The Musical Walk is a popular event at Swaledale Festival. The walkers only know that they will follow a moderately difficult route of about 6 miles in the Dales around Reeth and that at points along the route will encounter musicians 
performing for them. The musicians are often local amateurs or semi-professionals or may be artists appearing at the Festival, especially young players or Festival 'regulars'. What they don't expect is world class names.
This year, however, they were in for a special treat as Festival artistic director, Malcolm Creese, had persuaded Dame Emma Kirkby with lutenist Jacob Heringman and viol player Susanna Pell, all three world class in their genres, to perform for the walkers in the garden at Hudson House.
Fortunately the day was dry even if not as warm and sunny as we would have wished. Other performers along the way
included Patricia Hammond and Matt Redman, two Festival regulars who also went on to give concerts in local care homes. Piper Chris Moss and fiddler Lizzie Milner provided an unusual stop in an apparently remote location on the moors and Lindsay Ibbotson's Marske Choir entertained on the Green in Reeth.
