THE 2005 York Early Music Festival will celebrate the female muse as patron, inspiration, composer and musician.

Marking the artistic achievements of some of Europe's finest courts and converts, the July festival will focus on women of influence.

Those icons range from the Virgin Mary to the great patroness Queen Christina of Sweden, a figure remembered by film buffs as one of Greta Garbos' greatest celluloid moments, and the festival programme also will take in the medieval machinations of Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine, the glamour and intrigue of the Renaissance court of Elizabeth I of England and the baroque opulence of Venice.

The inspiration for the festival theme came from a portrait of Charles I's wife, Henrietta Maria of France, as festival administrator Delma Tomlin explains. "Curiously there's a portrait of her in the Merchant Adventurers' Hall, and I kept bumping into this portrait, thinking 'What on earth is she doing here?'. We do know King Charles and Queen Henrietta Maria came here in 1643, the year before the Siege of York, moving north from London to set up court when they were busy trying to avoid Cromwell," she says.

"Jonathan Wainwright will be giving a lecture in the hall on July 12 about the Queen and the musical repertoire of her chapel, and so that will be a good opportunity to find out more. That evening there will be a concert of music heard in her chapel."

Guest artists at this year's festival include the Tallis Scholars in a celebration of the 500th anniversary of English composer Thomas Tallis in York Minster on July 8. London Baroque with soprano Emma Kirkby will focus on Queen Christina in Rome in the Sir Jack Lyons Concert Hall on July 12; Alla Francesca will make their York debut on July 14 in the Chapter House of York Minster, tracing the musical path of the well travelled, risqu Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine; and Musica Antiqua of London will present a Renaissance programme for voice and viols, A Songbook For Isabella, on July 15 at St Olave's Church.

The final of the International Young Artists Competition will be held on July 16 at the National Centre for Early Music, where the Minster Minstrels, the City of York's early music youth group, will perform When The Cannons Are Roaring on July 10. Inspired by the true story of Trooper Jane Ingilby of Ripley Castle, who held Oliver Cromwell at gunpoint in the castle library, this concert will feature music and readings from the time of the English Civil War.

In further highlights, BBC Radio 3 will broadcast its Early Music Show live from the NCEM on July 9 at 1pm, and the festival's open workshop for singers and instrumentalists will be directed by John Bryan at St Aelred's Community Centre, Tang Hall, on July 10.

The festival will run from July 8 to 16 and full details are available on the website www.ncem.co.uk. Tickets can be booked on 01904 658338 or via the website, and free brochures can be ordered on 01904 632220 or by email to info@ncem.co.uk.

Incidentally, next year's festival will pick up on this year's theme, turning the focus to the musical patronage of the great families of Europe.

Updated: 16:23 Thursday, April 21, 2005