THE Dales will be alive with the sound of music over the last three days of Grassington Festival.

The award-winning jazz singer and BBC Radio 2 broadcaster, Clare Teal, performing with her 17-piece Hollywood Orchestra led by Guy Barker, will celebrate Ella Fitzgerald’s centenary year in the field marquee at 8pm tonight.

The festival is looking forward to welcoming the singer/songwriter Newton Faulkner at 8pm tomorrow with support from Holy Moly and the Crackers.

There is still plenty to do for the whole family with a performance of The Emperor's New Clothes at 6pm tomorrow in the Cavendish Pavilion grounds at Bolton Abbey and a day of celebration in Grassington Square on Saturday from 11am to 4pm, which includes music and lighthearted fun with Rowan McCabe, The Grassington Singers, Highly Strung, Raven, Skipton Community Orchestra and Back Chat Brass.

The whole festival fortnight comes to a spectacular finale at The Last Night Party on Saturday with a headline performance by Bananarama, supported by The Opera Comic and Back Chat Brass. The concert starts at 7pm.

For more information, visit grassington-festival.org.uk

* Craven Herald reviewer Adrienne Fox has also been busy and attended a performance by the Heath String Quartet on Sunday afternoon at Scargill House on Kettlewell.

Adrienne wrote: "This was one of the finest concerts I have attended.

"The Heath is proof that the days of the over-intellectualised, stuffy, precious, string quartet recitals are over.

"Heath is dynamic and via superb control of their instruments communicate the slightest musical nuance to the audience

Beethoven’s Quartet, opus 18 no. 3, begins with a little frilly figure which can either unsettle the listeners if the intonation sounds insecure or it lets everyone sit back in their seats relaxed and ready to enjoy.

"The Heath had a liquid silver opening, followed by eloquent phrases that led us effortlessly through Beethoven’s architecture.

"Every change of key was beautifully pointed with attention to the exact notes for harmonic colours.

"Bartok’s Quartet no. 2 is generally regarded as a challenge, not just for the players but also the audience.

"Leading an audience through Bartok’s irregular rhythms and dissonances was in the 60s, regarded as extraordinarily difficult, despite copious programme notes and pre-concert lectures to inform listeners.

"The magnificent sound that filled Scargill Chapel was awesome, especially the unison playing so perfectly focussed and so huge that, as a friend said, ‘They sounded like the Berlin Phil.’

"Dissonances, rhythmic devices and new string techniques didn’t interrupt the glorious sound pictures Bartok demanded and the Heath created.

"Beethoven’s opus 59 no. 1 ‘Razamovsky’ is not an easy ride, particularly for the ‘cellist who has to make a Russian runt of a tune do wonders to please Beethoven’s sponsor.

"It made me laugh because the quartet had grasped the irony of Beethoven’s naughty response. Drama, pathos and humour abounded.

"The ‘String Quartet’ as we know it evolved from ‘The Chest of Viols’. Perhaps the Heath is ready to precipitate a further evolution, jumping over today’s ‘Bands’. Watch your back Glastonbury."