The dales, vales and hills of our region will be alive with the sound of music when the county becomes the venue for a record-breaking live music event.

Musicians and singers from across North and East Yorkshire will be playing their part in hundreds of music-based events taking place over five days in the biggest-ever national festival of live music, BBC Music Live.

The massive event aims to create a greater awareness of musical talent within communities and help musicians and live music venues to reach new audiences.

During the festival, which runs from May 25 across the Spring Bank Holiday weekend to May 29, events will range from big-name concerts to community events.

York, Harrogate, Selby, Scarborough, Whitby and Goole will be hosting street and music festivals.

Other events spanning a range of musical genres will be taking place across the region from York, Helmsley and Ripon, to Scarborough, Whitby, Pocklington and Warter.

Educational initiatives include workshops in jazz in Harrogate, the flute in Helmsley and drumming and sword dancing in Whitby.

"On The Move" is the theme for the second day with train and bus operators being encouraged to entertain their passengers with live music. York-based rail firms Railtrack, GNER and Northern Spirit will all be joining in the fun.

On Monday 29, BBC Music Live heads to North Yorkshire public school Ampleforth College to join a choir of students and members of the monastery who will sing an early morning service based on the first monastic worship of the day.

Delma Tomlin, chief executive of the York Millennium Mystery Plays and director of next year's Beverley and East Riding Early Music Festival, said: "Music Live will uniquely offer everyone a chance to take part in a national celebration of one of the great joys known to mankind - music-making. It should be a truly amazing weekend."

BBC organisers have already had a "remarkable" response from local performers but are still keen to hear from more.

To register events, which will be promoted by the BBC, or to find out more write to BBC Music Live, c/o BBC North, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds, LS2 9PX or call 0113 224 7137.

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