THEY'VE been said to represent 'as much fun as you can have in public with your clothes on!'

Now The King's Singers bring their unique take on classical music to Hampshire as they open the fifth Solent Music Festival in September.

There's something for everyone in their programme - from Orlandus Lassus' bawdy Renaissance humour to some of the finest contemporary choral music and their own signature party bag of close harmony favourites. The superlative voice sextet will perform at St Thomas Church, Lymington on September 13.

After the Elias String Quartet's unforgettable Haydn and Bartok programme in last year’s festival, they return as ‘Quartet in Residence’. They’ll be joined by pianist Sam Haywood for Mozart and Brahms, and also by the highly-acclaimed Navarra Quartet for a programme to include one of the greatest chamber works of all time, Mendelssohn’s Octet.

The Elias String Quartet will also be presenting the festival’s Saturday morning family concert, performing a wide range of works (including Scottish folk music) aimed at a younger audience. This is a wonderful opportunity to experience one of the world’s top string ensembles in an informal and relaxed atmosphere. It's free for children and may well help to inspire a life-long love of music.

Mark Padmore, one of world’s great tenors, will also be returning to the festival with Sam Haywood to perform Beethoven’s An die ferne Geliebte and Schumann’s Dichterliebe. These wonderful song cycles will be complimented with solo piano works by Chopin and Mendelssohn.

A glittering line up of wind players from the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment bring the festival to a close on September 17 with a rare opportunity to hear Mozart’s Gran Partita performed on instruments of the period. The work is featured in the film Amadeus.

Tickets are on sale now at solentmusicfestival.com or 0800 411 8881.