Latest news with #YorkProms
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Tickets sell fast as opera stars join 200 local performers at major family event
MORE than 200 performers from the York area will be joining a line-up of rising opera stars at this year's York Proms picnic concert. The York Proms is hosting its biggest ever community stage when it returns to the Museum Gardens on Sunday 27 July, alongside its live orchestra and professional soloists. The York Philharmonic Male Voice Choir, who are celebrating their centenary year, will be performing the National Anthem with the orchestra to open the show when it takes place for the seventh time. The York Philharmonic Male Voice Choir is headlining the community stage (Image: Submitted)Other local talent includes York's own Rock Choir, Lucy's Pop Choir, Bridge Shanty Crew, York Musical Theatre Company and the Katie Ventress Dance School. Music lovers of all ages will descend for the event which is being held in the shadow of the historic ruins of St Mary's Abbey and will end with a rousing fireworks finale. Lucy Farrimond is this year's soprano at York Proms (Image: Submitted) Lucy Farrimond, a graduate of the Royal Northern College of Music, is this year's soprano, having previously captivated audiences at venues across the UK and internationally, including the Royal Albert Hall. Lucy made her BBC Proms solo debut in 2019 at the age of 21, performing Haydn's The Creation at the Royal Albert Hall with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra. She has also been featured on BBC, ITV, BBC Radio 4, and BBC Radio 3. This year's tenor will be Oscar Bowen-Hill, who has recently graduated with 1st Class honours in a BSc in Cognitive Science and Singing. Oscar Bowen-Hill (Image: Submitted) He sings with the London Philharmonic Choir, among others, and is embarking on the next steps of his singing career with scholarships at St Paul's Knightsbridge and with the Oxford Bach Soloists. The soprano and tenor will lead the audience in the Proms finale pieces, including Jerusalem and Land of Hope and Glory, and will perform some favourite, crowd-pleasing operatic arias and show songs. Recommended reads: York Junior Proms 2025 is cancelled due to spiralling costs Zorbing and live music at first festival of its kind in popular York park 140,000 visitors expected at four-day celebration of farming in North Yorkshire York Proms organiser, Rebecca Newman, said: 'We are always looking out for rising stars in the opera and classical music world, with Lucy and Oscar being no exception. 'I am excited to hear them perform for our crowd and know they will go down a storm. With bright careers ahead, we are proud to add some more wonderful singers to our own York Proms hall of fame!' Tickets are selling fast and can be purchased at or from Visit York Information Office on Parliament Street. No tickets will be sold on the gate, and the box office usually closes one week before, or sooner if sold out. Gates open on the day at 5pm for Fast Track tickets and at 5.30pm for Standard. Picnics are permitted, including alcohol and glass bottles but bags will be checked on arrival. Camping chairs are permitted, but tables, parasols, trollies and BBQs are not allowed. No dogs will be admitted except assistance dogs.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Major family event cancelled: 'It's sad but means we live to fight another day'
York Proms in Museum Gardens is going ahead in summer 2025 - but the Junior Proms has been put off. (Image: Bobby Van Wyke) A MAJOR open-air event planned for York this summer has been cancelled as a casualty of the cost-of-living crisis. York Junior Proms was due to be held in Museum Gardens with a special programme for children on Monday 28th July, a day after the popular picnic concert York Proms. But organiser Rebecca Newman said spiralling costs and the economic uncertainty made the event too big a risk despite lots of work already done behind the scenes. The York soprano star said it had been a difficult decision but was sensible - and meant 'we live to fight another day'. York Proms, which was a sell-out success last year, is still going ahead on Sunday 27th July, featuring a live orchestra, opera soloists and fireworks finale. Rebecca said: 'I have been trying to get this [Junior Proms] off the ground this year but there are so many moving parts. A few things were looking very promising but there's too much risk. Everyone is feeling the cost-of-living crisis, and a lot of events are being cancelled. We have all been victim of spiralling costs. Rebecca Newman on the main stage at York Proms (Image: Bobby Van Wyke/ York Proms)'People wait to book, especially with outdoor events, but we have to hit certain early targets to have the confidence that the event will work. 'When we talk about the event people's eyes light up – there's nothing like it in the UK at the moment. But if we move too soon it could prevent it from coming back in the future. It's a shame but this is the sensible decision so we can potentially launch something next year.' About 150 children usually attend the York Proms but the Junior Proms was being curated specifically for younger audience, with an afternoon start to be more family friendly. Rebecca said: 'I am trying to do something lovely for York. I do believe it will come together, and I really want this to exist in York. That's what drives me. 'We started in 2017, and we have now done three Proms, because we lost two years from Covid. York Proms is still recovering from Covid. Our costs increased by 40 per cent during the period of Covid but they have never gone back down. My insurance is double this year, plus the cost-of-living crisis. York Proms 2024 was a sell-out success (Image: York Proms) 'I am not someone who will just fold a company and then walk away. This is my city. York Proms is doing really well – all our sponsorships have been filled – and we want to protect that. The Junior Proms will have its day - maybe when Trump isn't having a trade war.' She added: 'We get a lot of out-of-town promoters in York who have the money to experiment and lose money on events while it gets established but local home-grown producers and promoters are the people we want to put on events, so they are part of the culture of the city. We don't have the money to try things out and make losses. "We have to keep our fingers on the pulse to know when the time is right. I couldn't have made this decision in a month because it would have been too late. Hopefully, by doing this now, it means we live to fight another day.'
