This year, for example, audiences will be able to hear such events as a presentation by Respectable Groove, an early music/jazz crossover ensemble (27 October) and “Music of Madness and Dance” by Horses Brawl, a young early music/folk crossover duo (24 October). Other offbeat presentations include “Forgotten Secrets”, a programme by Eclipse described as “An exotic blend of music, song and story-telling” (27 October) and “The Highest Form of Flattery!”, famous re-workings of Renaissance masterpieces given by the Brighton Consort under the direction of Deborah Roberts (17 October).

And if all this was not enough, on 14 October Red Priest arrive in Brighton with one of their typically offbeat presentations, “Johann, I’m Only Dancing”. Alongside such curiosities there is of course more traditional fare. A highlight that immediately leaps from the brochure is “Orpheus in England”, a Dowland and Purcell recital given by Emma Kirkby (the festival’s Patron) and lutenist Jakob Lindberg on 13 October, also the day on which a lunchtime concert will be broadcast live by BBC Radio 3’s “The Early Music Show”. Among other notable ensembles appearing, Gothic Voices present “The Medieval Magic Carpet” (19 October), while the Dufay Collective with Vivien Ellis will give a programme called “Syncapace: Dances and dance music of the Renaissance” (12 October).

Dance is also the theme of the Harp Consort’s “Chorégraphie – Music for Louis XIV’s dancing masters”, directed by Andrew Lawrence King (28 October), while the strong showing of medieval music is further enhanced by the liturgical music drama The Play of Daniel, to be performed by The Clerks’ Group under their director Edward Wickham (21 October). Wickham is also responsible for one of two workshops to be held (6 October), the other being in the hands of the Dufay Collective the following day.

Finally, two concerts of baroque music, one by Musica Secreta devoted to the music of Monteverdi’s one-time deputy at St. Mark’s, Alessandro Grandi (26 October), the other to a performance of Handel’s oratorio Israel in Egypt, to be given by the BREMF Singers and Players conducted by John Hancorn. Soloists will be drawn form the winners of the international Handel Singing Competition.

Further details from www.bremf.org.uk