EXCITEMENT is starting to mount ahead of next year s Budleigh Festival after organisers of its music and art element announced the line-up for the week-long extravaganza.As well as revealing the programme, organisers, still revelling from the success of

EXCITEMENT is starting to mount ahead of next year's Budleigh Festival after organisers of its music and art element announced the line-up for the week-long extravaganza.

As well as revealing the programme, organisers, still revelling from the success of the 2009 festival, thanked people who took part and helped make this year's event a triumph and an enjoyable spectacle.

The music festival will enter its sixth season when it starts next July. Once more, both the St Peter's and Temple will be used.

A spokesperson for the event said: "The programme looks very exciting with main evening events of the highest order.

"The King's Singers will make their first visit to Budleigh and the opera this year will be the Verdi favourite La Traviata. Tickets for both events will be available when the box office opens in May."

Next year there will again be a season ticket, offering seats at all main evening events except for the opera.

Additional evening concerts will include the 120 male voices of the Budleigh Salterton and Caldicot Choirs, the London Adventist Chorale and two Orchestral Concerts.

The first of these will feature pianist Mark Bebbington in two Mozart concerti and the second will use the forces of the Festival Chorus and the Devon Junior Choir with tenor James Gilchrist in Britten's St. Nicolas Cantata.

The spokesperson added: "During the week we shall welcome a French pianist of distinction, Pascale Rog � and then the Chilingirian Quartet.

"There will be usual mix of free lunchtime concerts and two Promenade Concerts at the new earlier time of 3pm.

"These will feature Mark Bebbington playing the Beethoven Diabelli Variations and James Gilchrist and Anna Tilbrook who will give a recital.

"We start the series of evening concerts with the guitar virtuoso Craig Ogden and flautist Judith Hall.