DUNSTER Festival is returning this year, presenting live and socially-distanced concerts over the May Bank Holiday weekend and a Digital Festival of online events beginning in June, the organisers announced this week.

The Festival recently became a registered charity, which will enable it to expand its work across the community.

Festival artistic co-Directors Rachel Wick and Rory McCleery said: “We’re delighted to have this recognition of the festival’s hard work and we’re looking forward to resuming our work with local schools and care homes, and to bringing top quality live music back to West Somerset after the enforced silence of last year!”

Live concerts, taking place from May 28-30 in the festival’s home, St George’s Church in Dunster, will feature leading international and local performers.

Friday night’s concert is given by violinist Daniel Pioro, who has appeared at the BBC Proms and works closely with Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead. He will be joined by cellist Clare O’Connell for a programme of music by Baroque and modern composers.

Saturday, May 29, sees the return of renowned vocal ensemble The Marian Consort, who will be performing a programme created especially for Dunster, exploring music from the time of Sir John Luttrell, feudal baron of Dunster in the 16th century and a notable soldier and diplomat.

Sacred music by Thomas Tallis, Robert Parsons and other English Tudor composers sits alongside a new piece by award-winning young composer Ben Rowarth which sets Sir John’s personal motto, found on his portrait which hangs in Dunster Castle.

The festival’s final live performance on Sunday, May 30, features audience favourites, soprano and harp duo Emma Brain-Gabbott and Rachel Wick.

Emma is based in Porlock and sings around the world across a wide range of musical genres, from pop, West End shows, television and film soundtrack projects through to opera.

Rachel has performed with many of the UK’s leading orchestras, broadcast live on Classic FM from Buckingham Palace and appeared on film in the Mission Impossible series.

Rachel and Rory explained that their festival programme is a twilight journey through French song, exploring night time and dreams in the music of Fauré, Debussy and others.

These concerts will be filmed for broadcast online, along with exclusive performances, interviews and repertoire insight, as a Digital Festival beginning on June 11.

This will also include an online choral workshop for singers of all abilities on June 19, led by renowned choral singer and conductor Rory McCleery. Digital events will be offered on a ‘pay what you can’ basis.

Rachel and Rory added: “We realise that the last 12 months have been incredibly tough for a lot of people, both mentally and financially. As musicians who make our living from performing, we are only too well aware of this, so we want to make these digital performances available for everyone to enjoy.”

For more information and to book tickets for the live performances, visit www.dunsterfestival.co.uk