World music at Lydford

Yesterday evening we slipped over the border into Devon to drive up to Lydford on the western side of Dartmoor. Lydford is one of those villages participating in Devon's Villages in Action programme. The Villages in Action scheme based in the heart of the county at Crediton was started in 1992. Their aim is to bring top quality professional performers and workshops into Devon's very rural areas at prices ordinary people can afford, usually in village halls. At the moment VIA covers the local authority areas of East Devon, Mid Devon, South Hams, Teignbridge and West Devon. More about them here.

So we found ourselves at Lydford's Nicholls Hall to listen to Klektivo World Fusion Music. The four young musicians came from UK, Paraguay, Senegal and Italy and there was also a lady singer from I think Chicago. You can't get much more international than that! Two factors particularly attract us to such events, apart from enjoying 'world music'. Firstly artists such as these obviously like the smaller more intimate venues and like talking to their audience. Secondly the prices, although varying a little depending on the event, are always reasonable. Last night they were £6, and £4.50 for senior citizens.

The scheme is a wonderful idea to bring culture into the rural environment.