ONE of the West Country’s most delightful festivals, Burton Bradstock Music and Art Festival, returns to the West Dorset coast from 10th to 17th August. The programme of classical, jazz, folk and chamber music in St Mary’s Church is complemented by an art exhibition which is a showcase for artists from around the region, in the village hall.

Celebrating music from across the centuries and musical genres, the Burton Bradstock musicians, led by violinist and festival director David Juritz, have become familiar faces for regular concert-goers. They include outstanding violinists and violists, one of the world’s leading accordionists, brass and wind players, in concerts and recitals that range from classical favourites and modern masterpieces to bluegrass and Americana.

The festival opens with the traditional Sunday tea party in the rectory gardens with live music and delicious cakes! That evening there is a festival evensong in St Mary’s, with organist Paul Cheater and the choir from Litton Cheney.

Monday’s exciting programme starts with a castaways event in St Mary’s at 11.30am, when virtuoso accordionist Milos Milivojevic (pictured) talks to violinist David Juritz about the music that has played an important part in his life.

That evening, Jaywalkers bring the infectious rhythms and tunes of traditional American bluegrass music to the church, with soaring fiddles, three-part harmonies and dazzling mandolin playing.

The first of three concerts on Tuesday 12th at St Mary’s is a lunchtime recital with violinist Natalie Lomeiko and violist Yuri Zhislin and their daughter Anya Zhislin on violin and piano, playing works by Bach, Mozart, Ravel and Grieg. The 7pm concert features jazz “From Ellington to Evans” and the 9.45pm late-night event is the guitar-violin duo of Craig Ogden and David Juritz playing works by Part, Satie and Bach.

Incidental music from Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde opens the chamber concert on Wednesday evening, followed by Beethoven, Satie and Ravel chamber works. The late night event features Milos Milivojevic and his wife, violinist Anja Petkovic with pianist David Gordon playing works by Rachmaninoff, Franck, Saint-Saens and An Ordinary Balkan Day by Boiko Milosevic.

Lunchtime on Thursday brings the exuberant Atea Quintet (pictured) (pictured)of wind players to St Mary’s with works by Saint-Saens, Paul Dukas and Henry Wood. The evening concert is a celebration of film and television music, with all the week’s instrumentalists taking part. David Gordon, piano, Paul Cavaciuti, percussion, and Richard Pryce, bass and are joined by the Festival Players for the late-night concert, UnRavel, exploring how Maurice Ravel was influenced by jazz.

The music programme of the festival ends on Friday 15th at St Mary’s with a gala concert, at 7pm. All the week’s musicians will take part in a delightful programme that includes music by Mozart, Louise Farrenc, Bizet, Vivaldi, Ravel and Oscar Peterson.

The art exhibition runs in the village hall from Sunday 10th to Sunday 17th August and features a wide range of affordable original paintings, prints, ceramics, glass and wood crafts by West Country artists. Proceeds of the exhibition go towards the cost of running the festival.