Pandora’s Box – a trio of trombone/sack-butt players – will be in concert at All Saints’ Church, Culmstock, on Thursday, August 19.

It is part of the Blackdowns Early Music Projects (BEMP) which has built its reputation on almost 15 years of bringing choral music from from medieval to high baroque.

Realising that the taboo on singing with Covid in the air was going to prohibit the resumption of choral events any time soon, BEMP organisers Catherine and Geoffrey Bass devised a new series of largely instrumental concerts and recitals for 2021.

The new ‘Third Thursday’ concert series uses the perfect acoustic of All Saints where, next up, Emily White, Miguel Tantos Sevilliano and John Kenny present their programme ‘The Turning Wheel’. This brings together words and music spanning a whole millennium – a bicycle frame is implicated as well as baroque violin and voice.

There’s more medieval here too, with 11th century nun Hildegard of Bingen, later 13th century troubadours, folk music and the players’ own compositions and arrangements using 21st century poetry.

The next two ‘Third Thursday’ concerts are on September 15, with the Musical and Amicable Society, and October 21: Steven Devine (harpsichord) and Kate Semmens (soprano).

Tickets (£15) are on sale for all concerts in the series from www.ticketsource.co.uk/blackdowns-early-music-projects and Taunton Visitor Centre 01823 340470. For more information check the Blackdowns Easrly Music website, email [email protected] or call 01884 849172.