On Saturday 30 May, the world's most famous brass band - Black Dyke Band - will play a special concert in the Garden Rooms at Tennants in Leyburn. In their programme will be the world premiere performance of a newly commissioned piece by Philip Wilby entitled 'Five Rivers - A Pastorale Symphony' which is inspired by the five Dales rivers: the Swale, Ure, Nidd, Wharfe and Aire. During the performance, new images of the five rivers created by the celebrated photographer David Tarn will be projected onto a giant screen above the band.
Swaledale Festival is working in partnership with the Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust on a complementary art project for young people. A series of pictures in a variety of media will be produced by children from six local schools - celebrating the Dales rivers and the part they play in the region's life and landscape, emphasising their environmental, economic and cultural importance. Local artist Nora Yates is working with the six schools - delivering a series of workshops and giving expert advice on techniques and presentation. The finished pictures will be exhibited at Tennants, alongside some of David Tarn's photographs, throughout the 2015 Swaledale Festival: 23 May to 6 June.
Back in 2010 Swaledale Festival ran an art project in which a number of talented youngsters from several local schools were given the opportunity to work alongside and be mentored by an acknowledged professional artist. Each pair of student and mentor produced two pictures, one by each of them. They were exhibited in the world-famous Bowes Museum in pairs, but there was nothing to indicate which was the work by the student and which by the mentor. All the pictures were also offered by sale by sealed bid, the 'take' for each pair being split equally between artist and student. Art critic Brian Sewell visited the exhibition and was thrilled at the quality of the work. One of the student artists in that project was Stacey Moore who was mentored by Carol Tyler. Stacey is now working as a professional artist and has her own website www.staceymooreart.com and also exhibits in Chapel Gallery in Hawes. The Festival is delighted to be able to help young talent develop in this way.