Medieval Music in the (Virtual) Dales
Online: September 11th-13th 2020 on a screen near you...
Our Online Festival this year is a mix of:
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live performance
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original recorded video receiving its premiere at our event
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workshops
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talks
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informal gatherings.
All information is correct at this time, but the programme is unavoidably subject to change.
Timetable
Friday 11th September - FRIENDS' FRIDAY
This year's Online Festival - and indeed the immediate future of Medieval Music in the Dales - has been secured by the support of our wonderful Friends organisation. In recognition of their generosity, the Friday of the Online Festival is reserved for Friends.
7-8pm:
Workshop with Stef Conner: Medieval Echoes in Folksong. An
opportunity to work with this amazing performer who wowed us all at
MMitD 2018 (right).
8-11pm:
Meet the Artists.
An informal chance to meet, and hear a bit of music from, our concert
performers Archaedium, Gaita, Peppe Frana, Steve Tyler of Woodwose,
Vagarem and Trouvere.
Saturday 12th September
11am
Welcome to the Festival!
Over the course of the weekend, Gill and Paul of Trouvere will take you on a tour of Bolton Castle and its environs - the home of the live festival. The tour begins with a look at Castle Bolton village and St Oswald's Church. This is the venue for our live concerts during the festival, and we will hear some music from Steve Tyler and Woodwose followed by a chance to meet Steve and offer up any questions you might have.
12 noon
Talks on medieval dance. Dancer and dance historian Charlotte Ewart will present some of her research and interpretation of the medieval estampie. Medieval historian Natasha Coombs will talk about the medieval Dance of Death. Plenty of opportunity for Q&A!
1pm
The second instalment of our tour of Bolton Castle takes us down to the Courtyard and then back up inside to the Tavern - and music from some of our Castle Stage performers
2pm
House Concert with Gaita.
Unable to resist their now annual visit to Castle Bolton,
the musicians of Gaita are basing themselves at their
usual holiday cottage in the village - which is the
venue for this live 'house concert'. Amazing!
3pm
In the third instalment of our Castle Tour, trek up the winding spiral staircase to the Solar of Bolton Castle, and then along the passageway to the Great Chamber. This is usually the home to our Instrument Makers' Exhibition, so next we have some visits to the workshops of three of our regular and wonderful instrument makers.
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Eric Moulder will explain how he is working
with woods from the Castle Bolton estate to make
his historical reed instruments.
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Benjamin Simao will take us to his workshop in
Finisterre, Brittany
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Then it's a trip north to Strathpeffer, west of Inverness,
and the workshop of Ardival Harps (right).
5pm
A vocal workshop on the medieval sequence, with Leah Stuttard.
6pm
Bill Taylor of Ardival Harps demonstrates the medieval harp and psaltery.
7pm
Back to the Tavern for more Castle Stage performances.
8pm
The Online Concert. Live and pre-recorded music from Stef Conner, Steve Tyler, Peppe Frana, Trouvere with Richard de Winter (and quite possibly more...)
10pm
Finish off the evening with a chat in our Virtual Tavern.
Sunday 13th September
10am
The final instalment of our Castle Tour begins
on the battlements of Bolton Castle, before leading
downstairs to Lord Scrope's Chamber and
Queen Mary's Chamber - and music from
Archaedium (right).
11am
Reeds care and maintenance with Lizzie Gutteridge
12 noon
Medieval lute and gittern workshop with Peppe Frana
1pm
Trouvere’s Instrumentarium. Over the summer, Paul and Gill of Trouvere have been working on this video showcasing an incredible range of medieval instruments.
2pm
Vocal workshop on medieval song with Richard de Winter
3pm
A second 'House Concert' with Gaita, live from Castle Bolton
4pm
Farewell for this year!
