TWO celebrated conductors will be taking to the stage at the Three Choirs Festival today, despite 58 years age difference between them.

Sir David Wilcox conducted the Three Choirs Festival from 1950 to 1957 and will be returning to conduct the Three Cathedral Choirs performance of Mozart's Regina Coeli and Mass in C Minor.

The performance also features the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra with sopranos Ruth Holton and Julie Cooper, tenor John Bowley, and baritone Peter Savidge.

"David Wilcox is a remarkable man," said Adrian Lucas, artistic director of this year's festival

"He is 82 years old and is still full of energy."

Sir David's many roles in his long career have included director of music at King's College, Cambridge, director of the Royal College of Music and music director of the Bach Choir.

He was knighted in the Queen's Silver Jubilee honours list in 1977.

At the other end of the age spectrum, 24-year-old Russian conductor Tugan Sokhiev will be conducting the Philharmonia Orchestra's performance of Rachmaninov's Symphony No 2.

The programme also includes Walton's The Spitfire and Durufl's Trois Danses.

Sokhiev stepped into the festival after the death of conductor Yevgeny Svetlanov in May this year.

"Naturally we are very sad with the loss of Svetlanov but our festival patrons should be very happy with this young maestro," said Mr Lucas.

Sokhiev has accepted appointments with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and will become director of the Welsh National Opera in January 2003.