The York Early Music Foundation today unveiled its plans to establish a National Early Music Centre in the grounds of the redundant church of St Margaret's in Walmgate, York.

The foundation, which was recently awarded a grant of just over £1.5 million from the Arts Council's National Lottery fund, unveiled the results of the architectural competition to design the new centre for early music.

It was announced that the London-based architects Van Heyningen & Haward were to create the new centre for early music - with the assistance of the celebrated Arup Acoustics.

The plans for the centre, which include a state-of-the-art recording venue, conference facilities and offices, have been drawn up by Joanna van Heyningen and Birkin Haward.

Delma Tomlin, the foundation's administrative director, said today: "These plans reveal a harmonious blend of new offices, rehearsal rooms and recording facilities - all with full disability access - working alongside the medieval church of St Margaret's - a Grade One listed building which boasts one of the finest Norman porchways in England and which was recently listed by English Heritage as being in particular danger of disintegration."

Van Heyningen & Haward are well known for their excellent work in the music world and recent projects include the Jacqueline du Pre memorial concert hall in Oxford and a project for Birmingham Conservatoire which involves upgrading the recital rooms and Adrian Boult Concert Hall.

Delma Tomlin added: "I am thrilled to be able to work with such an excellent and exciting architectural practice who are so clearly in sympathy with our desire to both restore the beautiful medieval church of St Margaret's and to create a National Centre for the study of early music here in York."

Joanna van Heyningen - joint architect on the project with her colleague Birkin Haward - said: "We regard this not just as a great opportunity to restore the church of St Margaret's but also to considerably improve the churchyard which will make the local environment considerably more attractive for the people of York and particularly for those living in Walmgate."

Working alongside van Heyningen & Haward is one of the world's finest acoustical specialists, Arup Acoustics, which is particularly well known for its work at the Glyndebourne Opera House, at Snape for the Aldeburgh Festival in Suffolk and at the exquisite central London concert venue, the Wigmore Hall.

Plans for the centre - which is due to open in the autumn of 1999 - are presently on display in the planning department of the City of York Council. Council planners will discuss the proposed early music centre at their monthly meeting in August.

"We need another £20,000 to reach our target for the whole project and I'm confident we can raise that in the next couple of months. Every little helps, though," Delma added.

The Foundation is the sister organisation of the annual York Early Music Festival which this year runs from Friday, July 3, to Sunday, July 12, and includes a production of the famous cycle of York Mystery Plays which will take place on wagons in the streets of York on Sunday July 12.

See WEBSITE York Early Music Festival

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