THE distinguished baton of Barry Sharkey will be waving around the Westmorland Hall podium tomorrow night (Saturday, March 17, at 7.30pm), conducting Beethoven's fifth, a Glinka overture and a work by Grieg.

Alongside Mr Sharkey and the popular players of the Westmorland Orchestra, will be Christine Stevenson as soloist in Grieg's Piano Concerto.

With an explosive opening, memorable tune and some of the finest music ever written for the piano, Grieg's only concerto will provide the centrepiece for a top quality concert, which raises the curtain on the week-long Mary Wakefield Westmorland Music Festival 2007.

The following day's (Sunday, March 18) Come and Sing at Kendal Parish Church from 2pm (performance at 4.45pm) focuses on Vivaldi's Gloria.

Conducted by Stephen Carleston and accompanied by organist Hugh Davies, the event also stars Kendal's Amabile Girls' Choir members Emma Stannard and Stephanie McClean, as soloists.

However, for sheer choral power, concerts don't come much bigger than the festival's grand finale on Saturday, March 24, at 7.30pm, in Kendal Parish Church, with leading tenor Nicholas Hurndall Smith and star-bound soprano Nicola Stonehouse, both in the spotlight.

Conducted by respected musician and biographer Paul Spicer, the programme's magical mix includes works by George Dyson, Edward Elgar, J.S Bach and Herbert Howells' large scale and moving choral piece Hymnus Paradisi, performed by a top class festival orchestra and a line-up of choristers led by Ian Jones that would be fit to grace any choral gathering.

Meanwhile, in between both weekends, the Mary Wakefield feast of music continues with instrumental and vocal classes, singing and drum workshops.

Throughout festival week, primary and secondary school students will rise to the musical challenge during a multitude of sessions, many held at Kendal's United Reformed Church, and on Friday, March 23 (7.30pm), conductor Noel Bertram and the gifted instrumentalists of the Westmorland Youth Orchestra star in an evening concert at the Westmorland Hall, which also includes the finals of the Jim Noble Award and a Drum Circle workshop presentation.

Tickets for the Westmorland Orchestra concert (£11 and £9 with concessions for children) are available from Kendal Leisure Centre on 01539-729702, as are those for the March 23 evening event, featuring the Westmorland Youth Orchestra, priced £6 (under-18s £2).

Tickets for the festival choral concert are £10 (children £2) and are available from Specsavers in Kendal or from Elizabeth Howe on 01539-725768.