York gears up for 27th Viking festival and thousands of visitors (From York Press)
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York gears up for annual Jorvik Viking Festival
8:31am Thursday 9th February 2012 in News
Ottar the Viking (Andy Duffill) helps launch the 27th Jorvik Viking Festival at Clifford’s Tower in York last night
More than 40,000 people are expected to visit the annual Jorvik Viking Festival in York next week which was launched with a spectacular visual display by a local company.
This year marks the 27th festival, which officially starts on Saturday but was launched last night with the projection of an animated short film drawing heavily on Norse mythology on to the walls of Clifford’s Tower, The light-hearted animation was created by York-based Glass Cannon, and will be the first of more than 80 events during the festival.
This Saturday and Sunday, performances of The Vikings’ Song – A Quest For Freedom will take place at Joseph Rowntree Theatre from 7pm.
Adapted from children’s author Peter Ward’s Viking Trilogy, the show features music composed by early music specialist Michael Fields and authentic reproductions of Viking instruments, performed by a cast from York St John University.
On Wednesday, a recreation of a Viking wedding will be held in the Minster at 7.30pm, and on Thursday, children’s author Jeremy Strong will be signing copies of his Viking At School and Viking In My Bed books at the National Centre for Early Music, in Walmgate, followed by a Viking-themed afternoon tea. Children enjoying half-term can take part in sword combat at the Merchant Adventurers’ Hall, with one-hour sessions running five times a day between Tuesday and Saturday.
The festival culminates on Saturday, February 18, night with the Festival Of Fire at York Racecourse, which will see Vikings fight in a ferocious battle, followed by fiery manifestations of Norse mythology, a firework display, and the burning of a 60ft-longship.
