The start of April found us in beautiful Beverley, attending as many concerts as we could afford at the imaginative top-quality New Paths Music Festival, conceived and directed with seemingly inexhaustible energy by Libby Burgess. The Minster hosted several events, notably the competition among Royal Birmingham Conservatoire organ students for the Dame Gillian Weir Messiaen prize. Some really outstanding playing hugely impressed the large audience.
In addition to many chamber music performances in smaller venues, St Mary’s – the huge parish church at the other end of the town – was used for concerts such as memorable performances of the three late Schubert piano sonatas by Martin Roscoe on consecutive days. Among the other standout concerts were some extraordinary accordion playing by Miloš Milivojević, partnered by the guitar skills of Craig Ogden, Ashley Riches singing Brahms and Julian Bliss (clarinet) with Libby Burgess. Can’t wait for the next Festival!
