It's a blast, as rain fails to drown sounds of brass

4:05am Monday 7th July 2008

THE streets of Durham were alive with the sound of brass this weekend, despite the wet weather.

Brass: Durham International Festival got off to a damp start as the rain on Saturday cast a wet blanket over the first street performances.

But the musicians, who had come to the city from across the world, played on to the appreciation of a bedraggled audience.

The performers maintained their up-tempo beat as the rain continued to lash down.

On nearly every corner of the city centre there was the resonating sound of brass in all its forms, from the Dixie-influence jazz of Australian band The Hoodangers, to the traditional Bavarian-style of Oompah Brass, the melodies of the colourful Indian Jaipur Kawa Band and the Caribbean-flavour reggae of Skavolution.

The lively 10th Avenue Band plus Bassa Bassa brought distinctive mixes of Latin, jazz, blues, ska and African music.

The bands played at Palace Green, on Elvet Bridge, in Millennium Square and in the Market Place.

Despite the rain, Melanie Sensicle, chief executive of the County Durham Tourism Partnership, said she was still delighted with the opening event to the 16-day festival.

"Streets of Brass was a perfect reflection of the international nature of the festival, which includes acts from 11 countries and five continents," she said.

"The city was transformed into a bustling hive of musical activity, with many more exciting acts to come."

Other highlights of the opening weekend was a performance by one of the best-known traditional brass bands, the Brighouse and Rastrick, at Durham's Gala Theatre; a picnic in the park-style concert by Durham Constabulary Band, at the city's Durham Light Infantry Museum, and the Teesdale Brass Band Concert, at Bowes Museum, near Barnard Castle.

The remaining programme features everything from MOBO award-winning jazz saxophonist Soweto Kinch to the Miners' Gala and its marching colliery bands, and a performance by award-winning folk big-band Bellowhead.

Full details are available at brass festival.co.uk or from the Gala Theatre box office on 0191-332-4041.