A MASSIVE mix of music styles will be played out during the seventh-annual Darlington Arts Festival, from hip hop to Haydn, jazz to experimental pop, and from prog rock to Prokofiev.

The main music events for the 2019 festival are a world-class New Orleans jazz gig, classical piano performed by two young brothers and talented tribute bands.

A clutch of the North-East most talented female artists will be brought together for the Noisy Daughters vinyl launch in the Voodoo Café.

This year, the festival’s theme is ‘Follow Your Art’ and organisations across the town will be involved in showcasing talent and introducing audiences to something new.

The event will run from May 17 to May 20, with the Noisy Daughters vinyl launch starting proceedings on May 17. The event features some of the artists on the album – with performances from Martha Hill, Komparrison, Kay Greyson and Eve Conway.

The record is the North East’s first vinyl compilation with all female artists and has been curated and produced by Darlington-based music collective Tracks, record label Butterfly Effect and Rianne Thompson.

Sarah Wilson from Tracks said: “We were thrilled with the commitment from local organisations to support Noisy Daughters and make this release possible.

“Darlington for Culture have provided a grant contributing to the costs of the release along with Butterfly Effect record label, who are always hugely supportive of the North East music scene.”

During the four-day event, two tribute bans will perform at The Forum Music Centre, with Shine On paying homage to Punk Floyd on May 17, followed by The Cureheads recreating the sound of The Cure on May 18.

The same day, the Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club hosts American pianist Jeff Barnhart, ace reed man John Hallam, and Graham Smith on drums for an afternoon of classic ‘Sweet and Hot’ New Orleans Jazz

On May 29, Darlington Piano Society presents a recital by talented North-East siblings, Jeremy and James Chen. The brothers were prize winners at the Chopin International Festival in Warsaw in 2016 and will be playing JS Bach, Haydn, Beethoven, Chopin, and Prokofiev in The Dolphin Centre’s Central Hall.

More music is scheduled at the ‘Spotlight on...’ performance space in the town’s Indoor Market, which will be set up specially for the Arts Festival on May 18.

For more information, visit darlingtonforculture.org