THE third Bishopthorpe Guitar Festival, a three-day celebration of the acoustic guitar with concerts, a competition and a masterclass finale, opens tomorrow afternoon with a concert by John Mackenzie.

At 1.30pm, in St Andrew’s Church, Church Lane, Bishopthorpe, York, he plays classics of the repertoire, such as Villa-Lobos’s Five Preludes, Duarte’s English Suite and Byrom-Smith’s Summer Moods.

At 7.30pm, same venue, the guitars of Djangologie bring the Hot Club de Paris back to life through the exuberant French gipsy jazz playing of James Birkett and Giles Strong.

Support act Mark Gaultier presents From Choros To Bossa, the music of Brazil, including pieces by Pernambuco, Reis, Bonfa and Jobim.

The Young Players’ Competition will be held in the Village Hall, Main Street from 1.30pm on Saturday. This event will be divided into three classes for Year 4 and under, Year 8 and under and Year 12 and under and includes the performance of a new work by Peter Byrom-Smith.

The class winners will compete for the Tampalini Trophy, a prize named after award-winning virtuoso Giulio Tampalini, who returns to the festival to perform energetic works from his latest album, Going South, by Ponce, Lauro, Ramirez, Pujol Montana and Bustamente in the hall at 7.30pm that evening.

The festival concludes on Sunday at 10.30am with a chance to study with Tampalini in his masterclass at the hall, where participants can share his insight and experience. The session costs £20; ticket details for all events can be found at bishfest@hotmail.co.uk. Box office: 01904 700154.