Alnwick International Music Festival off to flying start

Aug 4 2009 by Brian Daniel, The Journal

A NORTH East music attraction has got off to a flying start, despite its weakened line-up.

Alnwick International Music Festival got underway on Saturday, the day The Journal reported how two acts, from Bosnia and Herzegovina, had cancelled at the last minute.

The bands had been forbidden from travelling together to Northumberland by the Balkan country‘s government, who feared their different religions - one is Muslim, the other Christian - might lead to clashes between them.

The groups could not afford to travel separately and so cancelled.

Organisers were left with a gaping hole in the week-long line-up and had to shorten daytime performance times in the town’s market place and cancel two of the nightly concerts in the Alnwick Playhouse.

Nevertheless, the festival, now in its 34th year, has so far been a roaring success. Over 700 people flocked to the market place on Sunday and organisers yesterday expected to top that number.

The weather has been kind to organisers since the festival began, with glorious sunshine and not a drop of rain. Ticket sale for the evening concerts have also been steady.