This year’s programme features four outstanding female vocalists as well as a top female viola player and a female violinist recently named as one of Classic FM’s Rising Stars under 30.
Claire Martin and Jim Mullen Quartet
Thursday 1 June, 19:30 - St. Andrew's Church, Grinton
Multi-award winning vocalist Claire Martin OBE (pictured) has been named “our finest jazz singer” by The Times. Performing with Scottish guitar legend Jim Mullen, bassist Jeremy Brown and saxophonist Alex Garnett, she will celebrate the Great American Songbook and the Quartet’s shared love of the legendary jazz singers. Expect stylish re-workings of much loved classics by Arlen, Porter and Gershwin alongside more soulful songs by Stevie Wonder and Donny Hathaway.
Trio Anima
Saturday 3 June, 16:00 - St. Andrew's Church, Grinton
Violist Rosalind Ventris has been a frequent visitor to the Festival since first appearing here as a teenager as part of our Young Artists Platform. Now amongst the world’s finest viola players, we are delighted to welcome her again, this time with two exceptional long-term colleagues - harpist Anneke Hodnett and flautist Matthew Featherstone. Their programme comprises works by Debussy, Bax and Sally Beamish – and is not to be missed!
Clare Wilkinson and Jacob Heringman: The Flower of England
Wednesday 7 June, 16:00 - Holy Trinity Church, Low Row
A special concert of lute songs performed by the outstanding mezzo-soprano Clare Wilkinson and the renowned lutenist Jacob Heringman, who lives in Richmond. The celebrated Elizabethan poet and courtier Sir Philip Sidney, who died heroically in battle at the age of 31, is celebrated in this programme of old and new settings of his poetry, along with music associated with his sister, Mary Sidney and his muse, Penelope, Lady Rich. There’ll also be compositions by John Dowland, William Byrd, Thomas Morley, Clare’s father Stephen Wilkinson, and the world premiere of a new song by Joshua Brown.
Lotte Betts-Dean and Brett Dean
Friday 9 June, 16:00 - St. Mary's Church, Arkengarthdale
The sensational Australian mezzo-soprano Lotte Betts-Dean makes her third appearance at the Festival, this time duetting with her famous composer father on viola. Their delightful and varied programme will include a new Swaledale Festival commission - a setting by Brett Dean of a poem by Les Murray entitled ‘Performance’, as well as pieces by Arthur Bliss, Sally Beamish and Ralph Vaughan Williams. Lotte has been praised by The Guardian for her “irrepressible sense of drama and unmissable, urgent musicality”.
The Herschel Players with soprano Julia Doyle: Cantates Françoises
Friday 9 June, 19:30 - St. Andrew's Church, Grinton
Special guest soprano Julia Doyle will sing with the world class Baroque ensemble, performing a programme of French works by Couperin, Rameau, Monteclair, Marais and Clerambault, in the sublime acoustic of the church in Grinton.
Originally from Lancaster, Julia studied Social and Political Sciences at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge before embarking on a soaring singing career. She has performed all over the world and become established as a specialist soprano in Baroque repertoire, being described as “a shining champion of the soprano arias” (Gramophone Magazine).
Mathilde Milwidsky and Annie Yim
Saturday 10 June 2023 16:00 - St. Andrew's Church, Aysgarth
Violinist Mathilde Milwidsky is a tremendous young talent who has recently been named as one of Classic FM’s Rising Stars under 30. Her debut album was released in 2020, and saw her performing the world premiere of three sonatas for violin and piano by Agnes Zimmermann, attracting reviews which called it “one of those once-in-a-decade or more discoveries”. A further album of Beethoven Romances followed, and more recently Mathilde was one of eight violinists selected to attend the Verbier Festival Academy in 2021 and 2022.
In this performance in Aysgarth she is accompanied by another first class musician - the young pianist Annie Yim - in a delightful programme comprising music by Telemann, Ravel, Elgar and Arvo Pärt.
Swaledale Festival runs from Saturday 27 May to Saturday 10 June 2023. Under 25s can get a ticket to nearly all events for just £3!