A feast of great music (From Tewkesbury Admag)

A feast of great music

TICKETS are on sale for this year's Chipping Campden Music Festival.

Julian Lloyd Webber is just one of the big names dropping in for the fourth annual festival which is set to pack St James' church from June 4 to 15.

Organiser Charlie Bennett said: "One again we have secured the services of some of the world's most prestigious musicians and feel there are few places in the UK where such an array of talent could be heard in the space of 12 days.

"Add to this the magnificent setting of St James' Church, the beauty of Chipping Campden and its wide range of shops, hotels and restaurants and we have what we believe to be the perfect festival venue."

The opening recital on June 4 will be by one of the world's finest pianists, John Lill. He has chosen a programme of romantic works by Schumann, Brahms and Beethoven specially for the festival.

On Tuesday, June 5, there will be a special concert from the Lindsay String Quartet. Acknowledged as one of the finest quartets of all time, its members are retiring this year, so this will be one of the last chances to hear them perform together.

Cellist Julian Lloyd Webber is joined by pianist John Lenehan for a concert on June 7, which includes works by Bach, Bridge, Britten, Faure, Debussy, Rachmaninov, William Lloyd Webber and his own composition, Jackie's Song.

Mark Bebbington is a pianist who likes to champion lesser-known composers and he will be including some pieces by Gloucestershire's own Ivor Gurney in a programme on June 8 which will also include Ravel's Mirroirs and Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition.

The Leopold Trio performs on June 9, joined in the second half by a pianist and double bass player for Schubert's Trout Quintet, while on June 10, there is a piano recital by Richard Mayrick .

On Saturdays June 4 and 11, there will be jazz suppers in the Cotswold House Hotel and there will be a picnic in the gardens of Burnt Norton House on June 12.

On the evening of June 12, top baritone Christopher Maltman will give a performance of Schubert's Winterreise, accompanied by Julius Drake. On June 13, The London Mozart Players will be joined by pianist and conductor Howard Shelley, and the following evening, there will be a violin recital by BBC Young Musician of the Year winner Nicola Benedetti, accompanied by pianist Alison Rhind.

During the week there will also be lunchtime recitals by students from top music colleges, free to anyone in full-time education.

The festival's grand finale will be a performance of Bach's Mass in B Minor given by the Choir of Tewkesbury Abbey School and the Orchestra of St John's, with conductor John Lubbock.

For more information, bookings or brochures, contact the box office on 01386 849018 or visit www.campdenmusicfestival.co.uk.