Medieval Music in the Dales celebrates 10 years with an international line-up

Medieval Music in the Dales, currently the UK's only festival dedicated to Medieval music, returns to the north of England this September with its most ambitious programme yet, celebrating the 10th anniversary of its first edition.

From small beginnings in 2016, the festival has grown into an internationally recognised celebration of and learning platform for Medieval music, drawing visitors from as far as the USA and Australia. This year's theme, Margins: Decolonising European Medieval Music, brings musicians from the UK and Europe together to challenge the idea that the Middle Ages were culturally uniform.

Festival director Dr Gill Page, a Medieval historian with a research interest in the history, uses and abuses of ethnicity, created the festival theme to highlight non-Christian traditions, communities and feminocentric and queer perspectives in the Medieval era.

Dr Page explained: 'I want to showcase some of the amazing work being done by astoundingly creative musicians. But at a time when our Medieval past can be abused to justify xenophobia and racism, I also want to enhance cross-cultural understanding by exploring the presence of Jewish and Muslim populations and cultures in Medieval Europe.'

Headline performers include specialists in Medieval Jewish music Lucidarium (Germany); Peppe Frana and Mirna Kassis (Italy and Syria), who bring Medieval Arabic theory and storytelling into the repertoire; the Dutch Ensemble Sibil.la, exploring Medieval Cyprus's mix of cultures; London's Îdrîsi Ensemble and their early Medieval chant; and countertenor and composer David Yardley, who will focus on the 'rainbow margin' of sexual and gender minorities in Medieval Europe alongside Patricia PE Janssen.

Medieval Music in the Dales will take place 11-13 September at Bolton Castle, Wensleydale. The festival also features more than 25 performers across multiple stages, alongside talks, workshops, informal sessions and an exhibition of Medieval instrument-making. This year's festival theme is supported by the Wingate Foundation and the Scops Arts Trust and will offer subsidised and free places to members of local minority communities.

For more information and ticket booking links, visit the Medieval Music in the Dales Festival profile on Continuo Connect.

^{Cover photo: Îdrîsi Ensemble (credit: Kate Peters)}