IAN McMillan, the bard of Barnsley, is among performers at this year’s Swaledale Festival, offering a zany mix of poetry, prose and folk music at Grinton on June 1.

His show, Sharp Stories, promises British music at its most ingenious through songs, comedy and improvisation in the company of the Ian McMillan Orchestra.

The musicians play on a variety of instruments including nyckelharpa, hurdy-gurdy, mandocello and kalimba.

Local schoolchildren will take part in the show following a Make a Musical in an Afternoon workshop run by the comedian-poet and composer Luke Carver earlier in the day.

McMillan is a regular guest on Newsnight Review and The Culture Show, and hosts the weekly show The Verb on BBC Radio 3.

He is poet in residence for Barnsley FC and the Academy of Urbanism, Humberside Police’s Beat Poet, the Yorkshire Planetarium’s Poet-in-Space, and, according to the Radio Times “the 22nd most powerful person in Radio”.

He has been a poet, broadcaster, commentator and programme maker since 1981, and has published many poetry books for adults and children in addition to his work for the media.

His performance work began in the mid-1970s in folk clubs under the name Oscar the Frog, singing Chattanooga Choo-Choo while eating a packet crisps – and not swallowing.

Also appearing at Grinton during the festival are The Mandoliquents, four skilled musicians who play the fool as well as mandolins of all shapes and sizes.

Their May 25 gig will range from reels to traditional airs, hot swing to ragtime, plus the occasional Chinese or Brazilian tune, in an acoustic tour de force.

Swaledale Festival, now in its 29th year, runs from May23 to June 6.

The Heath Quartet, one of the highlights of last year's record-breaking festival, returns for a gala concert at Grinton on May 30, sponsored by the Masham brewery Theakston's. The awardwinning ensemble will be joined by virtuoso clarinettist Tom Lessels to perform Mozart's Clarinet Quintet, Brahms's C Minor Quartet and Langsamersatz.

The quartet also gives an afternoon concert on Sunday, May 31, at Askrigg.

Other festival highlights include Tasmin Little's Naked Violin, the BBC Young Musician of the Year, York Minster Choir, the inaugural Reeth Lecture from Sir Roy Strong, the Carducci Quartet and Reeth, Leyburn and Muker Brass Bands, There will be art exhibitions in galleries and other public places throughout the Dales, and guided walks. Events take place in intimate venues throughout Swaledale, Wensleydale and Arkengarthdale.

Brochures are available at the usual tourist outlets.

For ticket details, contact www.swaledale -festival.org.uk, tourist information centres or the box office on 01748-880019.