My Heart was a Tree: The concert Michael Morpurgo, Clare Morpurgo, Carol Hughes and the Iddesleigh String Quartet
Event details
Narration - Michael Morpurgo, Clare Morpurgo and Carol Hughes
Music - Iddesleigh String Quartet: Kerenza Peacock (violin) Josh Michaels (violin) Steve Doman (viola) Joe Roberts (cello)
Enjoy a mesmerising programme of poetry and music inspired by our beautiful British countryside.
Renowned children’s author Michael Morpurgo and his wife and fellow author Clare Morpurgo, together with Carol Hughes, who was married to poet Ted Hughes for the last 28 years of his life, share their favourite poems as they celebrate the wonder of nature.
Their poignant readings are interspersed with music by Elgar, Haydn, Max Richter and Vaughan Williams, performed by the Iddesleigh String Quartet.
This moving performance marks Michael’s eighth appearance at York Festival of Ideas - and his first as Patron. The family-friendly concert includes readings from his acclaimed book My Heart Was a Tree, as well as the Ted Hughes poem which gave the book its title.
Early booking advised as last year’s event was fully booked within days. Suitable for ages 9+. Tickets available from Friday 2 May (online from 8am) and from the Theatre Royal Box Office (in person from 1pm).
Book sales
You can buy copies of many of our speakers’ books from Fox Lane Books, a local independent bookseller and Festival partner. In some cases, author signed bookplates are available too.
Image credit: Michael Morpurgo photo by Steven Hatton
About the speakers
Carol Hughes is Devonian and was married to Ted Hughes for 28 years. The poems she will read were written by Ted during their life together in North Tawton.
Clare Morpurgo first went to Iddesleigh when she was seven. She fell in love with the village and has lived there since 1975. Some of the poems she will read are by Sean Rafferty who kept the Duke Of York pub in Iddesleigh, Devon for over 25 years.
Michael Morpurgo has been a teacher and writer for over 50 years. With Clare he founded the charity Farms For City Children in 1975. Many of his stories and poems found their inspiration in Devon.
Partners
