An international organ festival will bring music to various historic buildings around St Albans.
The festival - which starts on Monday, July 10 - will feature the talents of St Albans teenager Julian Trevelyan, Long-Thibaud International Piano Competition laureate and a BBC Young Musician semi-finalist.
Also performing are Harpenden-based Amici Voices and the St Albans’ Cathedral Choir, Bach Choir and Chamber Choir.
The festival’s artistic director, David Titterington, said: “The St Albans International Organ Festival has brought the world’s very best young musicians to our beautiful city for over 50 years.
“Our 2017 festival is bigger and better than ever and we’ve made very sure that it has something for all tastes and for all ages. I’m looking forward to it immensely.”
St Albans Cathedral will play host to a performance of Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms with the choirs from the cathedral, St Paul’s Cathedral and Temple Church.
Beaumont School pupils will be putting on a performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream with the help of the Young People’s Puppet Theatre.
The festival will also be running an organ competition.
The contest is unusual in that the jurists will themselves be performing at the festival.
Other events include four late-night performances by candlelight in St Michael’s Church, the most significant surviving Anglo-Saxon building in the country.
In addition is the festival’s long-established Bach Corner series, with four free lunchtime concerts in St Albans Cathedral.
There is also the High Sheriff of Hertfordshire charity concert, featuring a performance of Handel’s Messiah conducted by Lawrence Cummings - the musical director of the London Handel Orchestra.
Aside from music, other events include an art exhibition in the 14th-century Kingsbury Barn.
A series of fringe events is taking place across the city centre in the 10 days leading up to the festival.
The festival has been able to expand its fringe events because of its close partnership with St Albans council.
As such, the fringe will feature an organ cover of David Bowie’s Heroes by scholar Nicholas Freestone.
To see the full programme and find out how to book tickets, visit www.organfestival.com
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