The largest-ever Devizes Eisteddfod in its 73-year history starts this weekend with a two-day dance festival at Lavington School, near Devizes.

Some 400 young dancers will be taking part in competitive classes in ballet, character, tap, modern, classical and cabaret styles.

Director Michael Johnson said: “Dancers from all over the south of England will be in attendance.

“The competitions will be adjudicated by June Hornby, from Weymouth, one of Britain’s leading dance judges and an official adjudicator from the British and International Federation of Festivals.” Admission to the Dance Festival is £5 per day, students £2.

Then from November 21 to 23 it will be the turn of children taking part in music, speech and drama performances with over 200 classes judged by five leading adjudicators.

These events take place in three Devizes venues beginning with an all-day choral festival in St John’s Church.

The main event of the day will be the staging of the 4th Wiltshire Choir of the Year Competition with junior choirs in the morning and Senior in the afternoon. Trophies, plaques, certificates and cash prizes of £500 will be awarded after each session to winning choirs. In the evening there will be an Adult Choral Concert, a non-competitive showcase featuring the Seend Singers, Philomel Singers from Trowbridge, the St John’s Church Choir, Devizes and Courage Choir from Bradford on Avon. Admission to this concert is free with a retiring collection. The Eisteddfod continues with classes in the Town Hall throughout the three days to which admission is agree free of charge.

The final part of the 2019 Eisteddfod will be the Festival Concert in the Town Hall Assembly Room on Saturday, 30 November at 7pm. The concert includes the 4th Young Musician of Wiltshire Competition in which five outstanding young musicians will compete with a £250 prize for the winner kindly donated by the event sponsor, Wansbroughs Solicitors. Admission to this concert is free with a retiring collection.

The Eisteddfod Souvenir Programme is now available from Winkworth Estate Agents, Market Place, Devizes (£3)