INSCAPE RETREAT II

ASKHAM HALL

A Musical Weekend in the Vale of Eden

Blazing fires, the company of kindred spirits, lectures, talks and gentle walks, and music await us in a picturesque village in the Vale of Eden this winter. Nestled between the Lakes and the northern part of the Pennine Range, Askham village is regarded by Pevsner as the prettiest in Westmoreland.  Askham Hall, a fine Grade I-listed house with a pele tower dating back to the 13c, is now run as a comfortable and informal country house hotel run by Charles Lowther, son of the 7th Earl of Lowther, who will welcome us for a special weekend.

The hall sits in part of the Lowther estate, where Charles rears his own meat for Askham’s resident chef, Richard Swale. The promise of beautifully-prepared seasonal estate food alone constitutes an incentive for us to visit. It is fitting that we hold our second Inscape Retreat in Askham, and even more appropriate to combine our retreat with the Hall’s first winter music festival. Our recently inaugurated and timely retreats are intentional escapes from a task-driven everyday existence into more gentle days of talks, readings, occasional excursions, rest, meals, and, now, music. In two superb settings for an intimate winter music festival events will take place fireside at Askham Hall and in the nearby Askham Church. We will be amongst the first most fortunate to partake!

Soloist, recitalist and chamber musician Noam Greenberg will be featured in the weekend’s performances. Appearing frequently on music stages across Europe, he previously studied with the late Mario Curcio, one of the most influential piano teachers of the late 20th century. Also taking to the stage will be the Ardeo Quartet, a highly praised French chamber music ensemble, who has won numerous international prizes and played in an array of well-known European venues and festivals. There will be a total of four piano and quartet concerts with music by Mozart, Beethoven, Dvorak and, exclusively for Askham Hall guests, an evening fireside recital of Chopin Nocturnes.

COST £1095 Members, £1145 non-Members, £95 single room supplement, includes three nights accommodation with breakfast, all lunches with wine, one of which is a private lunch at Dalemain House, three dinners with wine, two private coffees, tea, lectures by Nicholas Friend, four concerts, private visit to Dalemain, and all travel during the tour. Excludes travel to and from Penrith.

FULL ITINERARY

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