THE 10th Hampstead and Highgate Festival was launched this week with an exciting programme of events unveiled. Music greats, literary leaders and architecture walks and talks will make up yet another fantastic show – sponsored by the Ham&High

Katie Davies

THE 10th Hampstead and Highgate Festival was launched this week with an exciting programme of events unveiled.

Music greats, literary leaders and architecture walks and talks will make up yet another fantastic show - sponsored by the Ham&High.

One of the organisers, George Vass, said this year would be the best yet. Speaking at Monday's launch party in Hampstead, he said: "It's our 10th anniversary so we will be holding lots of events marking that.

"The launch was a great success. There were lots of people there and lots of artists and composers. The council leader and the mayor spoke in support of it, which is great."

This year, a series of events will be taking place across the area from the first on May 7 - a gala concert to raise money for the Marie Curie Hospice in Lyndhurst Gardens, Hampstead - to the finale on May 18 with the Highgate Choral Society.

Mr Vass said: "We have lots of highlights. Cecilia McDowall will be unveiling a new work at a concert on May 8 and on May 7 we have flautist Kathryn Thomas who is local and Thomas Gould who is also a local boy.

"We do try to find local artists and that was always one of the aims of the festival - to really have people who live locally playing for their friends. That has always been easy, though because there are so many artists in this area - it's quite amazing really."

However, as well as turning to the community, outward-looking events are also key to the programme. On May 11, for example, there will be a one-off performance of opera That Man Stephen Ward, chronicling the rise and fall at the man central to the Profumo Affair. It will take place at University College School in Frognal.

o For a whole list of events, go to www.hamandhighfest.co.uk or, to book, call 08700 332733.

katie.davies@hamhigh.co.uk