THE UK's biggest festival of medieval music is to be held in North Yorkshire with performers drawn from all over the world.

It will include strange and unusual medieval instruments including shawms, gitterns, frestels and musas, demonstrated by the craftspeople who made them.

The Dales Festival of Medieval Music takes place at Bolton Castle in Wensleydale in September. Organisers say it follows last year's hugely successful debut event.

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.”

This year’s theme 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. Christine Alis Raurish and Raul Lacilla Crespo are two inspirational young musicians performing as part of Mauricio Molina’s ensemble. Christina will have her portable 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 perform and lead a workshop. Asier de Benito, one of Spain’s up-and-coming luthiers in the medieval field, will also appear.

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

The festival runs from September 7-10 and organisers hope it will become an annual event.