SALISBURY’S Celebrate Voice festival, this year from Wednesday 30th October to Saturday 9th November, once again brings a treasure chest of widely ranging music to the city.

There is choral music and jazz, cabaret and opera, theatre and comedy and more packed into the 11 days, and no-one needs to feel left out – it may be a cliche, but there really is something to suit all tastes and to tempt audiences to try something new. This year’s festival has concerts in the Guildhall, and also at the beautiful church of St Thomas.

Founder and director Lynsey Docherty once again performs in the opera, Donizetti’s The Elixir of Love, which will be on stage at the Guildhall on 1st, 6th and 9th November. This comic story of unrequited love and mischief tells of wealthy and sophisticated landowner Adina, who hardly notices the admiration of country boy Nemorino. He’s no match for the colourful Sgt Belcore, and so he turns to snake-oil salesman Dulcamara and his love potion. But will it work?

Fred Broom, who has translated the Italian libretto for the occasion, returns to Celebrate Voice to design and direct the production, with Phillip Thomas directing the music from the piano. The cast includes Monica McGhee as Adina, James Cleverton as Dulcamara, Felix Kemp as Belcore, Daniel Gray Bell as Nemorino and Lynsey as Giannetta, with a five strong ensemble.

The first concert of 2024 comes from vocal ensemble Tenebrae, on Wednesday 30th October at St Thomas’s Church. The programme contrasts the work of Sir James MacMillan with Johann Sebastian Bach, and is conducted by Nigel Short.

The following night one of the great voices of British jazz, that of Elaine Delmar, comes to the Guildhall with her trio to sing songs by Gershwin, Cole Porter and more.

On Friday 1st November, not only does the opera start, but there is a family event called Water Babies. Erin Alexander’s show is aimed at babes from birth to crawling … and their adults, from 11am at the Guildhall Crown Court room.

The versatile Janie Dee comes to Salisbury on 2nd and 3rd November to head the cast of the Stephen Sondheim musical review Putting It Together, which she also directs. She is joined by Nigel Richards, Bate Butch, Amara Okereke and Tom Babbage. The title of the show, originally put together by Sondheim and Julia Mackenzie, comes from Sunday in the Park with George, and includes numbers from Follies, A Little Night Music, Company, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and more. Performances are on Saturday at 7.30 and on Sunday at 2pm.

Also on Sunday there is a classical concert-play, Death and Mozart, by Tessa Sheridan. It celebrates the music of the composer’s last year, after the Grim Reaper has granted him a little more time to tie up loose ends – instead of which he embarks on new projects. Leading soloists from the festival join actors for this immersive entertainment, and singers can join in, too. In the afternoon conductor David Gostick and singers from the Bournemouth Sinfonietta Choir will be working on the Requiem, Ave Verum and opera choruses, and in the evening they can join the actors and help to tell the story of Mozart’s final year.

There is more theatre on Tuesday 5th November, when Gerard Logan comes to Salisbury to perform Wilde Without the Boy, Gareth Armstrong’s dramatisation of De Profundis and The Ballad of Reading Gaol, at 7.30 at the Guildhall.

Popular Celebrate Voice baritone Philip Smith returns to the festival on 6th November, when he will be accompanied by Siobhain O’Higgins for a song recital at the Guildhall. His varied programme includes works by Finzi, Vaughan Williams, Korngold, Warlock, Quilter, Dominick Argento and G Bush.

There’s a Broadway Singalong on Thursday night, and comedy from Rachel Parris on Friday. Other community events are scheduled throughout the week, and on Saturday 9th there is a chance to hear some of the Emerging Voices right at the start of their careers.

Some events are already almost sold out, so go to the website, www.celebratevoice.co.uk for full details of this exceptional, and always memorable, festival.