Celebrated jazz musician Courtney Pine will headline the third Ipswich School Festival of Music.

He will play tracks from his latest album Europa on Thursday, September 20; the first night of the week-long festival sponsored by Seven Telematics.

Also on the bill are Red Priest, the only early music group in the world to have been compared with the Rolling Stones and Cirque du Soleil; acclaimed pianist Danny Driver, who will give a lunchtime recital on the school’s new Steinway grand piano, and the Ipswich School Big Band and the Ipswich Musicians’ Union Big Band who will close the festival.

New this year will be a family orchestral concert, at 6pm on September 22, with a celebrity narrator and a cast of animals joining the Zootube Orchestra to provide music, drama and entertainment and a great introduction to live classical music.

Other highlights include afternoon tea with Chroma Chamber Ensemble, a celebrity organ recital with Daniel Moult, festival evensong, a jazz night with Dave Newton and Alan Barnes and a lunchtime concert.

There will also be a number of community events, opening up the wonders of music to the area’s school children.

Emma Kirkby, hailed one of the top ten greatest sopranos by the BBC Music Magazine, will give a masterclass for a number of singers and there will be workshops for primary schools featuring the West End hit musical Stomp and Travelling by Tuba.

“This September will bring an electric mixture of world class musicians to Ipswich. There really is something for everyone in this year’s programme, which we hope will build on the success of previous festivals,” says William Saunders, festival director and assistant director of music at Ipswich School.

“With discounted season tickets available and a special early bird reduction of 20 per cent on tickets bought before the beginning of July, I would encourage people to book their tickets now, ready for some memorable concerts.”

The Festival runs from September 20-26 at the school in Henley Road, opposite Christchurch Park. Tickets are available from April 1.