Ryedale Festival has announced a spring season filled with inspiring performances in beautiful and historic locations across the region.

The festival, which was recently nominated for a Royal Philharmonic Society Award, will bring together star personalities from the world of classical music and all-age community groups, and showcase rising young talent and in a short but inspiring season of spring events which give a taste of the summer festival.

This year's Summer Festival will take place between July 14-30, with the programme being announced at a special Launch Concert featuring the Piatti Quartet on March 31. This buoyant evening of music will include an inspired Mendelssohn quartet, a moment of simple beauty from Vaughan Williams, and Smetana's Quartet no.1 from In My Life, followed by the chance to hear full details of the festival's summer programme, which will go on general sale on April 17.

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A new Community Song Cyle entitled Give to me the life I love will celebrate life's adventure and the power of imagination on Saturday, April 29. Star tenor Nicky Spence and an all-age cast will gather in St Peter's Church, Norton, for the world premiere of a Community Song Cycle inspired by the Songs of Travel by Vaughan Williams and Robert Louis Stevenson. With new music by Bernard Hughes and words co-created by participants with Hazel Gould, the event is presented in collaboration with Richard Shephard Music Foundation.

Between May 2-5, Ryedale Festival will welcome an outstanding group of BBC New Generation Artists to Ryedale for a week of Lunchtime Concerts recorded for broadcast on Radio 3. Countertenor Hugh Cutting will join Christopher Glynn for a programme of songs and piano pieces on the theme of liberation, conceived during the pandemic and inspired by Michael A. Singer's best-selling book The Untethered Soul. Scottish accordionist and Ryedale Festival Young Artist Ryan Corbett will play a typically imaginative and wide-ranging programme, and cellist Santiago Cañón-Valencia will bring virtuosity and poetry together along with pianist Naoko Sonoda. Finally, the Mithras Trio will round off the week of lunchtime concerts with their 'exquisite phrasing', 'full-blooded commitment' and 'bold, passionate colours.'

Events range far and wide across the area and performances are given in a range of stunning venues, including Hovingham Hall, Duncombe Park, Birdsall House, Ampleforth Abbey, Scarborough Spa and many gorgeous churches across Ryedale.

Tickets and more information can be found at https://ryedalefestival.com/