A COMMUNITY music festival which concluded last weekend has attracted a huge number of performers and large audiences – much to the delight of organisers.
The month-long event has featured various performances, workshops and other activities and has been organised by St Mary’s Parish Church, Barnard Castle.
Highlights have included a sell-out Summer Sizzler concert by the church’s community orchestra, during which musicians shared the stage at The Witham with the Green Lane School choir, along with performances from Barnard Castle Band and local group About the Humans.
The first post-pandemic lunchtime organ recital saw Colin Wood, director of music at St Ignatius Church, in Sunderland, entertain with a varied programme before an appreciative audience.
Annette Butters, festival director, said: “It has been going very well. We have had about 180 people performing as part of the festival and there has been a lot of support for the wide variety of events we have staged.
“In some cases we have also reached a new audience, such as at the concert at The Witham, when some people will not have seen anything like it.
“A lot of new contacts and friendships have been made which we hope will be ongoing.”
