IT?S bigger and better? and guaranteed to strike the right chord with locals and visitors alike. Tavistock Music Festival starts today and runs throughout the May Bank Holiday weekend. This year it boasts 12 events in six venues around the town. Festival director Simon Ible said he was ?particularly pleased? that the festival provides a platform to showcase so much young talent in choirs, orchestras and bands. This year?s festival, again promoted by Tavistock Forward, opens today (Thursday) at 7pm in St Eustachius Church. This is the popular Tavistock Sings event, featuring eight youth choirs from around the region singing a new work, the Pied Piper of Hamelin by Andrew Wilson. Tomorrow (Friday) evening Kelly College hosts the Festival Supper. This is an evening of music and humour performed by two internationally acclaimed singers, Dominique Thiebaud and Philip Salmon. Saturday kicks off at 10.45am with Stannary Brass Band performing in Bedford Square. This is followed by a lunchtime Flute and Song Recital in the Abbey Chapel at 12.15pm. At 7.30pm the Festival Gala Concert is in St Eustachius Church and features the region?s professional Ten Tors Orchestra conducted by the Tavistock Festival artistic director, Simon Ible. The programme is a celebration of the 250th anniversary of the birth of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Sunday brings a further three music events: lunchtime jazz is on the menu in the Town Hall at 12.15pm (tickets £18) with jazz singer, Adele Wilding; a tea-time concert at Mount House School at 4pm with the region?s newest youth orchestra, the South West Camerata; and the Festival Evensong in St Eustachius Church at 6pm. On Monday Simon Ible will spend the morning and afternoon leading a choral workshop which culminates in an informal performance in St Eustachius Church at 5pm. Jonathan Watts will give a free lunchtime organ recital in the church at 1pm. The final event of the festival is Rock On in the Town Hall at 5.30pm featuring four local youth rock bands from Tavistock Community College and Kelly College. l Tickets and full programme details are available from Tavistock Tourist Information Centre. Telephone 01822 612938.
