A MUSICIAN enjoyed playing at this year's Swaledale Festival so much, he has returned as the event's artistic director.

Double bass player Malcolm Creese took the top job at the two-week festival after his trio, Acoustic Triangle, performed to a sell-out audience in June.

It was love at first sight when the Southerner paid his first visit to the Yorkshire Dales.

"When the position of artistic director came up I jumped at it," he said. "I couldn't wait to get back. It is a special festival with a lovely feel about it, in a stunning area with some delightful people."

Mr Creese has performed as a soloist with musicians including John Williams, James Galway, Lesley Garrett, Cleo Laine, Diana Ross, George Benson and Sting.

He has also played with world renowned orchestras, including the BBC Symphony, Northern Sinfonia, Halle and Concertgebouw.

His musical career began at the age of eight, when he became a chorister at St John's College, Cambridge. At 15, he won a scholarship to the London Guildhall School of Music to study the cello. He switched to the double bass in the mid-Eighties and his expertise in classical and jazz music led him to becoming one of the busiest players in Britain.

As a record producer, he has more than 60 albums to his credit - and his own label, Audio-B.

He formed Acoustic Triangle with Tim Garland and Gwilym Simcock, and he is chairman of the Romsey Arts Festival, in Hampshire.

John Sparke, chairman of the Swaledale Festival, said: "We are delighted Malcolm has taken over the reins. He plans to meet as many local people as possible over the next few months and has some very exciting ideas for the 2008 programme."

Next year's festival will run from May 24 to June 7 at venues which include churches, village halls and open air locations.

The annual event, which attracts up to 5,000 visitors, has a classical core but folk, jazz and brass bands also feature and local performers and schools are involved. There are also exhibitions, talks, workshops and guided walks.