Making Musical History in the Dales

Medieval Music in the Dales is the UK’s only festival of medieval music, attracting devotees of music and history each year to its home at Bolton Castle in the Yorkshire Dales.

It’s a wonderful festival on offer this year from 9th to 11th September, and a return to full scale after the trials of COVID. Our theme is Medieval Women: Music Makers and Muses and there is all sorts of fascinating stuff to enjoy from some wonderful musicians from the UK, Switzerland, Germany and Finland.

Of course there will be music by the relatively few named women composers of the middle ages, Kassia, Hildegard of Bingen, Beatriz de Dia and others. But there is also the anonymous woman’s voice in much medieval music, covering the gamut from laments of betrayed thirteenth-century ladies whose husbands are away on crusade to fifteenth-century tavern songs: drink up girlfriend, we’re not drinking! Women were also also the subject of medieval song, and it all sheds intriguing light on attitudes about women and women’s roles in the medieval period.

The other principal aim of this year’s festival is to highlight some of the amazing women active in contemporary medieval music-making. Medieval Music in the Dales this year presents a simply unrivalled array of female voices and instrumental brilliance – and so much repertoire on offer too! The female voice raised in devotion from the ninth century to the fifteenth century, with Elisabeth Pawelke, the trio Voice, and Vivien Ellis with Leah Stuttard… the cantigas de amigo with Amor Céu from Finland… a lai of Marie de France with Stef Conner and Hanna Marti… the merry tunes of a travelling minstrel from wind virtuoso Silke Gwendolyn Schultze… Plus dazzling vielle from Juliette Primrose, harp from Cait Webb, organetto from Eva Moreda and the sweet voice of Katherine Christie Evans all performing in our chamber concerts in the Castle.

Medieval Music in the Dales isn’t quite like any other early music festival. As well as the concert series featuring top-whack professionals, the festival offers a great deal of more informal performance in the style of a folk festival; it also serves up an incredible range of workshops, bringing something of the summer school feel as well. With our medieval theme, there is often at least an aspect of living history too, and then there is the exhibition, featuring some of the best instrument makers on the scene, specializing in early instruments. A lot of people camp on site at the Castle for the festival, and our evening tavern scene has a really amazing vibe, where you might well find yourself playing along with internationally respected musicians - or having a bit of a dance to their music. Our Festival Passes, available just for one day or for the whole event from Thursday evening to Sunday evening, offer access to all these delights...

The fundamental aim at Medieval Music in the Dales is to get more people enjoying and playing medieval music. It’s a massive, varied and hugely satisfying repertoire and we want to spread the joy! All in all there are more than sixty musicians playing their music at Bolton Castle this September, so there really is so much to enjoy – in a truly gorgeous setting too!