Things to Do, Entertainment
National Centre for Early Music
About Us
The NCEM is an accessible, flexible and intimate music venue, 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. As well as promoting a spring and autumn season of high class artists from around the world we are also the home of the internationally acclaimed York Early Music Festival..
The York Early Music Festival was established in 1977 and is designed to celebrate York’s myriad medieval churches, guildhalls and historic houses through historically informed music making of the highest international standard. The Festival is the ‘jewel in the crown’ of the NCEM’s annual programme and enjoyed by visitors from across the world.
In 1997 the York Early Music Christmas Festival was created to introduce audiences to the extraordinary wealth of music associated with Advent, Christmas and Epiphany, from the Medieval to the Baroque, intertwined with the sagas, stories and tales of the north.
The NCEM is available for hire for concerts, weddings, parties, conferences and other events.
Opening Times
Monday - Friday: 9.00am - 5.00pm
Facilities
- Wheelchair access
- Disabled toilets
- Facilities for hearing impaired
- Baby changing facilities
- Children welcome
- Advance booking encouraged
- Meeting room
- Facilities for educational visits
- Groups welcome
- Bar
- Board/Flipchart
- Facilities for conferencing
- Facilities for corporate hospitality
- Grounds for outdoor activities
- Wedding receptions
Location
Events at National Centre for Early Music
Little Listeners: Cinderella
Presented by Opera North The much-loved fairy tale, but not quite as you know it… Join us for a fun, family-friendly ma…
Intesa
Explore the theme of seeking light in the midst of dark and wintry weather with this exceptional young duo of viols and…
Contre le Temps
Woman has inspired thinkers, poets and creators for thousands of years with tenderness and charm, beauty and dedication…
Ensemble Augelletti
The NCEM are delighted to welcome BBC Radio 3’s New Generation Baroque Ensemble back to York as they present their new …
Stile Antico
This Joyful Birth: A musical journey through the Christian story Stile Antico recounts the journey to the manger in a g…
Solomon's Knot
Elements of JS Bach’s motet style can be traced back to the previous generation of his family, when his father’s cousin…
Siglo de Oro
Hey for Christmas! Imagine that we have arrived at your relatives’ London house at some point in the mid-17th century. …
Love and Melancholy
A musical journey into the complex world of human emotions presented by the winner of the 2024 Corneille Competition Ne…
Spiritato
Between 1640 and 1720 the immigrant German Düben family produced three generations of Capellmeisters at Sweden’s wealth…
Awake Arise
In an unmissable collaboration, five of the English folk scene’s most inventive artists bring you Awake Arise – A Chris…
GreenMatthews: Gaudete!
Following on from GreenMatthews ‘ 10 years of successful touring Christmas shows, Gaudete! is an expanded lineup playin…
Sean Shibe & Aidan O'Rourke
This new project brings together two extraordinarily talented Scottish musicians who are both embedded in tradition – l…
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