A MUSICAL showcase at a Richmondshire arts centre gave a variety of singers, instrumentalists and songwriters an opportunity to perform in front of a supportive audience.

The Old Mill Centre in Skeeby, near Richmond, hosted the event last month designed especially for musicians, who shared an afternoon of original songs, flute pieces with piano and folk music.

Musicians from a wide variety of backgrounds and abilities were encouraged to set aside their nerves and try out new pieces and share their musical experiences.

Pianist Pam Thomson said: “I so enjoyed the day. It’s always been a real challenge for me to overcome performance nerves, so to do it in a supportive environment was fantastic. Everyone was in a similar boat so the pressure was off.”

The Old Mill musical director Barbara Sutcliffe-Cole said: “Performing to an audience can be especially difficult for those new to performance or who haven’t played their instrument for a long time.”

The next event, a song-writing workshop led by local singer songwriter Kirsti-Anna Hume, is to be held on Saturday, March 29. For more information visit www.oldmillcentre.co.uk/blog or contact barbara@oldmillcentre.co.uk.