The new NCEM season brochure is out with jazz, world, folk, early music and film running from January to June 2018.
Our successful singing programme Cuppa and a Chorus continues this season and all are welcome.
The sessions are led by our experienced community choir leader Chris Bartram who will guide participants gently through a variety of different music from around the world.
The sessions run from 2-4pm on the following dates:
- Mon 12 February
- Mon 19 March
- Mon 23 April
- Mon 14 May
- and Thurs 21 June.
Tea and cake are provided!
As part of the York Residents Weekend, singer Vivien Ellis returns for two fun singing sessions (Sun 28 Jan 10am-noon and 1.30pm-3.30pm). Tickets are free but places must be booked in advance.
Bumper folk season
Continuing our successful partnership with the Black Swan Folk Club we present a bumper season of folk music which includes:
- the best of East-Coast Canadian Folk Music with The Ennis Sisters + Dave Gunning (Tues 27 Feb)
- master of the English concertina and Northumbrian pipes Alistair Anderson & Northlands (Wed 14 Mar)
- the Celtic folk band Barluath embracing both traditional and contemporary folk music from Scotland, Ireland and North America (Tues 27 March)
- Ritchie Parrish Ritchie, echoing the Tanglefoot legacy (Wed 30 May)
- and Maddy Prior returning with with Hannah James and Giles Lewin (Tues 17 April).
Our innovative collaboration with Making Tracks continues with two concerts featuring Chouk Bwa (Wed 21 Feb) with their drums, poetry and trance from Haiti’s vodou heartlands and Toko Telo (Fri 20 April) – a dazzling all-star trio from the exceptionally rich musical island of Madagascar.
Book for one of these concerts and receive the second concert free! This offer is valid on full price tickets only and both concerts must be booked at the same time.
We also welcome back world-class guitarist/composer Juan Martín (Fri 23 Mar) who captures his very pure flamenco sound.
Soul sax-man Snake Davis teams up with rising 19-year old sax star Jess Gillam for a relaxed and fun set mixing classical pop soul and jazz pieces (Fri 27 April).
Jess is already a multiple award-winner and overall runner-up of BBC Young Musician of the Year 2016.
She is hugely in demand and was a star soloist at the recent BBC Proms. Celebrating a 40 year partnership Alan Barnes saxophones and David Newton piano (Sat 30 June) cover a vast repertoire from Louis Armstrong to Chick Corea.
For families, we welcome Opera North’s The Kingdom Under the Sea (Sun 11 March at 11.30am, 1pm and 2.30pm), an enchanting storytelling experience inspired by Japanese folk stories and Opera North’s production of Madam Butterfly and all performed in a tent! Suitable for ages three and above.
The Empty Chair (Sun 6 May, 11.30am) is a mischievous musical adventure that explores the ways in which people and friendships grow and change. There will also be a workshop later the same day (Sunday 6 May, 1.30pm). Both events are suitable for ages six and above.
Building on our film programme we are delighted to welcome back the Yorkshire Silent Film Festival with a double bill – Another Fine Mess! starring Laurel and Hardy, and Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (Sun 13 May at 4pm and 6.30pm).
Ideas and awards
As part of the Festival of Ideas we are showing AnDa Union: From the Steppes to The City directed by Sophie Lascelles and Tim Pearce (Sat 9 June, 11am) which follows 10 young musicians as they make a 10,000km journey through the grasslands of Inner Mongolia, revealing the secret of the roots of their haunting and beautiful music.
Early music fans will enjoy lutenist Thomas Dunford (Wed 21 March) who will be celebrating the 2018 European Day of Early Music with Soul Music from JS Bach and Dowland in celebration of Bach’s birthday.
This concert is presented in association with REMA and will be recorded by BBC Radio 3.
Harpsichordist Trevor Pinnock returns with Matthew Truscott on violin, Sophie Gent violin, Jonathan Manson cello (Tues 24 April) to present a programme of music by Froberger, Goldberg, Bach and Handel.
The 11th finalist concert of the 2018 NCEM Young Composers Award (Thurs 10 May) presented in association with BBC Radio 3, will feature the award-winning virtuoso early music ensemble The English Cornett & Sackbut Ensemble.
Composer, singer and University of York graduate Kerry Andrew is You are Wolf (Fri 8 June) with multi-instrumentalist Sam Hall and percussionist Peter Ashwell – explore traditional songs and stories through bold arrangements influenced by leftfield pop, new classical music and electronica and features music from their new CD Keld.
The University of York presents its annual Song Day – Songs from the Heart (Sat 17 Feb at 12.30pm, 3pm and 7pm) and Baroque Day – Enlightenment and Invention (Sat 5 May 12.30pm, 3.00pm and 7pm).
The University of York Jazz Orchestra (Fri 1 June) features music by Horace Silver, Duke Ellington and Thelonious Monk, directed by acclaimed composer/arranger John Warren.
Our In Conversation slots continue this season. Our Director Delma Tomlin talks to Maddy Prior (Tues 17 April) Trevor Pinnock (Tues 24 April) Alan Barnes and David Newton (Sat 30 June) about their inspirations/influences and concert programmes. Free of charge prior to concerts from 7pm to 7.15pm.
And finally… if you are under 35 or a full-time student – you can get to see a number of concerts this season for just £5!
This is a limited offer and is on a first-come, first-served basis. Check the offer out here.