TICKETS are on sale for the 2023 Chobham Festival, which features a series of music and arts events in October.

The box office is open for a programme that includes a triple serving of the musical Bach dynasty.

Bach & Sons at St Lawrence Church on Saturday, October 14 features music not only by Johann Sebastian Bach but also two of his many children, Carl Philipp Emanuel and Johann Christian.

The “music by candlelight” evening will be a feast from the baroque and classical eras.

The oboe soloist at this concert is Helen Barker, who grew up in Woking before winning a scholarship to the Royal College of Music where she now teaches, alongside her work as a soloist and orchestral player.

The second concert, on Friday, October  20 is a complete contrast, Love’s Philosophy with L’Estranges in the Night, featuring classic love songs. Gershwin, Burt Bacharach, Cole Porter, Carole King, Joni Mitchell and Don Maclean are among the line-up of 20th-century greats.

Reflecting many aspects of love, are songs such as Cry Me a River, You’ve Got a Friend, Vincent, Alfie, Strangers in the Night, Both Sides Now, Close to You and What Are You Doing for the Rest of Your Life.

Husband-and-wife performers Joanna Forbes L’Estrange and Alexander L’Estrange are dazzlingly versatile musicians. Among Joanna’s experience was as musical director for the famous The Swingles.

Love is also the theme for an evening of poetry on Thursday, October 19 presented by Chobham’s Snug Poetry group. 

Love Mostly will include poems by Shakespeare, John Betjeman, Dylan Thomas, Thomas Hardy and Robbie Burns and many others.

This event is in aid of Woking & Sam Beare Hospice charity.

Back to music – and coming back to Chobham are the Jazzaholics, the band who went down a storm at last year’s Jazz Supper. They will be on stage for the Village Hall Jazz Supper on Saturday, October 7.

A children’s Puppet Theatre Show, Out of the Hat, will be performed by the Long Nose Puppets. Coworth Flexlands School at Valley End is hosting this magical event on Sunday, October 15.

The arts and crafts show, Artworks, that was introduced by the festival last year, returns to round off the festival on Saturday, October 2.

Tickets for the events can be booked at www.festival.chobham.org – there, people can sign up to receive updates through the festival newsletter.