ORGANISERS of a historic singing festival hope the event will be music to the ears of Keighley people.

The Yorkshire and the North-East Welsh Hymn-Singing Festival, the Cymanfa Ganu, takes place on Saturday, May 11.

Secretary Eileen Walker, from Laycock, says anyone is welcome to attend.

This year's event is being held at the Wesley Methodist Church, in Oxford Street, Harrogate, from 2pm to 4.30pm.

Car parking is available nearby.

People travel from as far afield as Newcastle, Nottingham and Manchester to take part in the festival – which was first held in the South Yorkshire village of Carlton, near Barnsley, in 1903.

Mrs Walker says: "The leader this time will be the Rev Philip Barnett – originally from Wrexham – and our organist will be Carey Williams, who is originally from Bala.

"Most of the hymns are sung in Welsh, but spoken parts of the service are in Welsh and English."

Refreshments will be available after the service.

A collection will be taken to help support the staging of the festival in the future.

For more details, e-mail jimwalker@mistral.co.uk or call 01535 665829.

Since its inception, the festival has been held at a variety of locations across the region.