Malton to host music festival this summer (From Gazette & Herald)

Malton to host music festival this summer

MALTON is to come alive this summer with a two-day musical extravaganza.

The open air concert will be held in Malton's Market Place, as a special event, The Shed Comes To Town, launches in Ryedale.

Members of Ryedale District Council's community services and licensing committee gave the green light to the plan to stage the event on June 7 and 8 following the success of a similar event some years ago.

Malton centre marketing manager Peter Mudge said he hoped the event would draw the crowds.

He said: "We have got some of the UK's top musicians lined up to come for the weekend event.

"There will be additional bits of fun going on round the town - some of those are secret for the moment but they will be entertaining, that's certain.

"Music is really going to strike up in the town."

Mr Mudge said they hoped to provide a range of music to provide something for everyone.

"It should be a marvellous weekend, we are expecting to get thousands of people in the town," he said. "We are just trying new things, that's what this is about - we are all looking forward to it."

Brawby-based arts organisation The Shed is staging the two-day musical feast in association with the Malton and Norton town centre management committee.

A £5,400 grant has been awarded by the regional arts lottery programme to help cover the £20,000 cost of the event.

Simon Thackray, of The Shed, said: "It's excellent news to be awarded the lottery grant and a real endorsement of what we're trying to achieve."

"This is a golden opportunity for Malton and Ryedale businesses to get behind a high profile arts event. The Shed Comes To Town will appeal to a wide variety of musical tastes and is perfect for a family audience. Not only will there be a significant increase in tourists visiting the area but the people of Ryedale will have a great time."

It is thought that up to 2,500 people will attend the event from all parts of the country, which is timed to coincide with The Shed's 11th birthday celebrations.

The event will run from 2.30pm to 11pm on Saturday, and from 11am to 3pm the following day.

A four-day flower festival will run at St Michael's Church in the market place from Thursday, June 5, to Sunday, June 8, alongside the weekend concerts.

A stage will be sited in front of the Milton Rooms to create a natural amphitheatre, with performers including the Snake Davis Band, Hank Wangford and the Lost Cowboys, Billy Jenkins and the Blues Collective, the Annie Whitehead Band, the Dave Gordon Trio, and the Joe Townsend Band all lined up to play.

Added to this will be special showcase performances by young bands from Ryedale who will be working towards the event with Ryedale's Pied Piper Project.

Poet and Radio 3 presenter Ian McMillan will compere the event, and there are hopes the Yorkshire Pudding Boat Race will be held as part of the weekend's activities, in which rowers take charge of giant, waterproofed Yorkshire puddings set afloat on an artificial pond.

More information will be available through the website of The Shed, www.theshed.co.uk.

Updated: 14:37 Wednesday, April 09, 2003