THIS year's Autumn in Malvern festival opens with a concert by the European Union Chamber Orchestra in Great Malvern Priory.

The orchestra, founded in 1981, comprises the cream of musicians from all over Europe, is returning following its successful appearance at the festival last year.

It has toured extensively across the world, visiting South and East Asia, North, South and Central America, North Africa and the Middle East, as well as Europe.

The orchestra will be under the direction of Hans-Peter Hofmann, who is also the featured soloist in Mendelssohn’s rarely-performed

Violin Concerto in D minor,

The programme at Malvern will also include Bach's Third Brandenburg Concerto, a Mozart serenade, and Bartok's Romanian Dances.

And in this year of Shakespeare’s 600th anniversary, the orchestra will also play some of the music written by William Walton for Laurence Olivier's classic film production of Henry V, with readings from Shakespeare by Peter Sutton.

The concert is on Saturday, September 17, at 7.30pm.

The other major concerts in this year's festival are the Tippett String Quartet, performing at Malvern College, with a programme including works by Dvorák, including his String Quartet in F major, The American, and his piano quintet in A major, with Emma Abbate on piano.

And acclaimed violinist Fenella Humphreys is set to join Malvern chamber choir Aldwyn Voices in the priory, to present a programme of choral music and works for solo violin, including the world première of Elagie, commissioned by the festival from Scottish composer Rory Boyle.

Exhibitions during the festival include a display in the priory of rarely-seen paintings by local artists from the collection of Malvern Library, curated by historian Brian Iles.

And in October, sculptor Ed Elliott will be exhibiting some of his works at Elmslie Housae in Avenue Road.

Full details of all the festival's events can be seen at malvernfestival.co.uk. Tickets for all the events are available from the box office at Malvern Theatres in Grange Road, or on 01684 892277.