6 from 10am to 1pm.
There will also be a free screening of The Battle of the Somme (77 mins/PG) (November 13, 2pm). Shot on the battlefield over a fortnight by two cameramen, this film shows the build up to the battle, the battle itself and its immediate aftermath.
The war memorial in St Margaret’s lists 55 men from the area who died in the First World War, 12 of whom perished on the Somme.
Also, as part of Illuminating York and pre Halloween, you can see Vampyr (Carl Theodor Dreyer/Germany/ 1932/ 73 mins), one of the greatest horror films of all times (October 28, 7.30pm).
And a quick thumbs up for later in the year – look out for guitarists Antonio Forcione (April 21, 7.30pm) and 6 Hands featuring the internationally famous John Williams, John Etheridge and Gary Ryan (June 15, 7.30pm).