Music: Vieux Farka Touré: The Secret Tour

Vieux Farka Touré’s rise to become one of today’s most celebrated African guitarists culminated in his 2010 performance at the FIFA World Cup in South Africa before a television audience of a billion people.

With his third studio album The Secret, he has now fully emerged from the shadow of his legendary father Ali Farka Touré. His unique style incorporates rock, Latin music, and African blues into the West African musical language he inherited from his father. It creates a captivating brew of fervent melody, buzzing guitars and timeless Malian soul.

Support act: David Broad

Performance: Cautionary Tales!

Opera North’s witty adaptation of Belloc’s deliciously macabre Cautionary Tales for Children was a big hit with audiences and critics when it first premiered in March 2011.

Bad boys and girls including lying Matilda, runaway Jim and daredevil George entertain you with their disobedient ways and dreadful ends. Full of colourful tunes and stories, this is a lively short piece of musical theatre for all the family and an ideal introduction to opera.

Suitable for children aged 5+ and their families. Duration: approx 60 mins.

Based on Hilaire Belloc’s verses
Composed by Errollyn Wallen
Adapted and directed by Pia Furtado

Music: Alasdair Roberts, Emily Portman and Kris Drever

This very special evening, inspired by the music of Alasdair Roberts, celebrates three of the finest folk voices around.

Glasgow based musician Alasdair Roberts is in high demand, from collaborations with folk musicians Bonny ‘Prince’ Billy and Isobel Campbell to shows with Joanna Newsom and Smog. Deeply rooted in the traditional ballads of his homeland, his music is unexpected and unadorned, with his fine free-flying voice at its heart.

Singer, writer and concertina player Emily Portman’s 2010 debut album The Glamourygained her two BBC Folk Award nominations and a reputation for a lark-like voice and original, harmony-rich narratives, inspired by the darker underbelly of folklore and balladry.

Guitarist and singer Kris Drever is best known as one-third of multiple Folk Award winning group Lau. Here, his rich, warmly lived in voice goes solo, bringing to life traditional ballads and the songs of his contemporaries.

‘All strangeness, betrayal and bloody hands, it’s powerful, magical stuff.’ **** Q on Alasdair Roberts

'One of the new British folk scene's most beguiling presences' Uncut on Emily Portman

‘Maturity and flair flow from every track’ Daily Telegraph on Kris Drever

Music: Quatuor Mosaïques

An exceptional opportunity to hear the work of Joseph Haydn, ‘the father of the string quartet’, played by one of today’s most celebrated ensembles on a very rare UK visit.

Founded in Austria in 1985 by four members of legendary ensemble Concentus Musicus Wien, Quatuor Mosaïques is the most prominent period-instrument quartet performing today. Playing on period gut-stringed instruments, they specialize in the music of the 18th century and have received critical acclaim throughout the world for their thoughtful and authentic interpretations, including several Gramophone Awards for their Haydn recordings.

Quatuor Mosaïques is a repeat guest of the Edinburgh International Festival, and the quartet regularly performs in Vienna, Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw and Berlin’s Philharmonic Hall.

‘elegant, detailed phrasing and carefully wrought playing.’ 
The New York Times

Music: Claudia Aurora: Silêncio

With a following to rival flamenco, the haunting melodies of Portuguese fado (traditional Portuguese folk-blues) hold listeners spellbound.

Following in the tradition of great female fadistas like Mariza and Ana Moura, Porto born Claudia Aurora is the powerful voice of fado’s new generation. Her original songs enrapture with the spine-tingling emotion of loss and yearning. Her extraordinary voice, drenched in a sadness that courses through the audience, gives unique dramatic expression to the soaring sound of Portugal.

‘Drenched in emotion and drama’ (Lucy Duran, BBC Radio 3)

Music: Gerry Diver : The Speech Project

A unique journey into the musical soul of Ireland, led by award-winning producer, composer and multi-instrumentalist, Gerry Diver.

Over four years Gerry has recorded interviews with great Irish singers, finding a deep music in the way that they speak, joke and laugh. From these spoken voices, Diver creates an innovative new music that weaves a unique spell over the audience, as live performance blends with recorded speech and specially commissioned video footage.

Gerry has previously played with the likes of Van Morrison and Sin é. His band for The Speech Project includes special guest Lisa Knapp, 2008 winner of the Mojo Folk Album of the Year Award for her debut album, Wild and Undaunted.

Music: John Mark Ainsley

In constant demand at the world’s most prestigious opera houses, award-winning English tenor John Mark Ainsley performs only rarely in his native country. Presenting a very personal selection of favourite German and English songs perfectly suited to his subtle voice, this is a very rare opportunity to experience one of the most versatile singers of our time in an intimate recital.

At the heart of the programme lies one of the 19th century’s great song cycles, Robert Schumann’s Liederkreis op.39. The 12-song cycle, formed from an unconnected set of poems by German Romantic poet Joseph von Eichendorff, is preoccupied with the transience and mystery of life, the beauty of night, moonlight, nature, and the splendour of love.

Artfully interweaved and contrasted with works by Brahms, Quilter, Howells, Guerney and Warlock, this is an evening celebrating the beauty of the human voice and the power of classical song. 

Piano: Roger Vignoles