Spring is in the air - and so is music as Ilkley Live brings a delight of musical events to entertain Ilkley in the coming months!
The first offering is the Spring Community Sing, which will take place at the Clarke Foley Community Hub from 10.00-12.00 on Saturday 11 April. This event will once again be led by natural voice leader Keely Hodgson. Keely teaches songs through singing and repeating, mixing traditional and new tunes to create a joyous sound that is full of harmony. This is a free event - just turn up on the day and make a donation if you wish.
Next on the Ilkley Live calendar is The Blues Night which takes place on Friday 8 May at the Ilkley Playhouse. Three fantastic local blues bands, Diamond Day, Steel and the Weaver, and One Foot in the Groove will be celebrating the very best of Blues music that is sure to get the audience clapping their hands, tapping their feet and even dancing in the aisles! This is the second partnership between Ilkley Live and Ilkley Playhouse, with tickets on sale from the Playhouse or at Ilkleylive.com.
May also sees the return of Ilkley’s successful and very popular Busking Festival, on Saturday 23 May. From 11am to 6pm, the town will be treated to a rich and diverse range of musical talent, with individual performances at five designated busking spots around the town. Anyone who wants to perform simply needs to present themselves at the Ilkley Fountain (bottom of Mill Ghyll) at 10am on the Saturday morning, to sign up for their chosen spot/time and to meet other musicians and performers for some informal chat before the busking begins. Buskers of all ages and styles are welcome, and in particular Ilkley Live is hoping to encourage youngsters and newcomers to sign up and perform. The event is free to attend and aims to create a space for musicians to develop audiences, hone their skills, try out new material and spread a little joy. More information about the Busking Day can be found on the Ilkley Live website, with more general information about busking at the City of Bradford Guide to Busking in Bradford.
Ilkley Live’s much-loved headline event, the Community Music Festival, returns for its sixth year on Friday 10 and Saturday 11 July, with bands and performers playing from morning till night in local gardens and in town-centre bars, businesses and community spaces. This hugely popular two-day event is free to attend, and audiences are encouraged to wander through the streets and open spaces of Ilkley and enjoy the wonderful display of talent and creativity that is on offer. Again, more information about the festival can be found on the Ilkley Live website.
To round off the summer season’s schedule, Ilkley Live will be providing the musical entertainment for Yorkshire Day that is being organised by a new group in Ilkley led by Colin Watson and Tom Harris. The event was such a success last year that it has doubled in size and will now run across two days, on 1 and 2 August. There will be two outdoor stages on the Grove: the Bandstand will be an acoustic stage for smaller acts, and the main stage on a truck for bigger acts playing into the evenings.
Ilkley Live is seeking volunteers to help to organise the musical programme and support acts on the day. If you are interested in volunteering for this or any of the other Ilkley Live events, just contact the team via the website and become part of a group that puts music at the heart of the community.
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