Yorkshire Baroque Soloists was formed in 1973 by Peter Seymour  to perform a repertoire from the 17th and 18th centuries for forces ranging from chamber to orchestral size. The group has performed and recorded in most European countries and forms the basis of the baroque and classical parts of York Early Music Festival.

Much of the orchestra's work has been with Yorkshire Bach Choir and recent performances have included Bach's Christmas Oratorio, Mozart's Requiem and C Minor Mass, Cantatas for the Feast of St Michael by Bach and Monteverdi's Vespers of 1610. Commercially released recordings have included Bach's Motets (Carlton) and Festal Mass at the Imperial Court in Vienna, 1648 (Carlton) and Mozart's Requiem (York Records). In June 2002 their latest recording was released, a sequence of Psalms and motets by Tomás Luis de Victoria.

YBS performed a programme for Channel 4 about Bach's work in Leipzig in which, amongst other compositions, they performed Bach's Ascension Oratorio. In recent York Early Music Festivals  BBC and WDR have recorded the group's performances of Handel's Semele, Alexander's Feast, Bach's Cantatas for the Feast of St Michael, Purcell's Come ye Sons of Art, The Yorkshire Feast Song, Blow's Welcome every guest,  Clarke's Music on the Death of Henry Purcell, Haydn's Theresienmesse, Mozart's Requiem., Purcell's Dioclesian and a psalm sequence of music by Charpentier. In recent seasons YBS has performed programmes of Purcell's music on an Early Music University Network Tour and recorded for BBC a programme of music by Biber  including his Missa Alleluia, scored for 8-part choir, 8 soloists, 6 trumpets, timpani, 2 cornetts, 3 trombones, strings and continuo. Other recordings have included a further BBC programme of music by Muffat and Biber.

In September 1999 they performed a programme of Blow for WDR broadcast live by EBU with music specially edited by Peter Seymour. In July 2000 they appeared in York Early Music Festival, performing programmes of Schütz (St John Passion, Seven Last Words, Resurrection History) and some new editions (again by Peter Seymour) of biblical narratives by Purcell and Blow. Both of these concerts were recorded by BBC. In the same month YBS appeared in Ryedale Festival performing Purcell and Blow odes.

In the 2000/1 season Yorkshire Baroque Soloists performed Bach’s B Minor Mass and Lutheran Masses, Handel’s The ways of Zion do mourn, a programme for voices and strings by Haydn and Mozart and further English Restoration odes. In the 2001 York Early Music Festival YBS performed a programme of Baroque concertos and sonatas by Vivaldi, Corelli, Stradella, Torelli, Sammartini, Scarlatti and Albinoni. Last season included Handel’s Messiah, Mozart’s Requiem, Haydn’s Nelson Mass and north German cantatas by Bach, Buxtehude and Tunder. In summer of 2002 YBS appeared at York Early Music Festival (Victoria), Swaledale Festival (Schubert song cycles), Ryedale Festival (Haydn, Mozart) and Festival Mitte Europa in Germany and Czech Republic (Purcell, Finger).

The coming season’s programme includes performances of Bach motets, Magnificat, Cantatas 110 and 191, St John Passion, Purcell’s Fairy Queen, Handel Coronation Anthems and concerti grossi.
 

Yorkshire Baroque Soloists regular personnel includes:
Yvonne Seymour - soprano; Joseph Cornwell - tenor; Stephen Varcoe - bass
Lucy Russell, Jonathan Sparey, Simon Jones, Martin Hughes, Mieko Kanno, Rebecca Livermore - violins;
Alan George, Duncan Druce, Clare Barwick - violas;
Rachel Gray, Daniel Yeadon, Ian Sharp - cellos
Jane McDermott - violone;
Utako Ikeda, Edwina Smith, Lis Parry - flutes;
Antony Robson, Cherry Forbes - oboes;
Lesley Schatzberger, Michael Harris - clarinet;
Alastair Mitchell, Felix Warnock - bassoons;
Crispian Steele-Perkins, David Staff - trumpets;
William Carter, Liz Kenny - theorbos;
Peter Seymour - organ, harpsichord, fortepiano;

For further information contact Peter Seymour on <ps22@york.ac.uk>

This page is maintained by Peter Seymour. Last updated September  2002.