IF music is the food of love, as Shakespeare believed, then Swindon fans have a banquet to enjoy, as the 106th town music festival gets underway this month.

This year the annual Swindon Music Festival takes place in the Arts Centre, Devizes Road and Christ Church in Old Town, from Friday March 20, to Saturday, March 28.

Kicking off in Christ Church at 6.30pm will be classes in church organ, adult vocals, church choirs and adult choirs.

The following couple of weeks will have a kaleidoscope of classes including solos, duets, groups, pianoforte, strings, woodwind, guitar, ensembles, brass and keyboards.

Programmes are available now fromHolmes Music, 21 to 23 Faringdon Road, Swidon or Brian Taylor, 151 High Street, Royal Wootton Bassett.

All the competitors are aged from eight upwards and the winners of each class battle it out in their own championships.

The Instrumental Championship is on Wednesday, March 25, the Junior Vocal Championship is on Friday, March 27, the Senior Vocal Championship is on Saturday, March 28 all costing £5.

Entry to the Supreme Championship, which follows the Seniors, is £7.50. Entry to morning classes is £2 and evening classes are £3.

Many aspiring musicians competing in the Swindon festival have gone on to make music their career.

In 1938, Diana Fluck was competing in the recitation class for girls aged seven to 10-year-olds, and she went on to become the famous film star Diana Dors.

Jamie Cullum, the jazz superstar, competed in 1988 and 1989 and Sarah Covey, who was the supreme champion in 2006 and 2008, went on to star in the West End musical We Will Rock You.

Sheila Marcer, vice-chairman of the festival, said “We want to provide a platform for amateur performance, combined with an educational element from professional musicians.

“We want to advance the education of the public in the arts, and particularly the art of music.”

Adjudicators, Fiona Chryssides, Elizabeth Childs and Maria Jagusz, who are all professional musicians and teachers, will not only judge the various classes but also give constructive feedback.

For more details of the festival visit the website www.swindonmusicfestival.co.uk - Flicky Harrison