County Durham brass festival to end with a flourish (From Durham Times)

County Durham brass festival to end with a flourish

8:00am Saturday 21st July 2012 in News By Mark Tallentire, Reporter (Durham)

A BRASS festival that has featured hundreds of musicians and dozens of events will end tomorrow.

By its close, Brass: Durham International Festival, organised by Durham County Council, will have featured 17 days of street performances, installations, community and educational activities and mass-participation events.

Among the entertainment was a carnival-style parade by French street performers Le Snob in Spennymoor on Thursday night, supported by Spennymoor Brass Band.

Councillors Neil Foster, Barbara Graham, Mac Williams and Jan Blakey contributed funds from their neighbourhood budgets to take the festival to Spennymoor.

Coun Foster said: “It is important for Spennymoor to be part of an international festival, to raise the profile of the town. It was good to bring international acts together with local people and the town band to thoroughly entertain people of all ages.”

Le Snob also appeared in Stanley last night with Craghead Colliery Band, and will be in Bishop Auckland , accompanied by Durham Police Band, today.

Today and tomorrow, British and international street bands will perform for Streets of Brass.

Free performances featuring brass music of many styles will be staged in Durham City centre from 10am to 5pm today and from 11am to 5pm tomorrow.

Meanwhile, dancers from the Bad Taste Cru and Tin Arts will stage a Big Dance in Durham City centre from 10am.

Also today, A Sign in Space, a composition by John Kefala- Kerr inspired by Italo Calvino’s short story of the same name, will be premiered at Durham Cathedral.

Performances, including County Durham Big Band and Choir, Durham Cathedral Young Singers, choristers and young people from Spennymoor, will take place at 3pm and 7pm.

Tomorrow, Ant Orkezdra and Trimdon Concert Band will parade from Framwelgate Bridge to Durham Market Place at 2pm.

Finally, scores of brass musicians will gather on The Sands, in Durham, from 3.30pm to perform a newly commissioned piece called Going the Distance, to mark the final stage of an Olympic-themed musical relay race.

Sally Dixon, the council’s arts team manager, said: “We have had a fantastic response to the festival so far and I am sure people will be eager to make the most of our final weekend.

“With so much going on, it is set to be a packed two days and a fitting finale to Brass 2012.”

Charges apply for some events. Visit brassfestival.co.

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