THE sound of music is set to return to Melrose this summer after a funding bid for £2,500 hit the right note with councillors.

Melrose Music Festival was first staged in 2017 and grew steadily in size over the next two years, featuring a variety of music, including jazz, classical and choral performances.

When it was last staged in 2019 an undoubted highlight was an appearance by opera singer Dame Felicity Lott, one of the UK’s best-loved sopranos, who was making her first visit to the Borders.

Now, after a two-year absence, it is to be held again from May 14 to May 28.

On Tuesday (March 8) the festival organisers received a boost when members of Scottish Borders Council’s William Hill Trust Sub-committee agreed a request for £2,500 towards the £14,333 cost of staging the event.

It is to consist of a number of performances which are already attracting a great deal of interest with organisers confident it “will remain a sustainable fixture providing long-term benefits to Melrose.”

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Events are to be held in a number of Melrose venues, including a jazz evening at the parish church hall, and at other locations in the Borders.

Councillor Jenny Linehan said: “I think it’s a good thing. We’ve just come through a pandemic and music lifts people’s spirits and a lot of these things have been held back because of COVID and it’s a really good thing to help it get back on its feet.”

Melrose Music Festival trustee Richard Aird said: “We’re absolutely delighted with the funding and it’s an excellent move for music in the Borders.

“The William Hill Trust has been extremely generous and we are delighted.”

The festival will also be funded by a combination of ticket sales and donations.

Its core belief is that a flourishing music festival “enriches the quality of life in the community”.