While other festivals are pulling in their horns as they face up to the drop in corporate sponsorship, Ryedale continue with their usual seventeen days, into which they pack forty-three highly attractive events.

They open tonight with the Festival Opera presenting Kodaly's very seldom-staged opera, Hary Janos.

The orchestral suite remains a concert-hall favourite, but the opera is a piece of pure fantasy and comedy, as Hary returns to his village to recount his tales of heroism in the Austrian Imperial Army (July 17-19).

A Hungarian theme runs throughout with more Kodaly, the Missa Brevis, in a concert by the Northern Sinfonia and the Di Chiesa vocal ensemble. Presented in the beautiful surroundings of Ampleforth Abbey, the concert concludes with Haydn's Missa in Tempore Belli (July 20).

The orchestra returns three days later, to St Peter's Church at Norton with a programme that concludes with Vivaldi's The Four Seasons, and more concertos from Bach and Corelli.

The festival always promotes young musicians, this year bringing the Barbirolli String Quartet who are on the verge of a big international career, their evening in Sledmere House including Janacek's First Quartet and music by Haydn, Cutler and Brahms (July 23).

Already established as one of Europe's leading period instrument ensembles, the Amsterdam String Quartet feature Haydn and Mozart in their two concerts (July 24-25).

The first week ends with a concert performance from the Festival Opera of Haydn's light-hearted entertainment in Philemon und Baucis (July 25).

Ryedale Festival Opera July 17-Aug 2. 01751 475777.