LOCAL performers have an important place in Swaledale Festival alongside leading names at the top of their various musical genres.

Some are professionals working outside the region who are more than happy to return, others are amateur ensembles relishing the chance to be part of the festival.

Trouvère Mediaeval Minstrels, from Richmond, gives the opening morning concert at Gayle Mill (May 23), dressed in costume and playing ancient instruments which audience members will be able to try afterwards.

Reeth guitarist, singer and songwriter Ian M Anderson entertains at the Buck Hotel in the village with other local musicians (May 25).

Soprano Rowan Pierce, from Saltburn, who first sang at Swaledale Festival in 2010 in Dame Emma Kirkby’s masterclass, travels from London to give a recital accompanied by the same pianist, Simon Passmore, from Hexham, in Spennithorne church (May 31).

They have teamed up musically several times since 2010, and the festival's artistic director Malcolm Creese is keen to help develop their careers.

The Royal Northern Sinfonia, the region's leading professional orchestra, appears as an ensemble with tenor James Gilchrist, one of the top soloists of the present generation, in Songs of England at St Mary's Church, Richmond (June 5).

With the human voice as this year’s theme, two amateur choirs, Northern Voices and Werca’s Folk, also perform at this venue.

The first is Darlington-based and sings classical and popular works. Werca’s Folk, from Morpeth, sings unaccompanied traditional folk songs and modern women’s songs. Each will sing separately before a joint surprise finale (May 31).

Swaledale's local choir, the Swale Singers, will be joined by four local soloists at Aysgarth church (June 3), and well-known festival regulars Fourum are in Arkengarthdale for an afternoon concert of poignant Dales-based songs (June 6).

As well as the Yorkshire-based Black Dyke Band in Leyburn (May 30), three Dales bands are in the line-up: Reeth Brass in Richmond (May 26), Leyburn Band in Aysgarth (May 27) and Muker Silver Band in Muker (June 1).

Tickets for North-East folk musician Kathryn Tickell's concert with her new band, The Side, sold out within days and this waiting list has been closed.

Gary Verity, chief executive officer of Welcome to Yorkshire, says of Swaledale Festival: “It’s great to see this prestigious event using so much local talent, both professional and amateur, in its programme.

"The people of Yorkshire excel in so many fields including the arts, and an event like the Swaledale Festival is a great place to show them off, both to those who live locally and the thousands of visitors who come to the county.”

As well music, Swaledale Festival will have five art exhibitions.

The Station, Richmond, sees the culmination of a Swaledale Festival education project, Mondrian and the Pixel, involving Richmond and Wensleydale schoolchildren working with local professional artist Rachel Antill (May 22-June 4, daily 11am-4pm).

Denise Burden and Piers Browne exhibit together in Dales and Seas at the Old School House, Leyburn; Julia Corfe's Above Swaledale is at Gunnerside Village Hall; Jill Eagle shows acrylic landscapes in A Walk in Swaledale at the Hudson House gallery in Reeth; and East Windy Hall mounts a show of pictures, prints, pottery, sculptures and textiles by regular artists.

Visitors can also see Swaledale Festival’s Tour de France commemorative sculpture, Re:Cycling, created by Reeth sculptor Michael Kusz with help from local schoolchildren, which sits on permanent display in the garden of Hudson House.