York Late Music Festival is celebrating its tenth anniversary with ten concerts of music of our time spread over three weekends. Festival administrator Steve Crowther gives Charles Hutchinson a guided tour of a classical festival that is better Late than never...

How did it all begin?

"The festival used to be called Soundpool, which was started by a group of musicians who originally came from Bangor University, and set up Soundpool at the University of York to complement the Soundpool already in operation in Cambridge. Their aim was to promote 20th century music, notably their own."

Who was involved?

"There were five people, led by Michael Parkin, and their idea was to take modern classical composition out of the environment of the university and take it into the real world, but the real world wasn't very interested.

"At that time it was just a few concerts, performed at the Chapel Studio at St John's College and at York Arts Centre. The funding was very tight; the performers were usually local but they were good - very, very good; but the audiences were non-existent."

At what point did the

festival perk up?

"When Martin Pople was artistic director of York Arts Centre, he had this idea that it should be called the York Late Music Festival in response to the York Early Music Festival. David Power the festival's artistic director and I then had a meeting with Yorkshire Arts, and they basically said 'Get real, we're not going to fund an organisation, even if it's doing good work, unless you're getting audiences', and that's when we set about changing the programme."

What changes were made?

"Two things in particular. The festival's aim was always to promote 20th century music but we decided that composers who we would not have naturally programmed, because they would have been regarded as populist, would now be featured. Michael Nyman, Philip Glass, John Tavener, they have brought in an audience.

"The other decision was to put the music into context, putting it alongside earlier music, so rather than just having an incestuous clique, the festival has been given far more rounded programming. Debussy, Brahms and Bach all feature this year.

"We also introduced jazz because if there is an archetypal art form that represents the 20th century, it's jazz."

Will this year's festival be marking the tenth anniversary with a retrospective theme?

"To be honest, we're not looking back to ten years ago but will be continuing our policy of highlighting the work of one composer. This time we're dedicating the first three concerts to Wilfrid Mellers, whose 90th birthday falls this year. He was, I think, the first professor of music at the University of York, and we were going to feature his work anyway this year because we wanted to put it back in the public arena. In fact we didn't realise that he was going to be 90 this year, so that's a lovely bonus.

"Guitarist Abigail James and flautist Rowland Sutherland tonight, the Joyful Company of Singers tomorrow and pianist Andrew Ball on Sunday evening will all be playing his works at our Wilfrid Mellers Weekend."

Will there be other York contributions to the festival?

"After coming up with the Mellers weekend, we picked up on the idea of a York base to the festival, so Andrew Ball's concert features composers with strong connections to the City of York. Black Hair, who are based in York, will be showcasing works by Bernard Rands - who lectured at the university - to mark his 70th birthday. "The last concert, on May 21, by the Fitzwilliam String Quartet will complete the York connection, because they used to be the string quartet in residence at the university."

The Beatles, Chuck Berry, Peter Gabriel and George Michael are among the composers' list for the Homemade Orchestra's concert on March 20. What's going on?

"The idea behind that concert is the Homemade Orchestra will be revisiting 20th century popular music through 21st century classical eyes. They've rearranged the great and the good, George and Ira Gershwin, Joni Mitchell, Duke Ellington and even The Human League's Love Action, and with composer Colin Riley and Loose Tubes saxophonist Tim Whitehead involved, it should be something really special."

New works by Andrew Wilson-Dickson, Christopher Gander, Christopher Long, David Power and you too will be giving a cutting edge to the festival.

"That is the excitement, not knowing what to expect from new pieces. Topologies, who are coming to the festival for the first time on March 14, will be doing my work - and it isn't finished yet!"

Hurry back to the writing, Steve.

York Late Music Festival runs at National Centre for Early Music, Walmgate, York, March 21. Box office: 01904 658338.

Updated: 15:24 Thursday, March 04, 2004