Dear all,

What a remarkable couple of days we have just had in Beverley! For many there, Oktoberfest was their first live music in eight months. The numbers may - out of necessity - have been small, but the enthusiasm and emotion were palpable. 

Baritone Marcus Farnsworth joined Libby Burgess for a profound and intimate Dichterliebe, as well as captivating songs by Cecilia McDowall. Martin Roscoe brought with him one of his longest-standing duo partners, Tasmin Little: they gave an outstanding performance of Beethoven and Franck, and the ravishing Romance by Amy Beach - a new discovery for many. Martin's solo recital the next morning provided a moment of peaceful reflection and poignant beauty, with Haydn, Mozart, and Schubert, concluding with a magnificent performance of Beethoven's Op 110 sonata. Finally, popular New Paths string players Jamie Campbell, Andrew Berridge and Cara Berridge joined Libby for effervescent and moving piano quartets by Mozart and Schumann - all the more powerful for the sense that it might be the last live music for some time.

One audience member commented that she left "feeling so well nourished after such a famine," and another said that "the four separate hours in St Mary's were like an oasis of joy in a barren landscape; we truly lost ourselves in their delights." Here at New Paths we feel extremely lucky to have been able to go ahead, only hours ahead of changing regulations, and thank all those who helped us to do so safely under present circumstances.

However, we were deeply conscious that many of our loyal and loved audience could not be with us on this occasion: please know that you were in our hearts and minds over the last two days! And so we are releasing the next in our POSTCARDS video series, as a missive from the East Riding to our followers near and far:

• Text NPMPOSTCARDS 3 to 70085 to donate £3
• Text NPMPOSTCARDS 5 to 70085 to donate £5
• Text NPMPOSTCARDS 10 to 70085 to donate £10
• Text NPMPOSTCARDS 20 to 70085 to donate £20