MOZART, brass band music, storytelling and worship are some of the highlights of a Festival of the Arts being organised in Abergavenny.

The festival, at St Mary’s Priory Church, kicks off on Wednesday, June 1, with an opening champagne reception at which young musicians from Caerleon Comprehensive School will play – St Mary’s Choir director of music is Tim Pratt, head teacher at the school.

"One of our aims for the festival is to involve young musicians and local people as much as possible, as well as putting on a wonderfully wide-ranging choice of events," said the Rev’d Canon Jeremy Winston, vicar of Abergavenny.

The first major performance will be on Thursday, June 2, at 7.30pm when Abergavenny Borough Band plays its annual concert in the church – all proceeds will go to the band.

On Friday, June 3, at 7pm, there will be a free concert performance by youngsters of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, while at 7.30pm the following day, the Festival’s Gala Concert will include Mendelssohn’s Hebrides Overture and Mozart’s Requiem, his final work.

St Mary’s Choir will be joined by the choir of St Peter’s Collegiate Church, Ruthin, and soloists, including Jill Harries and Dan Roddick.

As well as the evening concerts, there will be lunchtime recitals by organist Sean Montgomery, the Newman string quartet from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, and bass baritone Jonathan Pugsley, who has sung with the Scottish Opera and Opera North.

World-renowed storyteller and Abergavenny resident Daniel Morden will tell stories to under-eights on the Friday, and the festival will conclude with a lunch after the parish Eucharist on Sunday, June 5, at which the Bishop of Monmouth, the Rt Rev’d Dominic Walker will celebrate and preach.

Other worship throughout the festival includes Vespers, sung by the younger members of St Mary’s Choir at 5.30pm on Wednesday, June 1, and choral evensong on each day, which guest choirs including Welsh Camerata, which specialises in music from the Renaissance and Baroque period.

To find out more, visit www.stmarys-priory.org, call in to the box office at the Priory Centre, Monk Street, Abergavenny, email festivalofthearts@hotmail.co.uk or ring 0844 8718699.