LOVERS of early and baroque music are in for an absolute treat with the first Salisbury Musick early music festival, from 3rd to 5th October, at some beautiful and unusual venues, ranging from Fovant Chapel to Salisbury’s magnificent St Thomas’s Church.

The new festival, which brings together many talented local musicians and some visiting professionals, is a nod backwards to Salisbury’s 18th century three-day festivals of music – one of the events, on Friday 3rd at 3pm at Salisbury Museum, will be a talk by Nigel Wyatt about the performers and events from 250 years ago.

The packed programme – 15 events across the three days – opens with a choice of domestic music-making from the 18th century at Fovant Chapel (pictured), or Venice to Vienna, with local brass players and an introduction to the natural horn by Laurie Truck, at All Saints Church, Broad Chalke, both at 11am.

Later that day thee are two events at Salisbury Medieval Hall, More Than A Woman, with Sounds Historical, (pictured), a female quartet playing music by some remarkable women, on a wide range of instruments, at 6pm, and Julia Bishop playing music for baroque violin by candlelight at 8.30pm.

Saturday’s programme includes The Merry Organ, at Barford St Martin Church,and Ayres and Dances from the 17th century, with the Festival Minstrels, at St George’s. Harnham, both at 11am. St Thomas’s is the venue for The Leipzig Connection, with Sarum Baroque playing works by some of the many baroque composers associated with Leipzig, at 12.30pm. The Virtuoso Harpsichord, at the Medieval Hall at 6pm, features David Wright playing works by composers of the golden age of the harpsichord, including Bach and Handel, and the evening ends with Come, Heavy Sleep, from 8.30pm, late-night lute song with soprano Charlotte La Thrope, tenor Hugo Hymas and lutenist Serigo Bucheli.

On Sunday, there is fun for all the family, particularly young children, with Alice Poppleton leading two sessions of Tots Concerts at Salisbury Museum, at 10.15am and 11.15. The Medieval Hall is the venue for A Taste of Italy, a baroque lasagne of Italian delights layered with works by French and German composers, all played by Early Bird.

The festival ends with one of the greatest masterpieces of the baroque era – and of classical music generally – the Mass in B Minor by JS Bach, at St Thomas’s at 5.30pm, with Salisbury Baroque, the Farrant Singers and professional soloists, under the baton of Philip Lawson.

For tickets and more information visit www.saisburymusick.org.uk