It's been a long time since I last visited the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, indeed, not since I was a student when the grounds were a part of Bretton Hall arts campus. So what better excuse to revisit than to see the Autumnal edition of Opera North's Four Seasons? You're right, no better reason.
Arriving early, so as to wander the grounds, the starting point was at the cafe. Inside you'll find a number of exhibitions, a performance space and a number of lovely display cabinets with wonderfully hand made jewellery. The staff in the cafe are lovely, and you can choose from a range of hot drinks, snacks and ice creams. (It was a little cold for ice cream.)
There's five hundred acres to explore, so you'll have your work cut out to take in everything, but the entirety is stunning -even on a brisk September day. The lakes appear to be free to wander around, encased in beautiful forests, with bird hives, the faux greek temple, and the brick structure around the upper lake. Since the mansion itself is, I believe, going to become a hotel I didn't want to risk wandering on private grounds but there's so much to adventure through it didn't matter. Not to mention, the sculptures that you see on your way.
Take your time, take the full day, take a packed lunch. Expect to see hoards of sheep, expect to see gorgeous landscape all around, and expect to relax with stunning green, artful pieces, and revive with the fresh Yorkshire air.
As for the performance itself, this was held in the chapel, within the grounds. I remember this place from our 'ghost walk' nearly ten years ago, and I'm sure it's been fixed up since then. Inside it's beautiful, minimalist, and the perfect setting for an evening of acoustic wonderment. The set performed varied from lusciously classical pieces, to quartet versions of modern classics, and had us captivated -I highly recommend you check out the final installment on Opera North's website for a magical experience.
All in all, revisiting was full of fond nostalgia for me, and good for the soul. I implore you to take the time to escape the clutches of Leeds, and enjoy a few hours doing something a little poetic, and something a little creative, in this fine stalwart of the North's art scene. read more