Back in 1977, the Vicar of Wetherby was pondering over the idea of setting up an arts festival for the town. This idea was well received, plans soon got underway, and a Festival has been held almost every other year since then.

This year The Wetherby Festival Committee are pleased to unveil the Towns most ambitious festival yet. A programme of over 30 different events is set to offer a diverse and exciting mix of events designed to present something for everyone and for every age range. The festival will include a varied combination of musical styles ranging from the pop of the Abba tribute band Voulez Vous, to the inspiring vocal style of the London Community Gospel Choir. Other performances range from local amateur dramatics provided by Wetherby and Linton drama group to international shows provided by the Mighty Zulu Nation.

The festival will contain a number of ‘firsts’ for Wetherby. Voulez Vous will mount the largest stage show ever seen in the town, whilst ‘The Road to Santiago Del Compostella’, a one woman show detailing the events that happened on a European odyssey will be performed entirely in French during the afternoon performance and in English during the evening.

The organisers are delighted by the calibre of artistes that they have been able to attract to the town. Humphrey Lyttelton who began his broadcasting career with the most humble of performances, playing his trumpet on the back of a barrow as part of the VE Day celebrations in may 1945, rose to become the most celebrated Jazz performer this side of the Atlantic. He still tours to sell out performances across the country, but is also equally well known for his deadpan and sometimes risqué chairmanship of the BBC Radio programme, I’m sorry I haven’t a clue.

Kathryn Tickell is perhaps the best known English player of the Northumbrian smallpipes and fiddle. She has recorded over a dozen albums and toured widely. In May she performed at the New York Carnegie Hall with Sting and Jimmy Nail. She has also recorded or performed with a host of other famous artistes including The Chieftans, and was the first traditional folk act to perform as part of the ‘Last Night of the Proms’.

The festival will also contain elements of high drama. The Mugenkyo Taiko Drummers are the UK’s only professional touring Taiko group, they tour constantly in this country and abroad and as well as playing concert halls they have also performed at various festivals including Glastonbury. They create thundering rhythms on huge taiko drums which interweave with delicate bamboo flute and subtle percussive soundscapes in a spellbinding display of fluid grace, precise choreography and sheer athleticism. The sheer excitement that the performances create has to be experienced to be believed.

The full programme is available now on the website, www.wetherbyfestival.co.uk

The festival will run from mid October until early November. Tickets go on sale on line for some events from 1st September with all tickets available by post or in person from the festival box office from 22nd September. See the festival website for more details or pick up a brochure at Leeds Libraries. If you are coming to a festival event, why not make a day of it and take in the other Wetherby sites, enjoy an ice cream by the river Wharfe or visit one of the many restaurants or café that are running special early bird menus.

The festival is always a great success not least because it brings together a wide band of willing volunteers, a host of amateur and professional groups, and is well supported by local commerce and government. Wetherby Town Council is pleased to be one of the Festivals sponsors.