THE first concert in this year’s Purbeck Chamber Music Festival will be a Great War commemorative concert performed at Bovington’s Tank Museum.

It will be held among the tanks in the Termiya Hall and will also include a number of poetry readings.

The festival, now in its second year, arises from concerts given by Poole-born cellist Natalie Clein and friends, as part of the Purbeck Art Weeks Festival.

Natalie Clein is the festival’s artistic director this year.

The Tank Museum concert features Sally Beamish’s Voices in Silence for solo piano, and readings from Carol Anne Duffy’s anthology ‘1914: Poetry Remembers’.

It will also include viola improvisations on a theme by Ligeti, with overtone singing performed by Gareth Lubbe.

Kodaly’s Sonata for Violin and Cello Opus 7 and Edward Elgar’s Quintet for Piano and String Quartet will also feature.

Festival spokesman Charlotte Heath said: “This concert will offer a very atmospheric and special way of paying tribute to all those involved.

“Using the inspiration of the tanks and this unusual space, Natalie Clein, the festival’s artistic director, has set out to create something new, and at the same time to include great masterpieces of the solo and chamber music repertoire.”

The festival includes a quartet of concerts at various venues, including Swanage’s Durlston Castle and local Purbeck churches.

Renowned international stars such as pianist Ashley Wass; Swedish violinist Fredrik Paulsson; Swiss string player Barbara Doll; Russian cellist Nina Dolginsteva; Ellen Nisbeth and Natalie herself will be performing there.

The Tank Museum concert takes place on August 29, at 7pm. The festival runs until August 31.

Tickets are available from purbeckartweeks.co.uk and Swanage & Wareham Tourist Information Centres.

If you want to find out any more information, visit Purbeck-chambermusic.org.uk.