DANCE opens the illustrious nine-day South Cumbria Music Festival.

Sessions start on Saturday and Sunday, March 24/25, followed by speech and choral speaking on the Monday (March 26).

Classes on Tuesday, March 27, feature the young, talented pianists from around the region and Wednesday is recorder day, with group music-making in the evening, including percussion and chamber pieces, plus instrumental and vocal sounds from the traditional, folk and ceilidh world.

Woodwind and strings hit the high notes on Thursday, with morning and afternoon sessions, followed by what promises to be one of the festival's highlights - the youth choral evening, featuring a whole variety of vocalising from hymns to Lloyd Webber and Simon and Garfunkel.

Friday and Saturday classes continue with a vocal edge and on Sunday (April 1) the major players of Kirkby Lonsdale, Burneside, Dalton Town, Flookburgh and Blackpool brass bands compete on the Coronation Hall stage.

Meanwhile, one of the festival highlights is always the candlelit gala night.

Including the Esther C. Croskery Performance Award, the Saturday, March 31 (7.30pm), event features special guest artistes basking in the glory of one of the UK's leading music festivals.

The festival continues to grow in stature and excellence each year.

Write and recite, disco and hip-hop dancing, and excerpts from school productions, are just a few of the many new ideas in the range of 270 classes throughout the festival.

"Each year the festival manages to find fresh avenues in performance for all the disciplines and promote new and exciting classes," explains festival chairman Aprille Bonner.

Aprille admits that the organisational side and raising the very necessary money to hold the ten-day festival is hard work but the pleasure gained in introducing young people to the joys of learning and growing in confidence through the festival is part of a rich reward for all the willing and stalwart helpers.

Adds Aprille: "Many little ones starting out in SCMF at seven or eight are now employed professionally and give encouragement to others."

"Our bursaries assist the young and dedicated performers to further their endeavours in their chosen field and we truly appreciate and thank the many benefactors who provide these bursaries.

"I personally have been in involved with SCMF since its inception and have found it interesting, fun and very demanding, but I would not be without it.

"Long may it continue."

For further details of the festival and tickets for the gala night telephone the festival office on 0777-340-36-86.

Meanwhile, eminent pianist and SCMF president Martin Roscoe will perform a recital for festival funds at Ulverston on December 7.

For further details and tickets telephone 01229-823432.