The St Ives September Festival is going to church in a big way this year.

St Ia’s Parish Church is hosting 23 events, organised by its music administrator Jo Grant, across all 15 days of this year’s festival - with others “up the hill” at St John’s In The Fields and a poetry evening at St Senara’s at Zennor

Rev Nick Widdows, the Vicar of St Ives, said: “We are absolutely delighted to be able to use our buildings and grounds for the enjoyment of the community.

“We hope to see many people throughout the festival fortnight - visitors and locals alike - and are aiming to provide fun, lively and welcoming venues at the heart of this year’s September festival.

“It’s exciting to be welcoming so many artists to our churches this year and to have such a range of talents on display.

“From dance music to organ recitals via folk, pop and classical acts together with a smattering of art and drama, we have something for everyone during the Festival this year.”

The church music evenings start with the Company B jump jive band on the opening Saturday, September 11, and end with Helston Town Band’s Proms Night on Saturday the 25th.

Cornwall performers taking part include Femmes de la Mer in a special Songs By Candlelight evening, shanty group Bryher’s Boys, Foxes Fair, Will Keating, the Cornish Roots Big Band, the Cornish Sinfonia Soloists, Gwel Trecrom Singers and the St Ives’ Organised Crime folk band of Ann Nicol, Rick Chappell, Binbin Zhang and Natasha Jones.

Blues guitarist Claude Bourbon, Winter Mountain (aka Devon singer-songwriter Joe Francis) and rising chamber music stars the Halcyon Quartet are among the visiting musicians returning to St Ives.

Daytime events at the Parish Church include two days of Caroline Marwood and Martha Patrick’s ‘Exploring Art in St Ia’s Church’ talks and workshops, café sessions with the Halcyon Quartet and the Church’s own choir, lunchtime performances by pianist Andrew Tellam and organists Michael Hoeg and Jonathan Bielby plus a Friday afternoon visit from the Devon-based Hummingbirds “1920s/30s vintage” vocal trio.

“St Ia’s Church, with its great acoustics, is a tremendous music venue,” said a September Festival spokesman. “The Church really has risen to the occasion this year by organising such a huge, brilliant set of events.”

The programme at St John’s contains Ian McDonald’s ‘Funny Thing About Laughter’ comedy night and, outdoors, a Tinners Session night of folk music, face-painting, food and dancing featuring musicians from the Tinners Arms in Zennor and a Disco In The Fields evening with sessions for families and adults.

Jo McIntosh will be running four days of craft workshops involving fabrics, weaving and printing at St John’s Church Hall.

Out at Zennor, St Senara’s Church has The Grammarsow, an evening celebrating the work of the late renowned St Ives poet WS Graham, featuring Cornwall-based poets Mac Dunlop, Aimée Lê and Luke Thompson, on Wednesday, September 15.

More information and tickets online at www.stivesseptemberfestival.co.uk