ULVERSTON Choral Society opens the third Sedbergh Festival at St Andrew's Parish Church on Saturday, 7.30pm performing Handel's Dettingen Te Deum and Puccini's Messa di Gloria. Featuring a glittering list of singers and instrumentalists, the festival's 16-day feast of music builds to a powerful finale in Bach's St John Passion on Sunday, June 27 (7.30pm). Among the 30-plus events is principal soprano for Hanover Opera Alla Kravchuk, who should provide one of the many festival highlights in Two Pianos and Voice on Friday, June 25 (7.30pm), accompanied by prize-winning pianists Simon Phillips and Stephen Ridge. Tickets for all events are available at the door. For full festival details and group bookings call 015396-20295.

YOUNGSTERS from 28 of the region's primary schools will be singing their hearts out at Kendal's Westmorland Hall during the Once Upon a Future show's four-night run from Monday until Thursday (June 17, 7.30pm). Staged by Making Music - the group that created Wellytivity and Tall Tale of Till it revisits MM's first musical hit, written and composed by Jonathan Humble and Anne Pater. The script is loosely based around the legend of Merlin with Nicole Holmes, from Stramongate School, and Vicarage Park pupil Edward Cawley, chosen for the lead roles of Meg and Tom. Produced by Anne Pater and Caroline Barber, the show also stars Steve Hall as Toadflax, Hannah Fleming as the Lady of the Lake and Richard Pater, playing Merlin. The recorder players of Allithwaite, Ambleside, and Grayrigg primary schools also feature. For ticket details contact Kendal Leisure Centre on 01539-729702.

THE penultimate concert in the Ulverston International Music Festival at the Coronation Hall is on Friday night, 7.30pm featuring top pianist Anthony Hewitt performing Great Chamber Music Works alongside violinists Pierre Bensad and Yuri Zhislin; viola player Samvel Barsegian and cellist Thomas Carroll.

Two of the country's leading musicians provide the four-day festival's finale on Saturday, 7.30pm: clarinettist, Emma Johnson and pianist Martin Roscoe, including works by Debussy, Weber, Poulenc and Rachmaninov. Pre-concert lectures by music writer and presenter Michael White start at 6.30pm before each event. For tickets, contact the Coro box office on 01229-587140.

LOCAL writers team-up for a Live Lit event on Saturday, 7.30pm at the Kendal Arms Hotel. Among the line-up of wordsmiths is South Lakes Poet Laureate Lucy Crispin. Lucy tells me that anyone who wants to share their work with an appreciative audience or just fancies listening should just turn up, there's no need to book. For further details, contact Lucy on 01539-727295.

PIANIST Karen Suter and clarinettist Sue Gill take to the Victoria Hall stage on Friday, 7.30pm as part of the Grange-over-Sands Concert Club series. The programme features works by Finzi, Weber, Collis, Poulenc and Bassi. Tickets are £9 members/ non-members £10/ students free.

CARTMEL Priory's concert season continues on Saturday, 8pm with an appearance by Kendal South Choir. No doubt another fine performance by the magnificent choral ensemble. Admission is £6/ children and students £3.

FORMER director of the Royal School of Church Music and one time organist at Southwark Cathedral, Harry Bramma, comes to Kendal on Thursday (June 17, 7.30pm) to perform an organ recital at St George's Church. Admission is £6. For further details, contact 01539-737748.