TAVISTOCK and Dartmoor Festival organisers are searching for six singers to take part in a masterclass run by internationally-renowned opera singer Benjamin Luxon.

Auditions will be held and the chosen half dozen will present a concert during the festival in September.

The whole event — including the masterclass — will be open to the public and will be staged at the Wharf in Tavistock.

The Times is backing the festival and leading the search for the six singers.

'It is a great opportunity for anyone serious about singing to meet and work with an opera singer, director, actor and narrator of such standing as Benjamin,' said festival artistic director John Bartlett.

'He has such tremendous experience of music and performing to pass on to the lucky six. It will be a stimulating evening and very fulfilling for the performers and for the audience.'

Anyone who lives or works in Devon or East Cornwall can apply for an audition.

Each singer will be asked to bring along four choices of music from a field of opera, musicals and folk — two will be chosen to work on for the final performance.

Applicants must be of good amateur or semi-professional standard or be serious music students. Age is no barrier.

The masterclass and concert is part of an eight-day festival which caters for most musical tastes as well as featuring film and theatre.

Its theme is 'new beginnings' — the aim being to entertain as well as promote local art.

Patron is Edward Woodward, OBE, who backs the organisers' belief that Tavistock deserves and should be able to support an annual festival of national standing.

'This year's programme shows that we can do just that,' says organising chairman Sue Spackman.

'And the fact that the festival runs in conjunction with the Tavistock and West Dartmoor Writers' 'Writing on the Wild Side' programme makes the whole week a truly prestigious event.'

Benjamin Luxon, who lives in Cornwall, has sung with all the world's major orchestras and has over 100 recordings to his name.

Find full festival information or http://www.pwcomms.co.uk/tdf">www.pwcomms.co.uk/tdf or phone 01822 614222.

Applicants should send CV to The Times , 42 Brook Street, Tavistock, PL19 OHE. Mark the envelope 'Festival Masterclass'.