- published: 04 Jun 2011
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Coordinates: 54°18′14″N 2°12′08″W / 54.3039°N 2.2021°W / 54.3039; -2.2021
Hawes is a small market town and civil parish in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire, England, being granted its market charter in 1699. Historically within the North Riding of Yorkshire, Hawes is located at the head of Wensleydale in the Yorkshire Dales, the River Ure runs through the town and the dale which is one of the honeypot tourist attractions of the Yorkshire Dales National Park. The parish of Hawes also includes the neighbouring hamlet of Gayle. The hill of Great Shunner Fell stands over the town. The town is famous as being the home of Wensleydale cheese.
Local tourist attractions include the Dales Countryside Museum, based in the old Hawes railway station of the Wensleydale Railway; nearby Hardraw Force waterfall; and the Buttertubs Pass, which links Wensleydale to Swaledale. Further down the dale is Aysgarth Falls. Hawes itself has a regular market, as well as many shops, pubs and tearooms. The Hawes Promotion/Relegation party for fans of Sunderland AFC takes place there every summer. It is well attended and organised, and grows year upon year.
Patrick Hawes (born 1958) is a British composer, conductor, organist and pianist.
Born in Lincolnshire, he studied music as an organ scholar at St Chad’s College, University of Durham before working as a teacher of music and English, firstly at Pangbourne College (1981-1990) then as Composer in Residence for Charterhouse School (1990-1997).
He left teaching to pursue his career in composing and in 2002 he wrote his first film score The Incredible Mrs Ritchie, directed by Paul Johansson. Patrick first gained widespread public recognition with the 2004 release of his debut album Blue in Blue, a collection of choral and orchestral pieces. Made CD of the week on Classic FM in 2004, it was nominated for a Classical Brit award and was voted by Classic FM listeners as the fastest ever and highest new entry into the station’s Hall of Fame. The first track on the album Quanta Qualia was subsequently chosen by Hayley Westenra for her 2005 album ''Odyssey''.
From 2006 to 2007 Patrick was Composer in Residence at Classic FM. This position involved writing twelve pieces for piano, each piece being premiered over a twelve-month period. The pieces were directly inspired by his move to the Norfolk coast and by the wonderful skies and landscapes of the county. The resulting album Towards the Light was an instant hit with the public and, for a second time, Classic FM listeners voted an album of his as the highest new entry in the 2007 Hall of Fame. A national tour followed and Patrick enthralled audiences with his performances at the piano.