2025
2025 was the second year of the festival, combining a programme of our main concerts at the Lit & Phil, with workshops and performances for school children, care home residences, and talented teenaged musicians.
This year we commisioned two local composers, James Clay and Anna M. Heslop to write for us. This gave early career composers a chance to have their work performed,
2025
Opening Concert: Folk Influences from Europe to the North East
Thursday 28 August 2025
Robert Schumann
Fünf Stücke im Volkston (Five Pieces in Folk Style), op. 102
Zoltán Kodály
Serenade for Two Violins and Viola, op. 12
James Clay
Six Northern Rituals: North Ritual I
Béla Bartók
Duos for Two Violins (selected), Sz. 98
Leoš Janáček
String Quartet no. 1, ‘Kreutzer Sonata’
Our thirds concert saw fantastic school-age musicians from the North East perform works by Suk, Klengel and Kodaly. As part of the Festivals educational aim they had been receiving coaching over
the Summer from trustee and cellist Deb Thorne and our artistic director Seth Collin.
Concert 3: A Dream of Spring
Friday 29 August 2025
programme
Frank Bridge
Spring Song for cello and piano
Kaija Saariaho
Sept Papillons for solo cello
Franz Schubert
Impromptu, op. 142 no. 3
James Dillon
String Quartet no. 8
Ludwig van Beethoven
Violin Sonata no. 5 in F major, op. 24 ‘Spring’
Concert 4 Festival Finale Concert
Saturday 30 August 2025
Programme
John Garth
Cello Concerto no. 3 in A major
Maurice Ravel
String Quartet in F major, M. 35
Anna M Heslop
Room 211
Robert Schumann
Piano Quartet in E-flat Major, op. 47