Benjamin Britten's engaging Spring Symphony is the centrepiece of the monumental Festival Choral Concert, which opens the week-long Mary Wakefield event, on Saturday, March 5 (7.30pm).

As usual, the MW festival features a huge range of adjudicated classes, both vocal and instrumental, the non-competitive Choral Celebration Evening (formerly choral recital class) on March 9, and a bring and sing' of Stainer's Crucifixion, conducted by Stephen Carleston, concluding the festival on Sunday, March 13 (6.30pm) at Kendal Parish Church.

One of my personal favourites is the Friday night (March 11, 7.30pm) Secondary Schools concert, which includes the final of the Jim Noble Award. Featured on this year's bill are the excellent Westmorland Youth Orchestra and the up-tempo results of the secondary schools big band workshop held earlier in the day, led by Richard Michael and Richard Ingham.

Another choice gig is the Band Night, this time around staged at Kendal's St John Boste Social Club at Gillinggate, on Tuesday, March 8.

The opening Festival Choral Concert stars an invited orchestra, a spectacular gathering of 150 voices led by chorus master Ian Jones, a children's choir, plus three highly regarded soloists - Claire Booth, Nicholas Hurndall Smith and Olivia Ray - all under the direction of top choral conductor, Paul Spicer.

Well known for working with the popular Finzi Singers, Paul was in Cumbria recently putting the festival choristers through their paces.

He also conducts London's Whitehall Choir and is professor of choral conducting at the Royal College of Music and Birmingham Conservatoire, in between staging workshops all across the UK, Europe and USA.

Earlier in his career he spent time as a music teacher, before moving on to become a producer, eventually rising to senior producer level for BBC Radio 3 in the Midlands.

A man of many talents, he's in demand as a composer, with his well-received Easter Oratorio performed at Litchfield Cathedral in July 2000.

As well as Britten's important and ambitious work, other pieces in the festival choral concert programme are Schumann's Symphony No 1 (Spring), Verdi's Te Deum and Bach's chorale Glory Now To Thee Be Given.

Of course, it wouldn't be a Mary Wakefield Festival without a mighty musical contribution from conductor Barry Sharkey and the premier players of the Westmorland Orchestra, who perform as part of the prestigious festival on Saturday, March 12 (7.30pm).

It is well known in the inner sanctum of the region's music circles that Mr Sharkey is a big fan of the grand and tuneful works of Gustav Mahler.

Hence, the Austrian composer's Symphony No 4 features in the orchestra's March 12 programme with soprano Gillian Ramm joining the orchestra on the Westmorland Hall stage.

The first half of the concert includes Beethoven's Egmont overture and John Field's Piano Concerto No 5 with acclaimed pianist Benjamin Frith as soloist.

Tickets for the Westmorland, the Festival Choral and Secondary Schools concerts are available from the Kendal Leisure Centre's box office on 01539-729702.

Tickets for Stainer's Crucifixion bring and sing' are available at the door or from festival committee members.