TV date for brass bands to show off Dales beauty spot

ONE of the oldest brass band competitions in the world is due to feature in a TV documentary which will bring a taste of life in the Yorkshire Dales to millions.

A film crew plans to be at the Hardraw Brass Band Festival which will be staged later this month in a spectacular natural amphitheatre below England’s highest unbroken waterfall.

This year’s competition is in line to be featured on a new ITV show, The Dales, and TV crews have already been to the rehearsals of at least one of the bands taking part in the festival on Sunday, September 12.

Festival spokesman Gerald Hodgson said: “The brass band festival at Hardraw is such an historic event, and it is one of the oldest competitions of its kind in the world.

“Its setting is unique and the acoustics in the natural amphitheatre are wonderful.

“It will be a lovely opportunity to share the festival with a far wider audience when it is hopefully featured on the TV show.”

Festival organisers were contacted by 20 bands wanting to compete this year and an extra two places have been created since the 2009 festival to try to cope with demand. A total of 14 bands are due to play.

The brass band compet- ition, which was first held in 1884, is staged in the natural amphitheatre behind the Green Dragon Inn at Hardraw.

The Yorkshire Post revealed on Saturday that Bradford-born comedian and actor Ade Edmondson had been in the Dales to film his part for the ITV series and will be back this month for the final shoot.

The Hardraw festival, which is accessed via the Green Dragon Inn, starts at 10am and continues throughout the day. Adult entry is 7 and 3 for five to 16-year-olds.