For over 70 years, the Richmondshire Concerts have punched above their weight. The society is one of the largest in the North of England, with 239 paying members (2021-22 season), and audiences which frequently exceed 300. The concerts attract enthusiastic, knowledgeable attenders, many of them frequent concert-goers in Leeds, Gateshead, Durham, York and London. The society is known for programming high-quality mainstream repertoire and showcasing new and less-familiar works.
  • "It was a great pleasure to play for the audience in Richmond - I so enjoyed their open-minded attitude and good humour." (Tasmin Little, violin)
  • "We thoroughly enjoyed playing for Richmondshire Concerts. Beautiful place for a pre-concert stroll too!" (Allegri Quartet via Facebook)
  • "Wonderful audience and atmosphere!" (Carducci Quartet via Facebook)
  • "273 to hear French baroque music - you'd never get those numbers in London." (Nicolette Moonen, Leader of the Bach Players)

The Richmondshire Concerts take place in the attractive small Norman/Georgian town of Richmond, on the northern edge of the Yorkshire Dales. With its famous Georgian Theatre Royal, its architectural gems, the Swaledale Festival and the Richmondshire Concerts, Richmond is a cultural hub for a huge area of North Yorkshire, County Durham and Teesside. It is not on the District Line of the London Underground.

Richmond, its castle, and Swaledale beyond
Richmond is easily reached from the A1(M) at Scotch Corner (4 miles) or from Darlington Station, which is a bit over 2 hrs from London King's Cross. For artists coming by train we supply transport to and from the station (20 minutes). If staying overnight, artists are generally hosted in local homes.

Our venue is a beautifully refurbished, warm Art Deco cinema with comfortable tiered seating for over 350 people. Formally, it's called the Influence Church, but you can set aside any expectations of chilly stone, cramped pews or obstructive pillars. It has a wide, raised platform which will accommodate a chamber orchestra, and excellent sight-lines.
  • "A lovely acoustic... A beautiful venue" (Craig Ogden, guitar)
  • "A lovely venue. The players really enjoyed the performance (the acoustics make such a difference in this respect)." (Helen Blythe, Royal Northern Sinfonia)
  • "A fabulous place to play (an acoustic of that honesty is a rare find)." (Christopher Jones, Gildas Quartet)​

Concerts are at 19:30 on Wednesdays, September to April (effective 2020)
Photos above are by Jane Morris Abson, unless otherwise identified

​Recent, current and booked artists include Emma Johnson, Elizabeth Watts, Tasmin Little, Joanna MacGregor, Chloë Hanslip, Royal Northern Sinfonia, Red Priest, London Concertante, Manchester Collective, New London Chamber Ensemble, and the Allegri, Barbirolli, Belcea, Benyounes, Brodsky, Carducci, Chiaroscuro, Consone, Cremona, Doric, Escher, Fitzwilliam, Maggini, Medici, Piatti, Prazak, Sacconi, Solem and Sorrel Quartets.  

Artists are welcome to promote CDs during the interval and after their concert. Our volunteers handle sales, and no commission is charged.

Most bookings are originated by us, but unsolicited approaches are welcome too. We aim to firm up each season by the preceding Christmas. If artists plan to tour in the North of England, we may be able to point them towards possible back-to-back engagements with other local societies. 

Photos - a plea from our marketing people. "Artists, please use a good, professional photographer and don't begrudge the money. Show the current lineup on your website, not last year's. If you're an occasional ensemble, get some ensemble photos so we don't have to cut and paste individual pictures. If you're having an informal, outside shoot, please sneak in an instrument or two so we can see you're not on your way to an office party. And please, no more shots in edgy, graffiti-scrawled alleys or deserted factories, because we've had enough. Honestly, these little things make all the difference."

Questions? Contact our Concert Secretary, Anna Jackson: concertsecretary@rsconcerts.org