OPERA fans will be in their element with three exciting programmes on offer at the Project:Opera festival next week.

Now in its second year, the Isle of Wight Summer Opera Festival takes place from July 18 to 21 at three different venues.

The first event is at Holy Trinity Church, Cowes, at 7pm on Thursday, July 18, where the artists will perform a programme of Lieder and Art songs, by composers including Schubert, Falla, Vaughan Williams and Project:Opera's very own Nick Martin.

The next night, Friday, July 19, kicks off at 7pm at St Catherine's Church, Ventnor.

Viva Verdi is dedicated to the passionate and revolutionary Italian composer, with arias and ensembles from Rigoletto, La Traviata, Nabucco and more.

On Sunday, July 21, from 3.30pm, at Ryde Methodist Church, it is Tea at the Opera. The venue has changed from the previously advertised All Saint's Church.

The company concludes the festival and season with an afternoon concert of favourites by Puccini, Bizet, Mozart and Gilbert and Sullivan.

A spokesperson from Project:Opera said: "There's something for everyone, from the opera fan to the opera-curious.

"The experience of live opera in small churches is something so enchanting that audiences are often moved to tears, yet the sense of wellbeing is indescribable."

The festival performers will be sopranos Annalisa Vaughan and Marika Rauscher, mezzo Clarice Williams, tenor Randy Nichol, bass-baritone Ian Wilson-Pope, clarinettist Robert Blanken, conductor Steve Parker and pianist Angela Pascale.

Amateur and student choristers will join in some of Viva Verdi.

For more information, email annalisa.vaughan@gmail.com or call 07757 965339.

Tickets to each concert are £15 (concessions £10), available on www.ticketsource.co.uk/project-opera

Further details are on www.facebook.com/projectopera