THE 2017 Northern Aldborough Festival will have a three-day Piano Weekend as its centrepiece this summer.
This "festival-within-a-festival" will celebrate the art of the pianist at Aldborough Church with Yevgeny Sudbin, from Russia, on June 23 at 7.30pm; the family show The Anatomy Of The Piano with pianist and entertainer Will Pickvance, June 24 at 11am, and James Baillieu, from South Africa, with The Heath String Quartet, June 24 at 7.30pm.
Running from June 22 to July 1 in the Roman village of Aldborough, near Boroughbridge, the festival will open with OperaUpClose's 7pm performance of Verdi's opera La Traviata at Aldborough Church on the first night.
The Marian Consort will perform Allegri’s ethereal work Miserere by candlelight under the baton of Rory McCleery at The Old Hall, North Deighton, on June 27 at 7.30pm, and writer, broadcaster, actor, raconteur and former Conservative MP Gyles Brandeth will present Word Play at Aldborough Church on June 28 at 7.30pm.
Nelson Riddle's arrangements for Frank Sinatra's 1957 album Close To You will be re-created by 12 musicians in Close To You: Sinatra & Hollywood on June 29 at a location yet to be confirmed. This 7.30pm concert will mark the 60th anniversary of Sinatra's immortal recordings being made with the Hollywood String Quartet over a period of eight months and five sessions.
Clarinettist Emma Johnson
In Clarinet Goes To Town on June 30 at 7.40pm at Aldborough Church, clarinettist Emma Johnson, pianist John Lenehan and percussionist Paul Clarvis will explore the clarinet in popular music of the early 20th century.
The Festival Service, featuring the Northern Aldborough Festival Voices, will be conducted by the Reverend Diane Westmoreland on June 25 at 10.45am at Aldborough Church. In further morning events, Duo Antipodes will give an 11am concert with Manus Noble on guitar and Jehanne Bastoni on cello on June 26 at 11am at Farnley Hall, near Otley, and tenor Michael Bennett and harpist Sandrine Chatron will perform on June 29 at 11am at The Chapel, Rudding Park, Harrogate.
The festival's family finale will be the traditional Last Night Outdoor Concert with orchestrated fireworks on July 1 at 6pm in the grounds of Aldborough Manor, where a "titanic battle of the tribute acts" will pitch Take That against Westlife (not the real bands, please note).
Festival musical director Robert Ogden says: “While the Northern Aldborough Festival exists in a relatively rural location, the calibre of artists continues to grow. This year we are honoured to host some truly inspirational performers.”
Tickets are on sale at aldboroughfestival.co.uk or on 01423 900979.
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