GRASSINGTON Festival came to a rousing end on Saturday.

After 15 days of music and arts, the festival ended with a Last Night Party featuring Roland Gift from Fine Young Cannibals and Heaven 17.

Festival director Kate Beard said: "Once again it has been a cracking festival, made possible by our wonderful volunteers, friends, partners and sponsors; and, of course, our brilliant audiences."

And she added: "The sun shone, the acts and events entertained and dazzled, and people came and partied in their droves. "

Lunch Time Lecture Series, with Anthony Connolly, Ben Crick and Kate Fox

FOR an inaugural event, Grassington Festival’s lunchtime lecture series definitely hit the ground running.

The three events, which took place over three days, were hosted by accomplished practitioners from the worlds of art, music and literature.

Anthony Connolly, twice recipient of the Prince of Wales Prize for Portrait Drawing, treated his lunch guests to a fascinating and thought-provoking insight into the changing values of art.

Ben Crick, former BBC music fellow and artistic director of Skipton Camerata, took to the helm for the second lecture to address the question whether musical ability was an innate gift, or whether it was the result of dedication and practice. Drawing heavily from several psychological studies, Ben was emphatic that talent was most definitely hard won through early exposure, good teaching and rigorous practice.

Finally, poet, writer, and stand up Kate Fox entertained. She opened proceedings with her wonderful poem, Northern Voices, which in fact formed the basic tenet of the lunchtime, as it kickstarted an enlightening discussion about "Is there a northern voice?"

The opportunity to engage with experts in such an informal environment was unique as well as inspirational.

Victoria Benn

Song of the Sea That Was

IMAGINE being invited to create a concerto which expresses the incredible events that marked "the beginning" of our planet earth. Many might have balked at such a task, but not so for Yorkshire composer Tom Lydon, who considered the commission “an absolute gift”.

Taking six short tunes composed by adults with learning disabilities, Lydon created a concerto which not only deftly and magically portrays these unfathomable astronomical processes, but does so intricately and with great poignancy.

The instrument which both figuratively and literally took centre stage was the solo lithophone – akin to a xylophone, but with keys hand cut from limestone. The wondrous sound emanating from this instrument had an enchanting and captivating clarity.

Standing stage left was the classical actress Kathryn Pogson, who prefaced each of the six movements of the concerto with a description of the part it had to play in the story of limestone’s creation.

Skipton Camerata, led by Ben Crick, performed the premiere and also treated the audience to Leopold Mozart’s charming Toy Symphony, as well as Prokofiev’s musical fairy-tale, Peter and the Wolf.

It was undeniably a thought provoking and enriching evening.

Victoria Benn

Last Night Party

TWAS a summer evening and very heaven to be with Roland and friends at the last event of this year's Grassington Festival .

Getting the party started was Hope and Social, a daunting challenge perhaps but the boys took to their task with gusto and got people dancing before Heaven 17 took to the stage.

The 1980s electronic music experts now clearly revel in their live act, taking us through the old favourites, though some in new guises. The highlight was surely a blistering version of Temptation, though a wonderfully eccentric cover of You've Lost That Loving Feeling will stick in the memory.

Then it was time for a change of mood from Roland Gift, the cool and charismatic former lead singer of Fine Young Cannibals. He may be in his 50s but he's looking good, and that remarkable and distinctive singing voice is still in great shape.

The old Cannibals' numbers in particular got the crowd rocking, my personal favourite being the cover of the Buzzcocks' Ever Fallen in Love. Then Roland and his band led everyone dancing into the Dales night.

Truly, a fitting festival finale.

Andrew Hitchon