THIS year’s Autumn in Malvern Festival marks the 30th anniversary since it was founded in 1989.

The festival’s founder and artistic director, Peter Smith, created it as a classical music event, based with a strong literary and visual arts element, employing professional artists, often of international repute.

This year is no exception with the return of the European Union Chamber Orchestra, making its fifth visit to the festival, and Sofya Gulyak, a past winner of the Leeds International Piano Competition and currently visiting professor of piano at the Royal College of Music.

Malvern’s award-winning chamber choir, Aldwyn Voices, conducted by Adrian Lucas, is joined by actor Peter Sutton and the Brompton String Quartet, for a sequence of words and music about the lives of Charles Villiers Stanford and Edward Elgar in Malvern.

St Leonard’s Church in Malvern Link, is the venue for Summoned by Bells, on the life and times of John Betjeman, recalled in prose, poetry and music, with narrator Paul Vaughan and organist Roy Massey.

Iain Simcock, former sub-organist at Westminster Abbey and assistant director of music at Westminster Cathedral, will perform two organ works by J S Bach at the same venue.

There is an Elgar walk around locations connected with the composer, and the distinguished Elgar scholar, Dr Jerrold Northrop Moore, gives a talk entitled Elgar’s Secret Source: The Orchestral Music of Arthur Sullivan.

The famous Lanchester Marionettes have a strong connection with Malvern which will be covered in Steve Cockayne’s illustrated talk in the Coach House Theatre.

Signed copies of his new book, Master of Marionettes, will be available at the talk.

Other talks in the festival are on Peter Mark Roget, the 19th century polymath, marking the 150th anniversary of his death. He is buried at St. James’s West Malvern, where the talk is held.

Art historian, James Russell, talks on Artist Couples of Newlyn and Lamorna, a collaboration with The Friends of the Dame Laura Knight Society.

There is a central Malvern art trail which includes exhibitions in Malvern Library.

In Malvern Priory, Brian Iles curates an exhibition on souvenirs of Malvern.

Tickets for all events are on sale at the Malvern Theatres box office on 01684 892277.