Festival honours one of Middleton's greatest talents

Photo: Laura Wild

The Peter Cowap Music Festival

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Hundreds of revellers flocked to Middleton's biggest music festival of the year today (Sunday 2 May 2010) to celebrate the talents of Peter Cowap – one of Middleton’s greatest musicians.

Peter Cowap was a guitarist who died in 1997 aged 53.

The festival is an annual event and until this year took place at the Olde Boars Head pub.

Organiser Phil Moore said: “Each year the festival has just overtook us, it has got bigger and better. So big in fact we needed a venue to hold all the bands and the audience.”

Eleven acts took to the stage this afternoon and were a huge hit with the crowd. Audience member Shelia Holden said: “I have been to the festival before, when it was at the pub, but this is much better. It is fantastic.”

This year, for the first time, the festival has joined forces with Francis House Children’s Hospice to raise funds for their day to day running.

Although the gig was free, audience members were asked to donate to the charity.

Organiser John Firth said: “The hospice is a great believer in music therapy; we hope that today everyone will find the music therapeutic enough to put their hands in their pockets and make a donation.”

Because the festival has grown so much, this year has taken much more preparation than previous festivals. Graham Cooke of the organising committee said: “The festival is not just about remembering Pete, it is about doing something for our community.

“That is why the event organisers and musicians involved are giving their time absolutely free of charge.”

The festival was sponsored by: Middleton Township, Link4Life, Middleton Civic Association, Barr Construction, who kick-started the charity appeal with a £400 donation, Wigwam Acoustics, RH Brown Electrical Services Ltd and Total Displays and Interiors Ltd.