Music legend Georgie Fame officially opened the Marlborough Jazz Festival last night with hundreds of people gathering outside the Castle and Ball for the launch of the weekend event.

Kick-starting one of the UK’s biggest Jazz Festivals were the Marlborough-based Jazzports , followed by the arrival of the Slaughterhouse Quartet on the Fullers dray.

Organiser Nick Fogg Said: “The Marlborough Jazz Festival has been one of the top Jazz Festivals in the UK for at least a quarter of century and we couldn’t have done that without our sponsors, especially our lead sponsors Brewin Dolphin.

“We also owe a big thanks to Sister Maria Assumpta who is a nun down in Kent who prays for good weather - she has worked overtime this year.”

Georgie Fame added: “The main thing is to congratulate the festival organisers for surviving 27 years which I think is an amazing feat.”

The musical treats continued with the Hackney Colliery Band and their take on pop classics Rolling in the Deep and No Diggity.

Mayor of Malborough Guy Loosmore said: “For visitors who have come here this is a wonderful town, I think most people who come here stay and never leave.

“It’s great to see everybody out here; I think it’s about five years since we’ve had some sun.

“This festival doesn’t happen without a lot of people doing a lot of things behind the scenes.”

And proving that Marlborough’s got talent was the St John’s School band.

Spectator Norman Smyth from Cirencester said: “I love coming to the jazz festival, I’ve been coming since 2000 and for me it’s a highlight of the year and if the opening ceremony is anything to go by this year will be no exception.”

The party continued well into the night with performances from the likes of Steve ‘Big Man’ Clayton and the 44s, Nick Harper and the Becki Biggins Quartet.

The festival continues today and tomorrow.