A new music festival is to go ahead in Richmond this year in celebration of May Day.
The Richmond MayFest takes place from Saturday, April 30 to Monday, May 2 and in future years over the same weekend.
This event is one of the legacies from last year’s Celebrate Richmond 950 and the successful 950 Years of Music, which took place in Richmond Castle and the Market Place last October.
It is a community event bringing together professional musicians and community groups with historical and traditional music at its heart.
MayFest will take place in and around the town in venues from the Market Place to The Station to the Castle and most points in between.
Lots of events are totally free and there are reduced prices for local residents for all ticketed events.
Nine centuries of music will be celebrated throughout the town by professional musicians and community groups, including Richmondshire Orchestra and Richmond Choral Society.
Concerts, sessions, wandering minstrels, maypole dancing, medieval tavern and a ceilidh are some of the highlights of the weekend.
Darlington based Blind Panic perform at Sunday evening’s ceilidh in the Town Hall. Exhilarating dancing to exciting ceilidh music in a driving contemporary style.
Morris dancers in the Market Place as well as Maypole dancing will also feature, including Maypole Workshops for schools.
Professional, local ensembles Trouvere will perform each day in the castle and around the Market Place and in the late afternoon of Saturday Pellingman’s Saraband are giving a concert in St Agatha’s Church at Easby.
Over the three days, Historical folk duo, GreenMatthews present Jacobean and Tudor music and an evening concert in St. Mary’s on Saturday – A Brief History of Music – and the Durham based Ran Tanners return to Richmond with Georgian and Victorian music in and around the Market Place and the Station.
On the Saturday and Sunday Hautbois give performances of Great War Music and jester, Tom Fool, will be here to entertain throughout the festival.
The programme is not yet complete with more performers to be announced.
Any musicians who would like to take part are invited to get in touch.
Choirs, dance sides, bands, music and dance schools – all welcome – the more the merrier. Expenses will be paid.
Venue owners who would like to be involved are also asked to contact the organisers at richmondmayfest@gmail.com
For more information and tickets visit the recently launched website www.richmondmayfest.org and follow on Facebook for regular updates facebook.com/richmondmayfest
