RICHMOND is poised for its first ever MayFest this coming bank holiday weekend - a community festival of historical and traditional music across the town.

The festival will boast a host of musical delights featuring many homegrown artists from both professional and community groups.

Three concerts promise to be the star attractions, starting with Jacob Herringman and Susanna Pell who perform as Pellingmans’ Saraband and are internationally famous early music performers based in Richmond.

They have put together a special programme inspired by the popular walk along the river from Richmond to Easby.

As a prelude to their concert on Saturday evening, visitors are invited to walk the walk, with musical accompaniment from The Ran Tanners - a free musical promenade that sets off from The Station at 4pm on Saturday (April 30).

There will be tea and cakes on arrival in Easby, before the Pellingmans’ Saraband concert in St Agatha’s at 5pm.

The second concert of that day will be GreenMatthews and ‘A Brief History of Music’.

This kicks off at 7.30pm in St Mary’s in Richmond, and is a virtuosic romp through 600-years of music.

The third MayFest concert is on Monday (May 2) at 5pm, again in St Mary’s in Richmond.

It features a programme with the Richmondshire Choral Society and guest singers, including choruses from The Messiah and Richmond’s own ‘Cantique 950’, composed for the town’s 950th birthday last year.

For something a bit different, there’s the MayFest Ceilidh on Sunday at 7pm in Richmond Town Hall, with local ceilidh band Blind Panic.

And there is plenty of other entertainment all weekend with free performances in the Market Place, Town Hall, Station and the MayFest Tavern in Richmond Castle.

This includes folk sessions, morris dancing, maypole dancing, and even a chance to have a go on the bagpipes with a beginners’ taster session.

Local medieval minstrels Trouvere will be leading the merry band of musicians, dancers and entertainers.

There is a 50 per cent discount on concert and ceilidh tickets for residents in the DL9, DL10 and DL11 postcodes - and locals also get free admission to Richmond Castle all weekend.

Tickets are available online at richmondmayfest.org/tickets and in person from Richmond Information Centre in the indoor market hall; ceilidh tickets are also available from Richmond Brewing Company at The Station.

Richmond MayFest is supported by Richmondshire District Council, North Yorkshire County Council and the members of The Original Richmond Business & Tourism Association.

A full programme of events can be found at richmondmayfest.org