SIX hundred years of the musical traditions of England will be celebrated at York Early Music Festival 2003, from July 4 to 13.

In its 26th year, Britain's premier festival of early music will welcome such luminaries as The Sixteen choir, soprano Emma Kirkby and lutenist Jakob Lindberg; viol consort Phantasm; soprano Catherine Bott; the City Waites; and three first-time participants, forte pianist David Owen Norris, American lutenist Paul O'Dette and The Cardinal's Musick.

The festival also will be celebrating "a fair sprinkling of Yorkshire's finest architectural gems", both in its range of concert venues in the medieval churches, guildhalls and historic houses of York and in additional events.

With that in mind, the opening event, Georgian Style, will be held in the John Carr-designed Fairfax House on July 4 at 1pm, when Peter Brown, director of Fairfax House and York Civic Trust, will introduce the architecture of Georgian England.

In addition, there will be the chance to look round two "architectural oddities", as festival administrative director Delma Tomlin fondly calls them: Poppleton Tithe Barn, Nether Poppleton, on July 8 and the fortified, moated manor house of Markenfield Hall, near Ripon, the following day, both at 10.30am.

The Sixteen have sung at York Minster previously but will be making their York festival debut on July 4 in a 7.30pm programme of Music For Contemplation And Consolation in the Minster's Central Nave. Conducted by Harry Christophers, the choir will perform motets, anthems and religious songs by the 17th century English composers Robert Ramsey and Henry Purcell.

On July 5 at St Olave's Church, Marygate, Paul O'Dette will present The Royal Luters, a 12.30pm selection of music written for the English royal court around 1600 by Dowland, Bacheler, Johnson and Holborne.

Later that day, at 4pm in All Saints' Church in North Street, Lieber Unusualis, will perform once-lost treasures from Durham, Fountains Abbey and the cosmopolitan court of Edward III in Lost And Found, Music Of The 13th and 14th Century.

Phantasm's celebration of 17th century English viol music, Autumn Flowers, will take place on July 6 at 2pm at the festival headquarters, the National Centre for Early Music, St Margaret's Church, Walmgate.

The Deep Abyss Of Hell - surely the best event title of this year's festival - can be experienced at Sir Jack Lyons Concert Hall on July 6 at 7pm, when The Consort Of Musicke will assemble 100 years of English music from the gates of bedlam. "There will be mad songs of every hue: joyfully mad, despairingly mad, mad with love, mad with jealousy, ecstatic madness and more," says director Anthony Rooley.

Emma Kirkby and Jakob Lindberg have selected songs and lute solos from 17th century England for Slide Soft, You Silver Floods, their 7.30pm recital on July 8 at the Lyons Concert Hall. The City Waites will present Another Ballad On A Fish, Or How The World Wags, a title that warrants further investigation at the Merchant Adventurers' Hall, Fossgate, on July 9 at 7.30pm.

Outside York, Peter Seymour, from the University of York music department, will direct his European ensemble Corona Coloniensis in The Church's Year, a sequence of 17th century English anthems and motets at All Saints Church, Harewood, on July 10 at 6.45pm. On the same date at 9.30pm, Catherine Bott and David Owen Norris will join together for Haydn At the Pleasure Gardens in The Gallery, Harewood House.

The Cardinal's Musick will trace the life of Elizabeth I in Elizabeth at the Central Methodist Church, St Saviourgate, on July 11 at 7.30pm; Ebor Singers will perform Music For Troubled Times, music and readings for the English Civil War, that night at 10pm in the Unitarian Chapel, St Saviourgate; and The King's Consort will give the last concert, The English Orpheus, on July 12 at 7.30pm at the Lyons Concert Hall.

The ninth Early Music Network International Young Artists Competition will bring musicians from all over Europe to the National Centre for Early Music on July 12 from 10am to 5pm.

Also at the National Centre, the festival will focus on the younger generation in a Tudor Showcase on July 4 from 2.30pm to 5.30pm, featuring Heworth CE Primary School.

For festival tickets, full programme details and brochures, ring 01904 658338.

Updated: 09:17 Friday, March 28, 2003