Canterbury’s Wise Words Festival, a celebration of the written, spoken and sung word bursts into life across the historic city centre from next weekend, and this year includes as part of its Midday Music series a concert of operatic arias and music theatre pieces accompanied by the University Deputy Director of Music, Dan Harding.

The performance takes place at 12.30 in Greyfriars Garden, just off the High Street, on the opening day of the festival, Saturday 30 April, in which Dan Harding will accompany mezzo-soprano Michelle Harris in a range of arias including Handel, Saint-Saens and Bizet, together with music theatre songs such as ‘The Trolley Song’ from ‘Meet Me in St Louis,’ Irving Berlin’s ‘Face The Music and Dance’ and ‘If I Lov’d You’ from ‘Carousel’ by Rodgers and Hammerstein; more details here: http://www.wisewordsfestival.co.uk/event/operatic-arias-songs-from-shows-michelle-harris-dan-harding/

The festival also includes appearances by poets such as Ian McMillan, Lemn Sissay, Patience Agbabi and John Siddique; find out more about Wise Words online here. http://www.wisewordsfestival.co.uk/ The festival runs from Sat 30 April to Sun 8 May.