YOU would be hard pressed to find a bigger galaxy of musical talent performing lunchtime concerts than at Kendal Midday Concert Club.

Crowds flock from far and wide to sample the club's legendary recitals.

The 2004/2005 season gets off to a flying start with the long-established excellence of the Northern Sinfonia, one of the finest outfits on the chamber music circuit, opening proceedings with works by Brahms on Wednesday, October 6 (1pm).

The fortnightly Wednesday shows continue on October 20, pairing Haydn's String Quartet in G Major with Ravel's String Quartet in F Major capped by Puccini's Chrysanthemums - courtesy of the highly regarded McFarlane String Quartet.

Benjamin Frith needs little introduction to Lakeland audiences, as he's a regular and popular visitor.

A talented and in demand concert pianist and chamber music player, as well as a member of the Gould Piano Trio, he returns to the Kendal Town Hall venue on November 3 in a varied programme, including works by Scarlatti, Beethoven, Brahms and Liszt.

Violin and piano join together on November 17 as So-Ock Kim and Chiao-Ying Chang take to the stage and, on December 1, five talented musicians, all members of leading UK orchestras, play under the banner of the Marias Wind Quintet.

Soprano Zoe Ramsden teams up with bass Marcos Carvalho and pianist Sarah Murphy on December 15 for arias and songs from Xerxes, Le Nozze di Figaro, Don Giovanni, Fidelio and light operas by Edward German and Richard Rodgers a perfect conclusion to the 2004 half of the season.

The Plane-Dukes-Rahman Trio open the New Year (January 5) with music by Mozart, Schumann and Francaix, followed on January 19 by another top-level foursome, the Prazak String Quartet. Albeit not a household name in Britain, the four Czech musicians perform as a high-ranking ensemble in their homeland.

The three distinguished soloists of Fenella Barton (violin), Stephen Buck (cello) and Katya Apekisheva (piano) perform as the Kandinsky Piano Trio on February 2 and the Northern Sinfonia return with pianist Howard Shelley on February 16.

The season concludes with two concerts in March pianist Sarah Beth Briggs (March 2) and the prestigious violin, viola, cello, double bass and piano players of Configure 8 on March 16, performing Hummel's Piano Quintet in Eb and Franz Schubert's ever popular Trout Quintet (Piano Quintet in A).

It promises to be another season of high calibre daytime entertainment, which by rights should bring the audiences flocking to Kendal.

Tickets for each concert are £5 / students and schoolchildren £1.

As usual snack lunches are available from 11.50am.