BUDLEIGH Salterton is gearing up for this year s festival of music and the arts, from July 23-August 1.

BUDLEIGH Salterton is gearing up for this year's festival of music and the arts, from July 23-August 1.

Now in its fifth year, the 2009 line-up is a popular mixture of contemporary and traditional performances by some of the country's leading musicians.

The festival has continued to grow in stature and reputation over the years and, such is its reputation among music-lovers, last year tickets for many of the performances sold out long before the events.

With this in mind, festival chairman Roger Bowen is urging festival-goers to book early to avoid disappointment.

Mr Bowen said this year there were 37 live events, featuring artists from across the globe.

With live opera, classical and contemporary music, free lunchtime concerts, workshops, evening concerts, late evening recitals and the Budstock rock festival, there promises to be something for all the family at the 2009 event.

Visitors can expect a great line up for the 2009 festival.

It starts with the superb Henschel Quartet, from Munich, joined by pianist Gottlieb Wallisch from Vienna. Gottlieb has recently recorded CDs that have received much critical acclaim. A few tickets are still available for this performance at the Temple Church. On July 24 Kurt Nikkanen, a virtuoso violinist from the USA appears with Maria Asteriadou, piano, in a programme that includes Bach, Beethoven (the Kreutzer) and the Waxman Variations on the Opera Carmen.

Ben Palmer and the Orchestra of St. Paul's are at St Peter's Church on Saturday July 25 for Peter and the Wolf by Sergei Prokofief and Babar the Elephant by Francis Poulenc; Ian Caddy recites.

Tickets are available for this along with concessions for youngsters.

On Monday July 27, after the reception, there is the rare opportunity for Budleigh to hear top class singing by a prize-winning gospel choir, the London Adventist Chorale, under their charismatic conductor Ken Burton. Tickets are still available.

Tuesday July 28 is Opera Night and this year it is Puccini's La Boheme 'They meet, they fall in love, they split, she returns, she dies' is Roland Villazon's description of the action. A few unreserved seats are still available.

Even Such Is Time is a cantata by Nicholas Marshall for chorus and chamber orchestra with baritone Jeremy Huw Williams in the Temple Church on Wednesday July 29. Again a few tickets are still available.

Those with a ticket for this concert will be admitted free to a talk about Raleigh's poetry by Professor Ivan Roots in the Peter Hall at 5pm on the same day.

Do not miss the free TV electronic music talk and demonstration by Robert Foster on July 30 at 2.30pm, also in the Peter Hall, followed next day at 10.30am by a workshop. This will be of particular interest to young people considering a career in music.

Phillip Dyson, piano, who is a well-known broadcaster on both sides of the Atlantic, will change the mood on Thursday in the Temple Church when he plays a programme from classical to Scott Joplin and Billy Mayerl. Just a few tickets are still available for his popular programme.

On Friday July 31 in the Temple Church, the celebrated cellist Natalie Clein invites you to join her and two friends, Alex Sitkovetski, violin, and Polina Leschenko, piano, for an evening of chamber music. The festival draws to its close with an orchestral concert, again featuring Natalie Clein, this time as solo cello in the Haydn Concerto in C. Again tickets are available.

Finally, down in the Limekiln car park from noon, the rock bands play in 'Budstock' through until midnight.

You are invited to take along all the family for an entertaining experience.