MARDEN House was packed for the official opening of this year’s Calne Music and Arts Festival Festival by Clive Farahar of the BBC’s Antiques Roadshow on Sunday.

He amused the audience with various anecdotes about the recent filming of the programme at Bowood.

Work from over 50 local artists, both amateur and professional, is on display for the whole ten days of the Festival in Marden House.

Former pupils of John Bentley School have put in appearances: Matthew Moore who leads the Larkin String Orchestra gave a concert on Sunday performing the works of Elgar, Mozart and Barber.

Monday evening’s concert, a violin recital by John Kane, included works by Beethoven and Cesar Franck and also featured Music for 247 Strings by Judith Weir, Master of the Queen’s Music and Patron of the Festival.

Local sisters, Genevieve and Georgia Browne , on violin and harp, accompanied by the Scottish tenor, Tom Payne, rounded off the evening with a Coda of Celtic Music.

Choirs form the local junior schools were due to give a concert at lunchtime on Thursday featuring songs from Oscar Hammerstein, and on Friday evening Peter Grant and Michelle Sheridan Grant will take a journey through Hammerstein’s life, performing songs from Oklahoma, The Sound of Music, South Pacific and Showboat.

Talented musicians from Marlborough College, St Mary’s, Calne, and John Bentley, as well as music staff, have performed to capacity audiences during the festival, which is enjoying its 40th year bringing culture, music and art to the town.

Performing in the Finale on Sunday evening is ‘Fingers’ Phillips, one of the leading boogie woogie and blues players in the country.

Together with Julian Moore and ‘big John’ Carter, he will perform a heady brew of foot-stomping Creole blues, folk and classic American music of the Blues era.

Also appearing will be the newly formed Back to the shack, featuring Brett Nevill on double bass and Axel Keim on guitar and harmonica.

Festival goers and performers from 40 years ago will gather tonight (Thursday) for a retrospective evening with conversation and music.

Full details can be found in the brochure, in Marden House, Calne Information Centre and www.cmaf.org.uk