THE fifth year of the Stratford English Music Festival is the first under new management and, after 1999's slimmed-down effort because of a lack of cash, is set to demonstrate a real return to form.

After last year's event was reduced to just a long weekend because some funding failed to materialise, it was decided to hand it over to Warwick Arts Society to manage and the schedule - although not featuring the lunchtime concerts - is back up to nine days long.

Richard Phillips takes the artistic director's mantle from Michael Emmerson but the ethos of bringing world-class music not just to Stratford but to the whole of the district is still to the fore, according to chairman and former vicar of Stratford, the Rev Peter Holliday who joined the other two to official launch this year's event on Monday.

"The main difference with this festival is that is features not local talent, which is laudable, but is about bringing world class musicians to Stratford," he said.

"It gives people the chance to see acts they would usually have to travel to Birmingham, London and Coventry to see."

This year's festival begins on October 13, continuing until the 22nd, and features a range of classical, popular and jazz music at venues in and around Stratford.

One of the highlights, according to Mr Holliday, will be the event's opener, the appearance of the BBC Singers at Holy Trinity Church.

The group will perform a range of music including the world premiere of Three Hamlet Songs, specially commissioned from RSC director and Oscar-winning composer Stephen Warbeck.

Other classical highlights will include another world premiere, this time a piano trio penned by up-and-coming composer Edward Rushton and performed by the Schubert Ensemble of London, The Academy of Ancient Music at the Swan, performing a range of Baroque music and the Stratford Chamber Choir who will be reprising Handel's Messiah, which went down a storm when they last performed it.

As usual, there will be the strains of jazz music too, in the shape of jazz nights at the White Swan, including Tom Hill and the Straightjackets and Otra Vez, and an appearance by one of the Midlands' most popular swing groups, King Pleasure and the Biscuit Boys.

For more information on all event, including how to book, call Warwick Arts Society on 01926 410747.