THIS year?s Tavistock Sings! musical festival is set to be bigger and better than ever, with new features and an exciting line-up of talent. The programme for the festival, which takes place between April 28 and May 2, has just been published. John Taylor, chairman of Tavistock Forward which is promoting the event, said he hoped the festival would be a real attraction for the town. ?Hopefully, it?s going to pull a lot of people in. It?s a bigger festival this year, there?s more music and we?ve widened it out a bit,? he said. ?We?re having an American showtime cabaret at Kelly College; we?re also going to do a concert at the Catholic Church this year. The main event will still be the gala concert in the parish church with the Ten Tors Orchestra, which hopefully will attract about 400 people. ?We?ve got Plymouth Folk Festival coming to do some traditional dancing on Bedford Square ? there are also quite a lot of free events this year.? Simon Ible, director of music at the University of Plymouth and artistic director of the festival, said: ?I think it?s going to be fantastic. This year?s programme is a celebration of Tavistock?s music talent. It showcases local performers of all ages and encourages participation in music making and dance, as well as enjoyment for the audience. ?Set alongside this, we have local, regional, national and international professional musicians bringing an exciting, diverse and dynamic profile to the five-day event. ?It?s great that Tavistock, now an acknowledged award-winning market town, can host a major music event such as this.? The internationally acclaimed opera singer Sarah Walker CBE is president of Tavistock Sings! She said: ?I am honoured to be president of the Tavistock music festival. I send Simon and all the performers best wishes for a successful and enjoyable five days of music.? The festival starts on April 28 in Tavistock Parish Church, where local choirs will perform The Land where the Bong Tree Grows, a new cantata by Andrew Wilson. On Friday April 29, the American showtime festival supper will be held at Kelly College, featuring show songs and arrangements of Gershwin, Rodgers and Porter. Seventeenth century virtuoso violin music from the Austrian and Italian courts, performed using period instruments, can be heard at the catholic church at lunchtime on April 30 and during the evening, the gala concert with the Ten Tors Orchestra, conducted by Simon Ible, takes place in the parish church. May will be welcomed at the stone circles at Merrivale with a special dawn chorus, featuring chants and music, followed by breakfast. On the same day, there will be folk dancing in Bedford Square and a jazz lunch featuring Antonia Couling in the town hall. During the afternoon, Stannary Brass Band will play on Bedford Square and there will be a festival evensong during the evening at the parish church. On Monday May 2 the church will host a singing day, culminating in a performance at 5pm. Tavistock Sings! has been made possible through a grant from the South West Regional Development Agency ? it has also been supported by West Devon Borough Council and Tavistock Town Council and various corporate and private patrons. Tickets for the events are available from Tavistock Tourist Information Centre.