THE biggest medieval music festival in the United Kingdom is being held at a North Yorkshire castle with a never before assembled range of talent from all over the world.

It will also include a gathering of some of the weirdest and most unusual medieval instruments known including shawms, gitterns, frestels and musas, which will be demonstrated by the craftspeople who made them.

The Dales Festival of Medieval Music is being held at Bolton Catle in Wensleydale. Organisers say it follows a hugely successful event last year.

Director Gill Page said:”It’s a truly unique event, the only one of its kind in the UK, it’s both local and international in focus, and a brilliant mix of the formal and informal, and we aim to make it educational and fun.

“We will have concerts from some of the finest medieval musicians from the UK and Europe, there’ll be workshops on instruments with singing, dancing and more, there really will be a castle full of music, it will be like stepping back in time in the wonderful surroundings of Bolton Castle.”

The theme of this year’s event is Spain comes to Yorkshire, with many leading Spanish performers attracted by the high profile event.

Ms Page added:“They are all specialists in medieval repertoire, we have Christine Alis Raurish and Raul Lacilla Crespo who are two inspirational young musicians performing as part of Mauricio Molina’s ensemble. Christina will have her portative organ and Raul is leading a course of workshops on the medieval bagpipe.

“We also have Eduard Navarro a leading performer on historical and traditional reed instruments of Spain performing with percussionist Jaume Pallardó. Vicente la Camera Mariño is a master of the medieval harp, he will be performing and leading a workshop. Asier de Benito, one of Spain’s up-and-coming luthiers in the medieval field will also be performing.

“This is a range of talent never before assembled in the UK and they’re being joined by some of Britian’s leading ensembles including Blondel, Trouvere and Gaita, who’ll be performing in a series of concerts focusing on medieval Iberia.”

The festival is being staged from September 7 to 10, and organisers say they’re aiming for it to become an annual event.