Music will once again provide a focal point during this year’s Truro and Penwith College Fal River Festival.

The celebrations, which run for 10 days and take in the Jubilee Bank Holiday weekend, will kick off in style with Brit and MOBO award winning multi-platinum selling artist, Finley Quaye, performing in Cornwall for the first time.

Taking place in Events Square, Falmouth, the Quaye gig will mark the unofficial start to the festival, which launches fully on Friday, June 1.

On Saturday, June 2, students from Truro and Penwith College will be performing in Events Square from 10.30am to 4pm.

The pupils are all part of the college’s developing Music Academy, which is led by Tom Quirke, who has worked with artists including Lily Allen and Oasis.

Eclectic mix

Pendennis Brass Band will be holding a free event in Falmouth in the Gyllyngdune Gardens’ bandstand on Tuesday, June 5, from 2pm to 6pm and then again at 8pm to mark the Princess Pavilion’s Diamond Jubilee Garden Party.

Klezbians, a 13-piece band who have recently performed at the Royal Albert Hall, will take over Flushing Quay on Friday, June 8, at 8pm for an evening of Eastern European folk and gypsy music.

Following last year’s sell-out performance, 3 Choirs and a Ferry, returns for 2012 on Saturday, June 9, at 8.30pm.

Starting at Crofters Café in Trelissick Gardens the audience then walks down to the King Harry Ferry to hear 100 voices singing in the surroundings of the Fal River.

Tickets costs £6.50 and bookings can be made via the Hall for Cornwall.

Perfect start

Festival director, Toby Budd, said: 'There’s a real mix of music to suit all tastes this year. We’re really proud of the line up and think it will be great to kick things off with Finley Quaye.

'To have an artist of the stature and calibre of Finley Quaye headlining and opening the Fal River Festival is phenomenal. Year on year the Festival grows on previous success and this is real proof of that.

'It's going to be a fantastic occasion to see a BRIT and Mobo award winning performer playing Events Square in Falmouth. The atmosphere will be incredible and, as ever, we'd love to see as many people as possible coming down to enjoy the show.

'The Festival is a celebration of life around the Fal River and this is going to be the perfect way to kick off ten days of amazing events.'