SWALEDALE Festival has commissioned a new work from the Yorkshire-born composer Michael Brough.

Enchanted Places, based on a poem about the Yorkshire Dales, receives its debut at Middleham Church, Wensleydale, on Thursday, May 31, performed by Canadian mezzo-soprano Patricia Hammond and tenor Stephen Anthony Brown accompanied by the composer on piano.

The composer, a church organist in London, has written many songs in German and English.

His work is one of several new pieces billed during the fortnight-long festival, which starts on May 19.

Also having its premiere is the three-movement Violin Concerto, commissioned from Graham Coatman, a prolific composer, experienced pianist and teacher, who lives in Yorkshire.

The work will be performed during a concert he will conduct at St Oswald’s Church, Askrigg, on Friday, May 25, by the professional chamber orchestra Skipton Camerata, whose members play with The Halle, Opera North and the BBC Philharmonic.

Another festival commission is Sir Richard Rodney Bennett’s A Dance To The Music Of Time, which the Royal Holloway Choir and Acoustic Triangle perform the first time on Saturday, May 26, at St Mary’s Church, Richmond.

Inspired by a picture by Poussin, the work is a musical setting of a poem by Bennett’s sister, M R Peacocke. The programme also features music by Purcell, Allegri, Gabriel Jackson, John Rutter, Eric Whitacre and Tim Garland.

New music by Heather Fenoughty features in the closing event of the festival, a production from the Slung Low Theatre Company called Converging Paths KEEP, which has its first and only scheduled performance at Richmond Castle on Sunday, June 3, performed by the York-based choir The 24.

Fenoughty, who lives in Yorkshire, is an award-winning composer with credits on most BBC channels and ITV1, and has worked on nearly 100 short films and computer games.

The festival packs nearly 60 events into the fortnight, including classical, folk, jazz and brass-band music, poetry, drama and art exhibitions in venues throughout Swaledale, Wensleydale and Arkengarthdale. There is also a programme of guided walks.

The opening concert on May 19 is by the Brodsky Quartet, whose music career started out from this region in the early 1970s when cellist, Jacqui, was still only 12. She went on to study at the Royal Northern College.

Programme details are at swalefest.org, or a brochure can be requested on 01748-880018.