Music lovers will have the chance to see young talents perform from the prestigious Chetham School of Music, when the Windsor Festival Spring Weekend opens this week.

In their first visit to Windsor Castle, the school's symphony orchestra and chorus will perform Mendelssohn's celebrated oratorio, Elijah, on Saturday, March 8.

They will be joined by a quartet of international soloists comprising Stephan Loges, Gillian Webster, Renata Pokupic and Jeremy Budd, as well as massed choirs.

Other musical highlights during the weekend include Passiontide Reflections, a special performance by the lay clerks of St George's Chapel with solo organ by Timothy Byram-Wigfield, on Thursday, March 6.

The concert explores this year's festival theme, the Passion of Christ, with a selection of pieces including Olivier Messiaen's Les Corps Glorieux and lamentations by English Tudor composers such as Tallis, Byrd and Parsley.

Literature lovers are also well-catered for with a lunch on Friday, March 7, at Sir Christopher Wren's House Hotel featuring former Fleet Street journalist Katherine Whitehorn and television executive Sir Jeremy Isaacs.

There will also be a lively debate on Saturday, March 7, discussing Great English Monarchs. The event features historians Justin Pollard, Alison Weir, Sarah Gristwood and Kate Williams.

The Windsor Festival Spring Weekend takes place from Thursday, March 6 to Sunday, March 9 at various venues. Details: 01753 740121 or www.windsorfestival.com