A MUSIC festival with an enticing programme of events makes a welcome return to Teignbridge this weekend.

Teignmouth Classical Music Festival , which gets underway in the town tomorrow (Friday)  offers audiences a chance to enjoy live music-making at its best.

Organised by Vive La Musique! the Festival’s fivefold aims are to make classical music accessible to all; draw on local talent;  combine the skills of professional and amateur musicians; encourage participation by people of all age and commission new work.

Opening the event on  Friday at the Church of St Michael the Archangel in Teignmouth is an evening of varied keyboard  repertoire with wit and musical dexterity   courtesy of accomplished and well-loved duo  David Davies and Andrew Millington.

This year’s exciting programme also  features the Exeter Camerata Orchestra with cellist Amye Farrell who will be in convert at Pavilions Teignmouth at 8pm on Saturday, March 1. The concert will feature Haydn’s Cello concerto in C, Overture in the Italian Style in D by Schubert and Mozart’s Symphony 25 in D ‘Haffner’.

Prior to this Pavilions will be taking the audience on a jazz and classical journey around the world  with Alfie Pugh (keyboards), Rebecca Willson (violin and accordion), David Jones (guitars) and Jim Rintoul (double bass) to prove that it’s a Wonderful World at 2.30pm on Saturday.

Other events scheduled for the weekend include a Choral Evensong  with the St Peter’s Singers of Exeter Cathedral in St Michael’s Church  at 6.30pm on Sunday , and the infectious enthusiasm of the Exeter Youth Orchestra, who play the same venue at 3pm. The festival is also delighted to welcome a mother and daughter duo from Odessa, currently sheltering from the war in Ukraine with their host family in Devon.

In addition to the public events, the Festival is organising free concerts at Hazeldown and Teignmouth Community School (Mill Lane) Primary schools.

The variety of programming and the unexpected combinations of musical styles will delight and surprise once again and all events offer excellent value and some are free.