SUFFOLK was alive with the sound of music this weekend as a series of live festivals rocked the county.

SUFFOLK was alive with the sound of music this weekend as a series of live festivals rocked the county.

Organisers of this year's StowFest were forced to cancel the event last year, but braved the wet weather yesterday to unite the town with young and old musicians.

The free event at Stowmarket Recreation Ground, which puts an emphasis on youth, featured acts as young as 11 and has been supported by the Amplitude workshops in Stowmarket and the surrounding villages.

Other acts included the best of the Suffolk music scene such as Angry vs the Bear, Paul Bullen and Hoss.

Meanwhile college students faced the music when they performed in a live festival in Ipswich to prepare them for a career in the industry.

As part of their course, they have formed various bands or embarked on solo ventures which were unleashed to the public over the weekend at the Steamboat Tavern.

The Love Music Festival, organised by Suffolk New College, should not be confused with The EADT's soon-to-be-launched lovemusic24 website, which will be celebrating musical talent in the county.

The two-year national diploma in music performance, run by Suffolk New College, aims to put the students through their paces in readiness for the challenges of life in music.

They will be going on to work with business students at the college to understand the financial side of the career.

Course leader Jo King said: “They have spent the last year learning all the skills they need and this task has put them in a real-life situation.

“This is the best way to get them into the real world and learn to work with the public.”

The festival spanned over the three days and featured a wide range of acts from death metal and punk to acoustic soloists and choral work.

Singer-songwriter Brendan Ware performed a solo set, as well as soul choir Suffolk New Voices and band ND1 Quartet yesterday.

He said he hoped the course would give him a platform to gaining a record deal.

Mr Ware, 30, from Kesgrave, added: “The teaching is first class and we have learned how to project ourselves on stage.

“A lot of us aren't working at the moment with the jobs the way they are, so we are trying to find as many gigs as possible.

“My dream is a record deal. Music is my passion and my life.”