SALLY Burgess will open the Northern Aldborough Festival 2005 this evening in the company of David Blake at the piano at Aldborough Church, near Boroughbridge, at 7.15pm.

The mezzo soprano will be singing songs by Brecht, Weill and Eisler, and selections from the American songbook of Porter, Gershwin and Rodgers.

The Aldborough programme has two operas for the diary: the London Opera Players present Mozart's Don Giovanni in English, with Andrew Major and Sarah Jane Dale in the cast tomorrow at Aldborough Church at 7pm; Opera Box performs Verdi's La Traviata in Italian, with Vnaia Vatralova and Henry Newman in the cast, on July 8 at Aldborough Church.

For the first time, the festival accommodates a piano concerto. Brian Woulfe, from County Limerick, plays Beethoven's Ist, under the direction of Nicholas Kok, as the climax to Sinfonia Viva's concert next Saturday at Aldborough Church. Fellow pianist Chiao-Ying Chang, former prize winner at the Leeds International Piano Competition, plays works by Bach, Schubert and Chopin at Aldborough Church on Tuesday.

Nicki Kennedy and Robert Ogden sing highlights from Theodora, Rinaldo, Semele and Giulio Cesare in Handel Bravura with the Intermedi Ensemble at Aldborough Church next Friday; the Schubert Ensemble plays there on July 7.

Cellist cum impressionist Rebecca Carrington performs spoofs of Madonna and Britney, Mozart and Pavarotti in her sassy cabaret with a three-course dinner at Rudding Park Hotel, Harrogate, at 7pm for 7.30pm on Thursday. Dutch mezzo-soprano Christianne Stotijn and pianist Julius Drake team up for a Schubert concert at Rudding Park Church on July 5, 6.45pm for 7.30pm.

Morning concerts will be performed around the district at 11am: baritone David Pearce, English song recital at Creskeld Hall, Arthington, Tuesday; Latin American group Son Para Todos, Aldborough Manor grounds, Thursday; young musicians from King James's School, Knaresborough, Aldborough Church, July 5; Simon Mayor and Hilary James, folk, blues and classical showstoppers, Stockeld Park Chapel, near Wetherby, July 6; Encore with organist Matthew Atherton, St Mary's Church, Nun Monkton, July 7; Horses Brawl, A Medieval European Fantasy, Markenfield Hall, Ripon, July 8.

The Cat Pack, a swing band, close the festival on July 9 at the Last Night Picnic from 6pm to midnight in the Aldborough Manor grounds. Events start at 7.15pm unless stated. Box office: 01423 322586.

Updated: 09:39 Friday, June 24, 2005