LUCY Russell, Agata Daraskaite, Rachel Gray and Lynda Sayce are Revolting Women!

Hold fire, that might need explaining. Violinists Lucy and Agata, cellist Rachel and theorbo player Lynda will be presenting their Revolting Women! programme on Saturday afternoon at the National Centre for Early Music, York, as part of the 2018 York Early Music Festival.

"Revolting Women! features the music of four women composers who were most definitely not encouraged by their male counterparts to be professional musicians: a nun, a harpsichordist, a gifted violinist and 'Mrs Philarmonica'," says festival director Delma Tomlin. "Saturday's hour-long programme will be a rare opportunity to hear music by these formidable female composers whose creativity and drive enabled them to overcome the social and professional hindrances of a male-dominated world."

Step forward the nun, Isabella Leonarda (1620-1704); the harpsichordist, Elisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre (1665-1729); the gifted violinist, Maddalena Sirmen (1745-1818) and ‘Mrs Philarmonica’, a pseudonymous composer working in London in the early 18th century.

"This concert is being recorded for broadcast by BBC Radio 3; some tickets will be available on the door, and these Revolting Women will be a delight for those who aren't keen on the football," says Delma.

One man will be allowed to join the women on stage: harpsichord player and organist Peter Seymour, a titan of the York classical music scene. Tickets cost £18, concessions £16, under 35s, £5, on 01904 658338 or at ncem.co.uk.