If ever proof were needed that rural North Yorkshire is far from being a cultural backwater, the impact of Live Music Now on the line up for this year's Ryedale Festival would provide it.
LMN Yorkshire is one of the busiest branches of Live Music Now, and last year alone gave over 600 performances and workshops for more than 22,000 people. Audience members aged from 0 to over 100 years old participated in performances by folk, jazz, world and classical musicians. Without LMN these groups would not have been able to access such high quality live performance due to disability, economic disadvantage or rural isolation.
LMN's success in nurturing talent is evident in this year's Ryedale Festival programme, in which no fewer than fifteen current and past LMN musicians are performing. Chris Glynn, Artistic Director of Ryedale Festival and himself a past performer with LMN, says: "I have very fond memories of my time on LMN; The experiences I had performing for disadvantaged groups throughout the UK had a great impact on me both personally and as a musician. I am delighted that the Ryedale Festival has been able to include so many LMN alumni in this year's programme. It is a testament to LMN that some of the UK's most talented musicians have been supported by them at such a crucial stage in their early career."
In addition to public performances, LMN is working in partnership with the Festival to extend its audience through the Reaching Ryedale programme. Twenty Ryedale venues whose residents or service users would be unable to access the main Festival programme will host an interactive performance from either flute and harp duo Amadio, or violin and piano ensemble Duo Zingara. These performances will take place from 19th – 30th July and will ensure that as many people as possible in Ryedale experience this year's Festival.
LMN musicians and aLuMNi performing in this year's festival are:
Chris Glynn – Festival Director, piano
Amadio – Flute & Harp
Timothy End – Piano
Duo Zingara – Violin & Piano
James Sherlock – Piano
Fell Clarinet Quartet
Michael Haywood and Laura Grime – Traditional Scottish Folk Duo
Warren Mailley-Smith – Piano
Craig Ogden – Guitar
Sally Pryce – Harp
