IN RESPONSE to an audience survey into "What do you like about the Swaledale Festival?" one answer was "the element of surprise".

It acknowledged the fact that this festival is sufficiently confident to venture into the unexpected despite relying on classical music fans for much of its income, writes Janet Hall.

Last year artistic director Malcolm Creese "borrowed" a steam locomotive for a run on the Wensleydale Railway with musicians on board. The hugely enjoyable day introduced many of the 1,200 passengers to an event they had either not known about or had assumed was not for them.

This year's ticket sales indicate some will be back to enjoy more treats with the element of surprise.

The two-week festival opens on May 23 with an opportunity to hear strange instruments from the Middle Ages, including gittern, shawm, hurdy-gurdy and a variety of harps performed by the Richmond-based Trouvère Mediaeval Minstrels at Gayle Mill, near Hawes (11am). Audience members will be able to try some of the instruments afterwards.

Along similar lines, Nine Daies Wonder at Richmond’s Georgian Theatre Royal (May 28) is a performance by the Society of Strange and Ancient Instruments recording Shakespearean actor Will Kemp’s nine-day dance from London to Norwich in 1600 when he entertained crowds along the way as a publicity stunt.

Wedding Music at St Matthew’s, Leyburn (May 26, 4pm) is not what it the title suggests.

Many associate church organs with music heard at weddings, but this is different, being improvisations on the two instruments influenced by French composers such as Hindemith, Messiaen and Vierne. Kit Downes is on church organ and Tom Challenger plays the saxophone.

Project Jam Sandwich, award-winning graduates of the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, performs world music improvising on eastern European melodies, Caribbean grooves and Celtic reels.

Before their concert at Reeth Memorial Hall (June 2, 4pm), the quintet will give workshops in secondary schools. At 8.30pm that night, The Urban Folk Quartet, a group admired by Project Jam Sandwich and also influenced by music from other cultures, performs in the visitor centre at the Wensleydale Creamery in Hawes.

Not often regarded as a classical solo instrument, the double bass has an extensive repertoire and great exponents in this field including South African-born Leon Bosch. His third appearance in ten years at Swaledale Festival is at St Oswald's Church, Askrigg, with pianist Sung-Suk Kang (May 27, 4pm).

The concert includes the premiere of Shosoloza, inspired by Nelson Mandela and written by Roxanna Panufnik, one of the UK's best known and most popular current composers who expects to attend.

Equally unusual is hearing the accordion played by a classical music virtuoso. Milos Miliojevic joins violinist Harriet Mackenzie in St Agatha’s, Easby, in a programme of works by Bach, Mendelssohn, Bartók and Sarasate, none of whom is known to have actually written for this instrument (June 5, 4pm).

Ticket sales indicate plenty of people recognise this will be a quality event.

On the non-musical front, Reeth Informal Astronomy Group will demonstrate how to use telescopes and make sense of the night sky in free astronomy watches on the green, weather permitting.

Traditional puppeteers Puppetcraft present Monkey, a play by former children’s laureate Michael Rosen based on a Chinese tale, Journey to the West, in Reeth Memorial Hall (May 26, 1pm). That morning there is a free lantern building workshop for children aged six and over who must have tickets for the afternoon performance.

Poet and playwright David Scott, a retired Anglican vicar, reads his own poems at Gunnerside Methodist Church (May 28, 11am). His work often exhibits a spiritual surrealism and understated humour. An open mic session for others to read their own or any poetry takes place at the Burgoyne Hotel, Reeth (June 4, 11am).

Unique to Swaledale is the Reeth Lecture, given this year by Adam Hart-Davis posing the question: Are we alone in the universe? (Methodist church, June 1, 11am). Finally, which other classical music festival has its own Quoits Challenge Cup?

The contest is open to all and starts at 2pm on May 25 on Reeth green with registration from 1.45pm.

For full details of events, visit swalefest.org.