Latest News

We have just published the schedule for the Choir Day 2024 on our website under the Choir day heading. We look forward to welcoming many of you on Saturday to enjoy a fantastic day or choral music. Entry costs 10 pounds for the day, or 5 pounds for the evening (6pm onwards). We can only accept cash!!

Jazz Lunch!!!

This Sunday (5th of March) we have our annual Jazz lunch at the Spa! We would love to see as many of you there as possible enjoying the atmosphere and supporting the musicians. It will be on from 12.30pm until 3pm. See you there… 🙂

Please find attached below the outline programme for the Eskdale Festival of the Arts 2023. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch!

Please find attached the outline programme for the Eskdale Festival Choir Day on the 9th of April, 2022. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to get in touch either through facebook, instagram or via email at: eskdalefestival@gmail.com.

Please find the dates and times of the Eskdale Festival 2022 classes below in pdf format.

We have just made the Eskdale Festival syllabus for 2022 available to download on our website! Just head over to the “competition syllabus” part of our website to download a section or the full version. Please note that the closing date for all entries is the 14th of January, 2022. We look forward to welcoming as many entries as possible!!

Coronavirus has stopped live gigs, but it has not stopped us making music!! The “Virtual Jazz Lunch” is available to watch now by clicking here!!

The Incorporated Society of Musicians is a charity who help musicians in need. They’ve done a lot of work throughout the pandemic to support musicians who haven’t been able to work so if you are able to, any donations would be very appreciated. You can donate by clicking here.

The Eskdale Festival, which normally fills the Spa Pavilion with music, drama and song in March every year, had to be cancelled, but the committee members were determined that talented musicians from the area should still have the opportunity to perform.

Local music teacher Bob Butterfield and former Eskdale School student Zak Parlby decided to organise a ‘virtual’ Jazz Lunch.  The result is a tremendous line-up of more than 15 musicians, mostly from the Whitby area, ranging in age from 17 to 70.  They include Tony Cross and Alastair Laurence as well as Bob and Zak, playing everything from jazz standards such as ‘Fly me to the Moon’ and ‘Blue Bossa’ to new pieces being performed for the first time.  Instruments include saxophones, trumpet, trombone, flute, piano, guitar, bass and drums.

Every musician recorded their performance separately and sent it to Zak, who has then done tremendous work editing the separate pieces together to create a video.  Zak has also supplied the arrangements for many of the numbers and composed as well.  There are solo items as well as different combinations of instruments.  The video lasts about 35 minutes.

Zak has been a student at Whitby Music Centre since primary school and has now recently been accepted to the jazz course at Leeds College of Music, to study the saxophone.  He has been writing his own compositions for several years, some of which his teacher Bob will use at the Music Centre ensemble he leads.

Zak commented: ‘It’s a great pleasure to write all this music and have it played by so many talented players.  I am thoroughly enjoying arranging and editing to create the finished product and look forward to the release in April.’

The video will be available on the website and facebook page of the Eskdale Festival of the Arts free of charge.  However, those who wish to are asked to support the ISM (Incorporated Society of Musicians) via the just giving page that will be attached to the video. The ISM supports musicians who have been unable to earn money since the pandemic. The launch date is 11^th April.

Future plans for the Festival include a recorded concert with contributions from local schools, which should be happening before the end of the summer term.

Exciting Update! The Virtual Jazz Lunch will be available to watch on 11th April on the website and facebook page! More details will be announced soon!