AN annual brass festival is set to feature leading female musicians, from an internet sensation to a West End star

Brass 2018, set to take place across County Durham in July, will have a special focus on female performances.

Festival artistic director Paul Gudgin said: “The 2018 festival provides us a great opportunity to celebrate the increasing prominence of female musicians in all forms of brass music.

“It is a real privilege for us to showcase many of the leading female musicians from the classical, jazz and the brass band world and we are confident Brass 2018 will be another fantastic event.”

The 10-day festival, which takes place between July 13-22, opens with a Women and Brass concert, led by 74-year-old drummer Crissy Lee, a member of the pioneering all-girl Ivy Benson Band popular during the Second World War, and features a big band of leading female musicians, including Swedish internet sensation Gunhild Carling.

The 12th annual festival will feature a number of international acts, including Australian trumpeter James Morrison, New Orleans’ all-female jazz band Shake ‘Em Up and street bands from France, Serbia and Spain.

Streets of Brass returns to Durham City, while parks across the county will host Big Brass Bash events, with a free finale at Wharton Park.

Other events new for this year include a competition for brass musicians to create a composition using a live looping phone app, a new commission inspired by Quentin Blake’s BFG exhibition, which will be on display at Bowes Museum during the festival, and a street ceilidh.

The Scottish Swing Orchestra will join with a local chorus for swing versions of Hollywood musical tunes from films including The Sound of Music, Chicago and Hairspray while West End star Liza Pulman will be involved in a collaboration celebrating the songs of Barbara Streisand.

Councillor Ossie Johnson, from festival commissioner Durham County Council, said: “Brass is a fantastic event for the county, attracting tens of thousands of music fans to the area and bringing hundreds of thousands of pounds into the local economy.

“It has a well-deserved reputation and I’m looking forward to seeing this year’s festival once again raise the bar and build on the success of previous years, bringing together an absolutely cracking line-up of big names and local talent and showcasing the very best music from around the world.”

For more information and to book tickets to all Brass events visit www.brassfestival.co.uk/