THE 49TH annual Fishguard International Music Festival will take place from July 23 to August 3 at venues across North Pembrokeshire.

Orchestras, choirs, chamber ensembles, soloists and groups will perform a wide range of music: from a Mahler symphony to a classical guitar recital; from cham-ber choral works to whirling Gypsy/Klezmer; from Russian piano masterworks to traditional Celtic music; from Mozart, Haydn and Debussy to Bacharach and Legrand.

This year's Festival sees the return of the Welsh National Opera Orchestra and their Chamber Ensemble following last year's sold-out concerts. The National Youth Orchestra of Wales will also pay another visit to St David's Cathedral, this time accompanying the National Youth Choir of Wales.

In his final year as Joint Artistic Director, Peter Donohoe will perform a series of concerts exploring Mozart's piano sonatas. He also opens the festival with a recital of Russian piano music.

The highly acclaimed Sacconi Quartet will appear for the first time and the Chamber Choir Ireland will perform at St Davids Cathedral with their award-winning conductor Paul Hillier.

Following their recent collaboration in the recording studio, Craig Ogden, one of the world's finest classical guitarists, and renowned jazz vocalist Jacqui Dank-worth present a concert of songs by (among others) Burt Bacharach, Michel Legrand and Henry Mancini. Craig Ogden will also give a solo classical recital later in the Festival.

Harpist Catrin Finch will be joined by flautist Fiona Slominska to play a hugely varied programme of music ranging from Bach to Debussy to Piazzola.

Poet Mererid Hopwood will give a talk exploring the inspiration that poets have drawn from the Pembrokeshire landscape and local historian Richard Davies will conduct a guided tour of north Pembrokeshire churches. Live music will welcome the visitors at each site.

Traditional Celtic music trio Alaw will be performing a daytime concert for families and young children before playing a regular set in the evening. The "explosively virtuosic" Dodo Street Band brings its own unique sound to West Wales in an exciting blend of Celtic, Gypsy and Jewish Klezmer Music.

For tickets visit fishguardmusicfestival.co.uk or pop into Theatre Gwaun, Seaways Bookshop or Oriel y Parc.