The York Early Music Festival will celebrate its 50th anniversary this year with a new commission.

'York Fanfare, Flourish at 50' written by Yorkshire composer Sam Meredith will be played during the opening weekend by the German renaissance ensemble (hanse) Pfeyffery.

Sam recently completed his MA in Opera-Making and Writing at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama and his works have been performed at the Barbican and the annual Bauhaus Festival in London.

Joy and celebration

Speaking about the work, Sam said: "I wanted to emulate the rousing and awe-inducing nature of a 'traditional' fanfare, whilst also creating a sense of playfulness, joy and celebration, more in the spirit of folk and dance music.

The syncopated landscape that emerged, first during the compositional process and then through working with [hanse] Pfeyfferey, is hopefully an exciting and an energetic tribute to the National Centre."

Artists in Residence

(hanse) Pfeyffery are this year's Artists in Residence and specialise in improvised and rediscovered music from around 1500 played on shawms, cornetto, dulcian, slide trumpet and trombone.

The ensemble of Hannah Geisel (shawm), Lilli Patzold (cornett) and Alexandra Mikheeva, (slide trumpet & trombone) were finalists in the 2024 York International Young Artists Competition, winning the Cambridge Early Music Prize.

Trio and radio

'York Fanfare, Flourish at 50' will open the festival on Friday 3rd July outside The Sir Jack Lyons Concert Hall at the University of York (6.20pm) before the opening concert, and also three times outside York Minster before the concert by The Sixteen on Saturday 4th July.

There will also be an opportunity to catch them on The Early Music Show on BBC Radio 3 on Sunday 5th July at 5pm.