Thousands of performers will take part in the annual Worthing Music Festival, which starts this weekend.

The four-week festival is one of the biggest and best-known in Sussex.

One of this year's highlights is a Piano Concerto Competition for young professional pianists at the Assembly Hall on November 10.

Many of the competitors, whose ages range from 16 to 25, have already won several major competitions. They will compete for a first prize of £1,000 together with the possibility of a concerto engagement with the Worthing Symphony Orchestra.

The concerto competition is sponsored by a bequest from the estate of Eleanor Roker OBE, a former volunteer worker for the festival.

The main festival classes begin on Saturday, with a weekend of intermediate age group singing and woodwind, recorder and string classes.

Piano classes follow, before the junior singers compete between November 10 and 12.

During the second week, speech and drama competitors and choirs will take to the stage before the final singing weekend for adult competitors.

The third week of competitions moves to the Pavilion Theatre, where more than 1,000 dance entries have been made.

The popular group classes will be held on November 25 and 26. The final event will be the Highlights Concert on December 3 at 7pm at the Pavilion Theatre.

Proceeds from the evening will be divided between the Chestnut Tree Children's Hospice Appeal and the Mayor's Charity Fund for the Children's Centre at Worthing Hospital.

Details of all classes are available from the town's tourist information office and Worthing stores Music Supplies, Jazz Hot and Pas de Chat.