Red Priest put the rock back into Baroque?

According to Andrew Lucas they do.

"They are flamboyant, in your face and exciting," Andrew waxes about the swashbuckling virtuosos as we catch up for a quick word in between top quality concerts of a classical kind.

Red Priest, not rockers Judas Priest, I should emphasise, perform Pirates of the Baroque at Kendal Parish Church tonight (Tuesday, August 7) as well as Ambleside Parish Church, tomorrow night (Wednesday) at 10pm, staging Johann We're Only Dancing, the world premiere of their new, all-Bach programme, both as part of Lake District Summer Music.

Andrew's a leading light of LDSM, a noble knight who is totally immersed in the organisation's massive festival, which runs in venues across Cumbria until August 19.

A universe away from his personal passion for the Star Wars films - or is it?

Andrew (or should I say Skywalker) is the LDSM executive organiser, artistic director Renna Kellaway's number two and an influential force himself within the region's realm of music-making.

His passion for George Lucas movies is strong, but his crusade to bring audiences to the glorious landscapes of the county for the LDSM 52-concert, 17-day feast of music, is even greater.

"We have this fabulous canvas on which to paint a festival," he adds.

"Thrilling concerts in inspiring settings."

Andrew's chuffed that recently The Independent named LDSM as the third top classical music event in the UK, ahead of the Edinburgh and Glynebourne festivals.

Plus Good Housekeeping magazine has rated it as one of the top five best things to do in August.

Particularly pleasing, says Mr Lucas, that the message is spreading far and wide, and both the festival and its location is being picked up on the radar of others outside of the music press.

Andrew and I first met a decade ago when he was the new kid on the block.

Kendal-born, he had left his post of admission officer for the Royal Northern College of Music, at Manchester, to return to the place of his birth to take up a prominent role on the LDSM podium, at an exciting time in the organisation's development.

He'd also been the assistant business manager to the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra; had a spell as musical director of Sheffield Philharmonic Orchestra; spent a year teacher training at Manchester's Chetham's School of Music and graduated in music and mathematics at Leeds University.

I remember quite well his boyish charm (he didn't have a beard in those days) and enthusiasm.

He was thrilled to be back in the town and working from Lake District Summer Music's Stricklandgate House headquarters, poised, as an orchestral conductor would be, to steer LDSM into the big league.

That exuberance has never waned and no doubt helped LDSM - coupled with hard work of course - become such as success.

For the festival programme log on to www.ldsm.org.uk or telephone the LDSM box office on 08456-44-21-44.