A very special weekend of early music at the NCEM in York
Saturday 27 & Sunday 28 February 2027
A Feast of Polyphony
Applications open: 1 September 2026
Closing date: 30 September 2026
In 2027, the North West Early Music Forum celebrates 50 years of bringing people together to explore, enjoy and perform early music. To mark this remarkable milestone, we are inviting singers and instrumentalists to join us for a special two-day workshop at the National Centre for Early Music in York. Most of the weekend will be spent in the beautifully restored St Margaret’s Church, which has been home to the NCEM since 2000.
This is a chance to experience multi-part and polychoral works under the guidance of two outstanding tutors and long-standing friends of NWEMF, David Allinson and Gawain Glenton.
The Music
A Weekend to celebrate
The Weekend at a glance
The Venue
The Tutors
Who can apply?
What does it cost?
Invitation to apply
The Music
Over the course of the weekend, we will broadly follow the structure of a Mass Ordinary, but with movements by different composers:
- George de La Hèle – Kyrie, Missa Praeter rerum a 7
- Tomás Luis de Victoria – Gloria, Mass Laetatus sum a 12
- Josquin des Prez – Benedicta es a 6
- Plainchant setting from the Sarum rite – Sanctus
- Annibale Padovano – Credo and Agnus Dei, Mass a 24
- Josquin / Jean Castileti – Benedicta es a 12
- Mikołaj Zieleński – Magnificat a 12
There will be opportunities for singers and instrumentalists to work separately in some sessions as well as coming together for the larger tutti rehearsals. The weekend will culminate in a final run-through of the repertoire on Sunday afternoon.
Printed music and individual music folders will be provided for participants.
A Weekend to celebrate
This isn’t just another NWEMF workshop. It’s the start of our 50th anniversary celebration – an opportunity to look back at what we have achieved over the past half-century and also look forward to the next 50 years.
On Saturday evening, there will be a celebratory 2 course meal followed by a special Q&A with our tutors, Gawain and David, who will be joined by John Bryan (Rose Consort of Viols and long-time NEEMF member) and early music academic Lisa Colton from the University of Liverpool.
Expect stories, ideas, reflections on workshops, and a conversation about what makes music-making in the community thrive – and where early music might go next. This session will be live-streamed and recorded for those who can’t attend.
We’re also delighted to announce that The Early Music Shop will have a pop-up shop over the weekend, bringing a selection of sheet music, instruments and accessories from their main Saltaire premises.
The Weekend at a glance
These are approximate timings, and may be subject to change. Comfort breaks will be incorporated in each session.
Saturday 27 February
| 09.30 | Registration, tea and coffee (St Margaret’s) |
| 10.00 | First session (tutti) (St Margaret’s) |
| 13.00 | Buffet lunch (St Margaret’s) |
| 13.45 | Second session (Singers St Lawrence’s, instrumentalists St Margaret’s) |
| 16.00 | Free time |
| 19.00 | Celebratory two-course dinner (St Margaret’s) |
| 20.30 | Q&A session with tutors and special guests |
| 22.00 | Close |
Sunday 28 February
| 09.30 | Tea and coffee (St Margaret’s) |
| 10.00 | Third session (Singers St Lawrence’s, instrumentalists St Margaret’s) |
| 12.30 | Buffet lunch (St Margaret’s) |
| 13.15 | Fourth session (tutti) (St Margaret’s) |
| 15.00 | Tea and coffee break |
| 15.30 | Final run through (St Margaret’s) |
| 16.00 | Thanks and closing remarks |
| 16.15 | Close |
The Venue
The National Centre for Early Music is based in the medieval, Grade I listed, converted church of St Margaret’s which stands in the heart of the City of York in an attractive and spacious church garden. It was converted in 2000 thanks to a National Lottery grant, which transformed the building into a stunning setting for concerts. St Margaret’s is an accessible, flexible and intimate music venue that seats audiences of up to 180. Chris Roberts, Operations Director, is also one of our tutors (he led a brilliant workshop in April 2025) and he and the team at NCEM have been very supportive of our plan to hold our 50th anniversary weekend workshop at St Margaret’s. Whilst York is not in NWEMF’s geographical catchment area, it was the natural choice for the location for our special weekend celebration. If you haven’t been to St Margaret’s, you are in for a treat!
The singers will also rehearse at St Lawrence’s Community Hall just beyond the city walls, and about 7 minutes’ walk from the NCEM. The hall is in front of the church.
The Tutors
David Allinson and Gawain Glenton are two of our most popular tutors. We are delighted that they have both agreed to co-lead this weekend, and although they need no introduction, it’s good to remember just why they are at the top of their fields.
