Brinkburn Music and Gabrieli Consort & Players
Paul McCreesh founded Brinkburn Music Festival in rural Northumberland in 1994 but his first experience of Brinkburn Priory was as the venue for the Gabrieli Consort's very first and highly praised recording, Venetian Coronation 1595. Paul was captivated by the 12th-century priory and its magical setting and has been the artistic director for all of the subsequent 14 annual festivals.
Paul's aspiration for the festival is unchanging - to attract as many people as possible, whatever their circumstances, to enjoy the best music in the world. Additionally, the festival celebrates one of the North of England's finest ecclesiastical buildings and a natural, peaceful setting. It is this marriage of history, nature, architecture and music which encapsulates the Brinkburn experience.
The festival was described by Arts Council England, North East as a "beacon of excellence and adventure" and Gabrieli Consort & Players have frequently performed their new programmes there. In July 2007 the Gabrielis performed their new choral programme, Ave Regina Coelorum and Beethoven's Missa Solemnis. Previous festivals have included Handel's Rodelinda and The Road to Paradise, the Deutsche Grammophon recording dedicated to Brinkburn's founding chairman, Richard Harbottle, released in June 2007.