Fountains Abbey, founded in 1132, is one of the largest and best preserved ruined Cistercian monasteries in England. Participating choirs, orchestras, bands and dance troupes have the opportunity to perform in the undercroft and ruins of Fountains Abbey, which was named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Set in 800 acres of National Trust land this is a perfect location for groups to showcase their musical skills and take advantage of the fantastic acoustics and atmosphere of the undercroft chamber. Fountains Abbey is one of our most popular outdoor public performances and provides yet another unique opportunity for your ensemble to perform in grand historical surroundings to large audiences.
The Harrogate International Youth Festival was an unforgettable experience for us Crazy Hoppers from Switzerland. The performances in the different locations were very exciting and interesting. Among others we could hold concerts in the Royal Hall, in the Newby Hall Garden and in the St. James’ Church. Once we took the liberty of giving a small square concert in York. Especially the two concerts in the Royal Hall were the highlights of our stay. Very special for us was the light show, which gave us a completely new feeling of our performance. The staff members fulfilled all our wishes and made us feel comfortable on stage. We were rewarded on Sunday when the audience demanded an encore from us Crazies only. This was a very great honour, which we had not expected.
We were accommodated in a local boarding school in comfortable triple rooms with private bath and shower. We quickly felt comfortable and enjoyed our stay very much. The encounters with participants from all over the world were exciting for us, for example at the rehearsal and the concert with the Massed Band. Even with occasional language obstacles we had a lot of fun. Harrogate is a beautiful city and we enjoyed every free time in which we could explore the city.
The preparation before and during the HIYF has strengthened our team spirit enormously. It broadened our horizon and we could gain many new experiences. We will remember this event positively for a long time.