A FOUR day summer festival aimed at providing local people and visitors  access to world class, professionally-performed classical and contemporary music at affordable prices returns to  Shaldon later this month.

And this year’s  Shaldon’s Festival of Music, which runs from  June 22  to  25 really does have something for everyone - especially for  pupils from a Teignmouth cchool.

A highlight for 30 lucky Year 5 pupils of Teignmouth Community School will be when they join the award winning vocal ensemble Apollo5 on stage for their evening concert on  the second night of the festival  on Thursday. June 23.

Apollo5 enjoy a busy world-wide concert diary, as well as being committed to providing inspiring musical opportunities for young people.  As part of the Festival’s outreach programme they will be holding a workshop at the school earlier that day, supported by The Helen Foundation.

The Apollo5 concert is particularly special to all those involved with the Festival, and to the many who have attended concerts over the years, because it is dedicated to the memory of Ro Rickett, whose involvement with the Festival spanned some 25 years as a Trustee and committee member, and finally as Chair until she retired in 2019.

The Festival meant a lot to Ro, with singing being one of her greatest pleasures. She was passionate about music and loved bringing world class performers to Shaldon.

She was committed to finding ways of sharing her enjoyment of music with new audiences, both young and old, and particularly through music workshops.   The Festival organisers are particularly grateful to Ro’s family who have chosen the Apollo5 concert to receive sponsorship from the Rosemary Rickett Memorial Fund.

The festival’s opening night sees Jonathan Radford, saxophonist and Ashley Fripp, showcase a programme of 1920s music which pays homage to the American saxophonist Rudy Wiedoeft and ends with Gershwin’s sublime Rhapsody in Blue.

On June 24 The Mithras Trio, current members of the prestigious BBC New Generation Artists scheme, perform a programme of Schumann, Dvořák and the Scottish composer Helen Grime.

Closing the Festival on Saturday night the hugely entertaining Budapest Café Orchestra, led by British jazz violinist and composer Christian Garrick, take to the stage for a blistering barrage of traditional folk and gypsy-flavoured music from across the Balkans.

All concerts are held in St Peter’s Church, Shaldon commencing at 7.30pm and doors open at 6.30pm.  There will be a pre-concert bar in the adjoining Victoria Hall where you can also order your interval drinks.

To book and reserve seats go to the Festival website www.shaldonfestival.co.uk where you will find full details of all performances.  Tickets will also be available on the door on the night, subject to availability.