We don't have an official theme for this year's Festival, unlike last year when we focussed on the human voice. However, quite by chance several unconnected events this Rio Olympics year have a Brazil connection, albeit sometimes tenuous.
First of all we have Christine Tobin on 28 May with her songs of Elis Regina, Brazil's favourite singer until her early death in 1982. Then on 31 May Brazilian percussionist Adriano Adewale is part of AKA Trio,a truly international group, the other two being from Italy and Senegal. As we've prepared the concert programmes for printing we find also that solo percussionist Joby Burgess also features an ancient musical instrument from Brazil, the berimbau, in his programme on 6 June. Then on the final day, 11 June, award-winning choir Northern Spirit include in their programme a piece by Lars Jansson arr. G. Eriksson called To the mothers in Brazil: Salve Regina and an Ave Maria by Brazilian composer Heitor Villa Lobos. 
Maybe it's the fact that the Olympics take place in Brazil later this year or maybe it's just one of those odd flukes that make theSwaledale Festival so special.
