THE Gorleston St Andrew's Competitive Festival will be in full swing from Monday, celebrating its 40th ruby anniversary.The classes will be held in the Chapter House, with morning, afternoon and evening sessions and audience admission to these is free.

THE Gorleston St Andrew's Competitive Festival will be in full swing from Monday, celebrating its 40th ruby anniversary.

The classes will be held in the Chapter House, with morning, afternoon and evening sessions and audience admission to these is free. Instrumental, singing, speech and drama genres are covered in the classes, giving opportunity for solo, duet, ensemble, orchestral or choral participation. The class timings are in the festival programme, price �2, available now at Gorleston Bookshop, Allen's Music Centre, Great Yarmouth, and at the Chapter House during the festival.

The first week begins with electronic keyboard/piano classes on Monday and Tuesday and woodwind and brass on Wednesday, with adjudicator Barry Clarke.

On Thursday, Laura Cannell will be adjudicating the recorder and folk classes. And on Friday and Saturday, the classes for strings, orchestras and chamber ensembles will take place. The adjudicator will be Andrew Sherwood.

A Folk Workshop and ceilidh will also form part of the festival celebrations, sponsored by Great Yarmouth Borough Council and Seachange Arts. On Saturday, during an afternoon workshop, guided by Laura Cannell, participants, who have pre-booked, will have the opportunity to work with experienced folk musicians to produce an early evening group performance of various folk tunes. This will be followed by a ceilidh, led by the Tutti Ceilidh Band. Both performance and ceilidh will be held in the Chapter House, from 6-9pm, with an admission charge for adults of �2.50 and for children 50p.

Details of Festival events are on the website www.gorleston-festival.org.