Dr David Allinson is a freelance conductor, singer and academic who has led hundreds of workshops and masterclasses in the UK and on the continent. His special love is Renaissance polyphony, and as well as holding university posts in music history and performance at Oxford, Bristol and Canterbury, he has tutored for every UK Early Music Forum, for organisations such as RunbySingers and Beauchamp Summer School and for numerous private workshops. He is known for his combination of scholarship, technical know-how and humorous positivity. David has been the musical director of the Renaissance Singers (London) since 2010 and has conducted numerous other choirs.
Gawain Glenton is a regular tutor for NWEMF and other Early Music Fora around the country. After his music degree at Manchester University, Gawain studied cornett with Bruce Dickey in Basel’s Schola Cantorum. He is now Manchester-based but his work as a soloist and busy choir conductor takes him all over the world, performing and recording with many leading international groups and directors, including the Taverner Consort, I Fagiolini and Barokksolistene. He is the founder/director of In Echo and a member and co-director of The English Cornett & Sackbut Ensemble.
“I am delighted to have been asked to co-tutor this special, celebratory weekend workshop for NWEMF, alongside the brilliant Gawain Glenton. To celebrate 50 years since the UK’s oldest Early Music Forum was founded, we’ve taken the opportunity to devise an ambitious programme of multi-part and polychoral works for voices and instruments. Join us as we fill the National Centre for Early Music in York with a blaze of sound, dispelling the February gloom and celebrating the immense contribution to the knowledge and practice of early music which NWEMF has made since the late 1970s.
The chosen repertoire includes many challenges and pleasures, from Josquin’s dizzying Benedicta es (in its original a6 scoring and as augmented by Castileti to 12 parts) to Mikolaj Zielenski’s thrilling Magnificat for three choirs. But at the heart of the programme is our messe imaginaire, a sequence of Mass movements by composers including Padovano, de la Hèle and Victoria in up to 24 parts. Don’t miss your chance to be part of this landmark weekend, with rehearsals, round table discussion and a special meal – which should set NWEMF up for its next 50 years!”
David Allinson
Who can apply?
Because this is a large-scale project, there needs to be a good balance of voices and instruments. Places will therefore be offered following the application period, with the tutors selecting the final participants according to the musical requirements of the repertoire. We are aiming for a total of 90 participants.
For this weekend, you will be asked to either sing or play. If you are a singer, please give your usual range (soprano, alto, tenor, baritone, bass), and if you are an instrumentalist, give details of which instrument you would play. If you can offer more than one, please add a note for the tutors to consider.
Instrumental places will include strings, recorders, cornetts, sackbuts, curtals and continuo.
What does it cost?
NWEMF is subsidising the ticket cost to help make this special anniversary weekend affordable for our members. Others are welcome to apply as well.
NWEMF members: £115
Non-members: £130
For those students wishing to attend, we hope to provide some financial help towards the ticket cost. And if you would like to make a donation to sponsor a student place for this event, please add a note in the form below with our thanks.
If you are a student, note your interest below and we will do our best to help.
The price includes:
- two full days of tuition with Gawain Glenton and David Allinson
- printed music and music folders
- all daytime refreshments
- sandwich lunch on both days
- a celebratory two-course evening meal with a glass of wine or soft drink (the NCEM bar will be open throughout the evening)
- Q&A session with the tutors and special guests John Bryan and Lisa Colton
- a final performance to mark the end of the weekend
Accommodation and travel are not included, but we’ll provide information and suggestions to help you plan your visit to York.
Invitation to apply
Applications open: 1 September 2026
Closing date: 30 September 2026
Places will be allocated after the closing date to ensure a well-balanced ensemble. We expect to confirm offers of places by mid-October.
Whether you’ve been part of NWEMF for decades or are discovering us for the first time, we’d love you to join us for this historic weekend.
27–28 February 2027
50 years of NWEMF
One extraordinary weekend of music
Please complete the following form if you would like to apply to take part in our anniversary weekend in February 2027. Our tutors will consider all applications and then extend an invitation to those accepted, taking into account the required balance for the music. We will confirm if your application has been successful by mid-October 2026, and you will then be asked to pay a deposit of £50 to secure your place. The balance due must be paid no later than 31 January 2027.
There are a limited number of spaces available for additional guests for the Saturday evening meal – the cost for attending the meal alone is £45, which includes a glass of wine or soft drink (the NCEM bar will be open throughout the evening). If you would like to invite someone to join you for the evening meal, please complete the relevant part of the form. Places will be given on a first-come-first-served basis.
Thank you – we will be in touch in mid-October.
Click here for the PDF file of the application form.
