A STRONG theme running through the Ryedale Festival this month is Russian music and dance.

The performers, from all over the world, both established and emerging, include singers such as Eistyn Davies, Sarah Fox, Kate Royal and Roderick Williams.

Instrumental soloists include Kit Armstrong, Andrej Bielow, Adrian Brendel, Mahan Esfahani, Tine Thing Helseth, Gwilym Simcock and Alessandro Taverna, while chamber ensembles include the Heath and Fitzwilliam Quartets, Calefax, Quintessence, Passacaglia and the Anton Stadler Trio.

On a larger scale, the famous Seven Saints Choir from Bulgaria will perform in Ampleforth Abbey and the festival will also continue its association with the Orchestra of Opera North and Northern Sinfonia.

This year there are 44 events being held in 28 locations from July 13 to 29.

Artistic director Christopher Glynn says in the festival programme leaflet: “The sights and sounds of the festival will be many and varied.

“Russian works feature strongly, from the solemn splendour of music composed for the Orthodox church to one of Stravinsky’s most witty and inventive scores.

“At the heart of the festival will be a performance of Tchaikovsky’s richly melodic opera Eugene Onegin.”

That production also introduces another festival theme – “the music of dance”.

There will be performances of dance-inspired music by composers as diverse as Bach, Dvoják, Lutoslawski and Piazolla, as well as a newly-composed Community Dance Oratorio showcasing the talents of local people, and a breakdancing performance.

Young performers are also at the heart of the festival with many of them performing in the series of coffee concerts in many of the country churches of Ryedale.

A triple concert is scheduled for Castle Howard and a double concert at Sledmere.

Other highlights include a day devoted to French music culminating in a performance of Fauré’s Requiem plus jazz, talks and four theatrical events while The Cole Porter Songbook event in the second week at Duncombe Park will feature soprano Sarah Fox, fresh from her success at the BBC Proms, accompanied by Jamie Burton the piano and reader Martin Vander Weyer from Helmsley.

The opening concert on Friday, July 13 will be at 11am at Hovingham Hall featuring the Ryedale Festival Primary Schools Choir, the Quintessence Brass Ensemble and Em Whitfield as director.

This will be followed at 3pm with an afternoon concert featuring Passacaglia at All Saints’ Church, Hovingham, performing work by Bach and Telemann.

At 8pm, a gala concert with soprano Kate Royal and Christopher Glynn at the piano will take place in The Saloon at Duncombe Park.

The venues over the two weeks include Ampleforth College and Abbey and churches, halls or other venues in Sheriff Hutton, Slingsby, Pickering, including the Kirk Theatre, parish church and castle, Malton, including the Milton Rooms, Old Malton, Norton, Easingwold, Helmsley, including the walled garden and the arts centre, Lastingham, Botton Village, Birdsall, Thornton-le-Dale and Scampston Hall.

Organisers say that an unmissable date for the diary will be October 6 when choral singers from all over Yorkshire will join together for the first time as the Ryedale Festival Chorus to perform Verdi’s Requiem with the Orchestra of Opera North and four distinguished soloists conducted by Simon Wright in the York Barbican Centre.

For full details visit www.ryedalefestival.co.uk and for tickets phone 01751 475777.