Harrogate Music Festival off to good start with much more to come

The acclaimed trumpet player and his 25-piece brass orchestra brought a sense of nostalgia, glitz and glamour with their Brass Hits Hollywood show, featuring famous music from films such as Star Wars along with barnstorming renditions of old favourites including ‘Don’t Rain on My Parade’ and ‘It’s Too Darn Hot.

This set the tone for the Festival’s first week which has seen a string of memorable performances - and there is still lots more to come.

Tonight, the multi-talented Alistair McGowan, best known for the Bafta-winning TV show The Big Impression, will treat audiences at The Crown Hotel to an evening of poetry, stand-up comedy, and short piano pieces by such luminaries as Satie, Grieg, Shostakovich, Bach, Debussy, Madeleine Dring.

Meanwhile Gaia, a stunning six-meter diameter sculpture of the Earth by Luke Jerram, the artist behind the Museum of the Moon, will be suspended in the nave of St Wilfrid’s Church from 4-12 July, with tickets available to experience this remarkable artwork up close.

Tomorrow evening sees the first of six ‘Gigs at Gaia’ – a series of concerts at St Wilfrid’s Church performed beneath the incredible Gaia installation, an awe-inspiring, illuminated replica of planet Earth.

The inspirational Orchestra for the Earth, led by conductor and founder John Warner, will go on a musical journey connecting the audience with the natural world through sound. The concert, titled Earth, Sea and Sky, will include Grieg’s ‘Morning Mood’ from Peer Gynt and Vaughan Williams’ much loved The Lark Ascending.

They are followed by renowned Cuban classical guitarist Ahmed Dickinson (Sunday 6 July) who will showcase his unique blend of classical and contemporary guitar music from around the world.

Performing later on Sunday evening is The Marian Consort, a much-lauded British vocal ensemble known for their innovative programmes of music from the 12th century to the present day. Their candlelit concert promises to be a spellbinding occasion and the latest in the Festival’s long history of stunning concerts by candlelight.

Gigs at Gaia continues next week with Yorkshire-based organist, conductor and composer Anthony Gray (Monday 7 July) who will perform works celebrating the organ’s unique emotional pull, including music from Hans Zimmer’s epic score for Christopher Nolan’s film Interstellar, and Connaught Brass (Tuesday) who will bring these atmospheric concerts to a finale.

Also performing at St Wilfrid’s on Saturday, as part of this year’s Young Musicians Series, is Jali Bakary Konteh. He plays the kora, a traditional West African stringed instrument similar to a lute or harp, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, who were both legendary kora players.

To book tickets visit the Harrogate International Festivals website at harrogateinternationalfestivals.com or call the Box Office on 01423 562 303.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​