The colour and spectacle of Venetian carnival is coming to York to mark the climax of this year's Early Music Festival.
The festival, which runs from July 6 to 15, will focus on the music of northern Italy as well as celebrating the 500th anniversary of the birth of music printing in Venice. Highlights include the internationally-acclaimed Gabrieli Consort and Players performing a Monteverdi Mass of Thanksgiving at York Minster on July 13.
The festival will be opened by highly-acclaimed cornet player Bruce Dickey with his wind group, Concerto Palatino, performing Echoes of St Marks: Venetian Wind Music 1580-1660 in the Choir of the Minster.
But the big event for young people will be the carnival, which is planned for Museum Gardens on Sunday, July 15, starting at 2.30pm.
The festival is reviving 15th and 16th century entertainments for the carnival of Venice performed by copamgni della calza, or stocking groups, so called because of the colourful embroidered stockings worn by group members.
Stocking groups from across York will perform renaissance-style entertainments during the free event.
Young people from York's schools will join the York Waits in a procession of wind instruments. Galtres School will perform a masquerade with music, dancing and a fight against six monsters, and there will be a juggling display. People wanting to wear masks can attend all-age mask-making workshops at the National Centre for Early Music in Walmgate on June 23 and 24. Prizes will be awarded at the carnival for best costume and most elaborate mask.
Other festival events include I Fagiolini presenting a celebration of the Italian "commedia dell' arte" style on July 12 at York University's Sir Jack Lyons Concert Hall, and guest artists soprano Evelyn Tubb and lutenist Anthony Rooley performing 1501 and all that: Ottaviano Petrucci and the invention of music printing, on July 11 at St Mary's Church, Bishophill.
Concerts are also taking place at St Michael Le Belfrey Church, St Olave's Church, Marygate, Bedern Hall, The Gallery at Harewood House and All Saints' Church, Harewood and the National Centre for Early Music.
For further information, call 01904 632220, or e-mail:
boxoffice@yorkearlymusic.org
Updated: 11:26 Monday, April 09, 2001
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