MUSIC at Paxton Festival is yet again presenting the extremely successful FREE one-hour taster concerts, Music at Paxton…Plus.

On Sunday, May 14 at 2.30pm, guitarist Marco Ramelli will perform works by Tarrega, Albéniz and Paganin in the beautiful surroundings of the Paxton House Picture Gallery.

Music at Paxton…Plus is a three-way partnership between Music at Paxton Festival, Live Music Now Scotland (LMNS) and Paxton House and gives music lovers the opportunity to experience exceptional chamber music for free.

Music at Paxton and Live Music Now Scotland have been working together since 2008 to help take music out into the Scottish Borders community, and give young Scottish artists, at the start of their professional careers, the opportunity to perform at Paxton House.

Helen Jamieson, Artistic Director for Music at Paxton, said: “Being a relatively small festival with modest means, collaboration is essential if we are to achieve our aim of extending the reach of the music we present at the Festival out into the community. This is why our successful partnership with Live Music Now Scotland over the years has been so important to us.

"For our Music at Paxton… Plus concerts, the partnership extends to Paxton House and by sharing the costs three ways, we can open the doors of Paxton House and give everybody a chance to experience the music of these fine young artists at no cost.

"We hope to welcome a big crowd on Sunday, May 14 to hear an hour of guitar music performed by the young and exceptionally talented Marco Ramelli.”

LMNS is part of the Live Music Now movement founded by Yehudi Menuhin in the late 70s, which is the UK’s leading musicians’ development and outreach organisation.

Live Music Now Scotland deliver over 700 interactive music programmes in care homes, hospitals, schools, community and healthcare settings across Scotland.

The young musicians selected by LMNS combine exceptional performing skills with special qualities of insight, generosity of spirit and flexibility, and this year LMN artists Marco Ramelli, Calum Robertson, Juliette Philogene and Aonach Mòr will be delivering programmes in schools, care homes and day centres throughout the Borders including Coldstream, West Linton and Kelso.

Carol Main, Director LMNS, told us: “Live Music Now Scotland is delighted to work in partnership with Music at Paxton in ensuring that the high quality live music heard in the summer festival at Paxton House, can also be experienced by people throughout the Scottish Borders communities, both through Music at Paxton…Plus, which are free concerts open to the public, and in places where older people are in residential or day care or schools for primary age children.

"We are indebted to The Stevenston Trust for their ongoing support of this outreach programme of interactive performances.”