EARLY music performers and teachers will lead a week-long celebration of high quality tunes from times gone by.

Worcester Early Music Week runs from Friday, March 14 to Saturday, March 22 with a series of concerts in the city's historic Guildhall.

The festival opens with the return of the Gloucester Waites on Friday, March 14 and they give a reconstruction of music from the 16th and 17th centuries on instruments which were of the time including shawms, curtals, crumhorns and recorders.

A Pride and Prejudice Ball follows on Saturday, March 15 from 8pm to 11pm, when guests learn 18th century dances from Brian Stanton, with live music by the Cat’s Whiskers Band.

The Holloway-Schmitz Duo deliver a programme of French baroque, entitled a Question of Influence, on Friday, March 21 and the Intrepid Academy present a Cantare e Suonare on Saturday, March 22 full of dramatic songs and instrumental music from early 17th century Italy.

All events start at 8pm.

For more information and tickets, call the Worcester Live Box office on 01905 611427 or go to earlymusica.org.