TWO world class musicians are topping the bill at this year's Sedbergh Music Festival.

The globally acclaimed and highly regarded duo of violinist Tasmin Little and pianist Martin Roscoe share the festival's spotlight on Thursday, June 7 (8pm) with a performance at St Andrew's Church.

Also performing in the 2018 festival are Red Priest, another celebrated line-up of distinguished players, a baroque supergroup featuring recorder wizard Piers Adams who grace the festival with an evening of fantastic musicianship and fun on Tuesday, June 5 (8pm).

And bringing their zany, witty, utterly inimitable male voices to the gathering, A Fistful of Spookies return to the Dales town on Friday, June 8 (pm) no doubt once again playing to a packed house.

The popular festival runs from Sunday, June 3 until Sunday, June 17.

Giving the festival a truly dramatic start will be Sedbergh Festival Chorus performing Vivaldi's joyous Gloria and Benjamin Britten's Psalm 150.

A fabulous feast for music fans, the festival also stars sought after Welsh folk rock band Jamie Smith’s Mabon (June 15, 7.30pm), Kentdale Wind Quintet (June 4, 7.30pm), the Sterling Trio (June 11, 8pm), the Castalia String Quartet (June 6, 7.30pm), one of the region's finest choral ensembles, Leven Choir (June 9, 7.30pm), and leading recitalist, concerto soloist, and chamber musician, pianist Sarah Beth Briggs, brings her extraordinary magnetism to the 14-day gathering on Saturday, June 16 (7.30pm).

Sedbergh's own, much admired, orchestra displays its musical talents on Thursday, June 14 (8pm) and Sedbergh Town Band aims to raise the rafters of St Andrew's Church on Tuesday, June 12 (7.30pm) with a mighty mix of film soundtracks, rock classics, and much loved tunes from the brass band repertoire.

Local medieval band Cornucopia stage a multi-media presentation of the epic 14th Century chivalric tale of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight on Wednesday, June 13 (8pm) and the mellow, cascading and crystal clear sounds of leading harpists, AnnaKate Pearson and Gwen Sinclair, will reverberate around St Andrew's on Friday, June 15 (1pm).

Among the festival's line-up of lunchtime recitals is a joyful swing through operatic favourites by Mozart, Donizetti, Rossini and more courtesy of tenor, Christopher Steele accompanied by pianist Peter Noke, on Thursday, June 7 (1pm) and highly thought of former Westmorland Youth Orchestra cellist, Joe Davies, takes time out from the Oxford University music scene to dazzle the St Andrew's audience on Friday, June 8 (1pm).

All performances will be at St Andrew's Church except for Pete Noke's organ recital on Monday, June 11(1pm) which will be at Sedbergh School Chapel.

Tickets for festival events are available at Sedbergh Information Centre, 72 Main Street.