THE CALNE Music and Arts Festival will be officially opened to festival friends, invited guests and exhibitors at Marden House by a critically acclaimed local artist.

David Inshaw, who stepped into the spotlight in 1973 with his painting entitled The Badminton Game, will be opening the Art Preview on Thursday evening and kick start the festival which will host more than forty events over ten days.

Carole Browne, President of the Calne Music and Arts Festival said: "We always have a local celebrity officially open the festival and we are very lucky to have David Inshaw at the preview."

During the ten day festival, various venues in Calne will host a variety of concerts and art exhibitions which offer something for everyone.

"The emphasis has always been on local talent and local performers and on Friday we have a group called Bonfire Radical who play Eastern European music and their lead went to John Bentley School and although they have made records and played concerts around the world, she is coming back as a local performer," Mrs Browne said.

The festival, which has taken a whole year to plan, will work together with John Bentley School and St Mary's as well as hosting the primary school's choir on Tuesday who will be performing the songs of Bob Dylan and Frank Sinatra.

Recently retired after 33 years with the BBC's Symphony Orchestra, Richard Stagg will be gracing the stage in St Mary's Church with Calne Choral and a full orchestra and playing a Japanese Shakuhachi, which is a traditional Japanese flute made from the base of a bamboo shoot.

For more information about the festival which runs from October 6 - 16, visit www.cmaf.org.uk.