EAST Cornwall's biggest music festival has grown so large a full-time co-ordinator has had to be employed.

The Callington and District Music for the Millennium Festival appointed Mrs Hedwige West from Linkinhorne to the post, which is funded by the Caradon area LEADER II fund.

The festival began in March and even incorporated the eclipse. It is expected to continue right through the year 2000 at venues throughout the district.

Hedwige said there were 25 events planned so far, with more in the pipeline, including guests from overseas including Japan, America and most places in Europe.

'What we are trying to do is help events that would have happened anyway — helping people put them on in a special way for the Millennium with extra funding and planning, and help events that wouldn't have happened otherwise,' she said.

Hedwige said her main aim was to get people to come and see something different and she is planning a series of themed events covering Jazz, Cornish and Celtic

music.

'Little festivals within the festival to get audiences to come and see something different— those are my babies,' she said.

It is hoped these events will also draw people from much further afield than East Cornwall.

Enthusiasm seems to have been the main attribute that attracted the committee to Hedwige. She admitted she had never organised an event of this scope, but has plenty of experience putting on theatre as a lecturer at Manchester University.

The event was started by town councillor Jane Black, keen for the town to celebrate the Millennium.

She said: 'I'm very grateful for all the help I've received right from the inception of this project. I'm very happy to hand it over and I'm sure Hedwige will do a good job — I think the whole thing will just take off from here on in.'

The next event is the musical South Trevissick by Harrowbarrow and Metherell thespians SHAME. The event runs November 12 and 13 at the village hall, starting 7pm. The production has been sponsored by Spinnaker International.