THE ‘St Endellion Easter Festival’ will take place from April 8 to 16, in the beautiful setting of St Endellion church.

The 44th festival will see nine concerts, including late-night concerts and a lunchtime prom, over the nine days. David Watkin returns as guest musical director of a programme, which is perfectly poised for the narrative of Holy Week, as it passes from Palm Sunday, through Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, to the celebration of Easter Day.

The programme opens with another ‘Come and Sing’, led by Oliver Tarney, featuring Parry’s ‘I was Glad’ and Handel’s Coronation Anthems.

Open to all, the event goes from strength to strength each year — drawing in singers of all ages and experience from across the country.

Two chamber concerts will open the programme, including works by Strauss, Fauré, Messiaen and Elgar.

There will be a magical late-night candlelit recital of Bach’s Goldberg Variations, and another late-night concert with works by Scarletti, Purcell and Tallis.

The St John Passion will be performed on Good Friday and Easter Saturday as this year’s central work, and the other two main concerts will include Poulenc’s Lenten Motets, Tchaikovsky’s String Serenade and Vivaldi’s Stabat Mater and, on Easter Day, MacMillan’s Christus Vincit, Haydn’s Cello Concerto in C and Brahms 1st Symphony.

The festival makes a feature of encouraging up and coming young professional musicians, so there will be several new young soloists, alongside more familiar names such as Andrew Watkinson, Chris Glynn, Ben Rogerson and Keith Slade.

A strong line-up of ‘Thoughts for the Day’ — another well-established part of the festival’s programme, which includes Maid in Cornwall and ex-Olympic athlete Annie Vernon, and Janet Townsend.

The St Kew lunchtime prom will feature Peter Parker, author of a new work on AE Housman, in conversation with the UK’s westernmost novelist Patrick Gale.

For a full programme visit the website www.endellionfestivals.org.uk