Described by his publisher Haslinger as ‘the final blooms of Schubert’s creative muse’, Schwanengesang contains some of Schubert’s finest songs – from the familiar serenade Ständchen, to the dramatic Der Atlas and the darkly haunting Der Doppelgänger. Grammy award winning bass Jonathan Lemalu is in great demand on the global stage and here he joins Artistic Director Libby Burgess.

Classical music has always been central to the silver screen, enhancing the moments of dramatic tension and poignant beauty indispensably. This gala concert presents works that feature in films ranging from Shine and The Mission, to Truly, Madly, Deeply and Shawshank Redemption, via Henry V and West Side Story.

In today’s Schubert slot we take a break from song, and replace it with chamber music based on song – Schubert’s uncompromisingly sunny piano quintet inspired by his own much-loved song Die Forelle, or The Trout.

Whilst Beverley’s famous Saturday Market bustles outside, step into beautiful St Mary’s and bask in the luminous sound world of quintessentially English music. In 1883 the Royal College of Music was set up by royal charter on South Kensington’s Prince Consort Road. Amongst its founder professors was Sir Charles Villiers Stanford, who held a post there for the rest of his life and nurtured the talents of the greatest composers of the age. Today’s programme is a snapshot of a special period of thirty years, during which an extraordinary cohort of composers passed through his class.

The south window of the south transept of Beverley Minster contains stained glass symbolising ‘the Age-Long Conflict between Good and Evil’; this aptly describes the philosophical subject matter of Messiaen’s profoundly spiritual Quartet for the End of Time.

Ireland's Songs of a Wayfarer with Edward Grint, Schumann's Mary Stuart Songs and Richard Rodney Bennett's History of the Thé Dansant with noted mezzo-soprano Katie Bray, plus a world premiere by Stephen McNeff, and Martin Roscoe performing Schumann's Fantasy.

The second stop in our Schubert Odyssey sees exceptional tenor Nicholas Mulroy, hailed for his impassioned storytelling as Evangelist in Bach’s St John Passion at the 2017 BBC Proms, join Libby Burgess in Die schöne Müllerin.

In this the 25th anniversary year of the opening of the Channel Tunnel, we explore two sets of Anglo-French teacher-student inspirations, as well as the connections between two extraordinary sisters, featuring music from Vaughan Williams and Ravel, Lennox Berkeley, Nadia and Lili Boulanger.

The festival's Schubert Odyssey begins with Winterreise, that epic tale of lost love and despair. An established song duo of ten years’ standing, Marcus Farnsworth and Libby Burgess return to the Beverley stage after their memorable Dichterliebe in the very first New Paths festival.

The first of the festival's 'moments to reflect': Howells' Oboe Sonata alongside piano preludes by Gurney, in a free pop-up performance in the glorious Beverley Minster.

We open the festival with a springtime Dawn Chorus of birdsong in music, in repertoire spanning over eight hundred years.

Brahms' German Requiem, in its chamber version accompanied by piano duet.

The conclusion of a week's work with McCaldin Arts at Aldeburgh Music, developing a new piece, with work by composer Cheryl Frances-Hoad and spoken word artist John Constable.

The culmination of Britten Sinfonia's residency at Canford School, working with music students in workshops and side-by-side chamber music, this solo recital features Libby Burgess on the school's newly restored Steinway, as well as performing alongside students from the school.

Johnny Herford and Libby Burgess present a recital of First World War texts and songs to commemorate the centenary of the end of that conflict.

Ross Griffey introduces his settings of Walt Whitman, his Poem for solo cello, and a witty whirlwind of medical ailments: A Catalogue of Agonies, for voice and harpsichord.

Ross Griffey, Clare McCaldin and Libby Burgess lead a workshop with four talented composers from the Faculty of Music. Their new works are performed ahead of a discussion between the composers, the performers and Ross Griffey. The texts of the new songs are in English but translated from other languages, in new translations specially prepared by students of Modern Languages. A fascinating and multi-layered event, open to all.

The Dutch composer Julius Röntgen was a friend of Brahms, a central figure in the Dutch music world, and a much-admired if now neglected composer. In the spirit of Brahms, he wrote a series of pieces for voice, piano and viola: the Lyrische Gänge, only recently rediscovered. We hear these wonderful pieces alongside Brahms’ much better-known songs for the same ensemble, as well as works by Schumann, performed by Clare McCaldin, Simon Tandree and Libby Burgess.

Mezzo-soprano Carris Jones and pianist Libby Burgess give a varied recital of song in the beautiful surroundings of the Foundling Mueseum. Programme to be announced.

Mozart’s tempestuous G minor piano quartet opens this concert, given by Libby Burgess’ Wieck Ensemble. Following yesterday’s exploration of late Britten, here we turn to one of his early works, the gritty Phantasy Oboe Quartet, and mirror it with the elegiac Phantasy Quartet for piano and strings by his teacher, Frank Bridge. To close the festival we return to perhaps the best-loved of all Czech composers, Dvořák, and follow the Piano Quintet in A major of Thursday night with his joyful and beautiful Piano Quartet in E flat major.

As Saturday Market bustles outside, come in for a celebration of Bohemian music. Beethoven’s frothy early Clarinet Trio was written for the Bohemian clarinetist Joseph Beer. Mahler was born in Prague, and to sing his sublime Rückert-Lieder we welcome award-winning mezzo-soprano Marta Fontanals-Simmons. Czech songs by Dvořák and charming cello miniatures by Suk complete this coffee concert programme.

The two Artistic Directors of the Beverley Chamber Music Festival join forces for a recital of piano duets. From the iridescent beauty of Mozart and profundity of Schubert to the stamping energy of Dvořák’s Slavonic Dances, this is a true potpourri of repertoire. Local composer Anthony Hedges features, while 2018 marks one hundred years since the death of Debussy, acknowledged here in his popular Petite Suite.

Co-Artistic Directors Martin Roscoe and Libby Burgess give a performance of Saint-Saëns’ ever-popular Carnival of the Animals, for children from local primary schools.