The Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) in Manchester arranges an annual chamber music festival with distinguished visitors and their own students and teachers in a programme of concerts, talks and workshops that attract an enthusiastic audience of all ages. 2012 features the chamber music of France : Paris and the Provinces.

Guest performers include the Endellion, Talich and Ysaye Quartets. For full programme please call.

Rooms have been reserved at our favourite Manchester hotel, built in 1865 as the grandest cloth showcase in the world and with a splendid staircase and chandeliers. It is a brisk walk or short bus ride from the RNCM where all the events take place. A full English breakfast is included and this can be supplemented by the very reasonable catering at the RNCM. Manchester was the first town of the Industrial Revolution and its heritage is now being appreciated and enhanced.

We have time to inspect some of the magnificent buildings in the city and Salford Quays.

The Ford Madox Brown exhibition at the Manchester Art Gallery has opened to enthusiastic reviews – we visit this and see the artist’s masterpiece frescoes in the Town Hall.

We have also reserved good seats at the Exchange Theatre for You Can't Take It With You by George S Kaufman & Moss Hart

Download pdf of the full programme