YORK Early Festival is launching a cultural partnership celebrating the musical heritage of Flanders, in Belgium, at an event next month. Two world-class ensembles from northern Belgium, Utopia and Cappella Pratensis, will be performing in York as part of the new collaboration, organised in association with the Alamire Foundation, in Leuven, and AMUZ, a thriving arts centre in a disused baroque church and former Augustine monastery in Antwerp, with support from the Flanders government. "The partnership celebrates the historic ties between York and Flanders from the medieval period, built on the trading of wool by enterprising merchants, through to the present day," says festival director Dr Delma Tomlin, the first woman governor in the 660-year history of the Merchant Adventurers' Hall.
"The York Early Music Festival has worked with our partners in Flanders for 25 years and we have a similar mind-set to supporting and developing Early Music ensembles, with a willingness to provide opportunities. "We are particularly delighted to be part of this exciting new partnership, the beginning of a new collaboration with artists and colleagues based in Flanders in what is a considerable investment on their part. I would like to say a huge thank-you to the Almire Foundation, AMUZ and the Flanders Government for their support.
"This marks a very important moment in this city's musical history and highlights York's historical relationship with Flanders, giving us the opportunity to celebr.