"The early music movement is sometimes called the authentic music tradition,c says Clare Norburn.

"But that all sounds a bit stuffy and boring. I think we should be the 'old and interesting movement'."

Now in its third year, Brighton's Early Music Festival is already the second biggest festival of its kind in the country. An established highlight of the music calender, it has seen audience members travel from as far away as South Africa, fed broadcasts by Radio 3 and the South Bank Show and hosted sell-out performances by some of the biggest names in the field.

But, for a festival whose content can date back to 500AD and beyond, the most remarkable thing about this two-week autumnal treat is the forwardthinking nature of its programming.

For this we can thank artistic directors Norburn and Deborah Roberts, the unpaid minds and muscle who, as professional singers themselves, have been able to involve all manner of musicians and talk them into some extremely innovative performances.

"We're trying to experiment the whole time with bringing the music to people in a different way," says Norburn, whose own group Mediva will be performing a selection of love lyrics by female troubadours accompanied by film projections and readings by the actor Patience Tomlinson (St George's Church, October 2).

"That's not to say we don't have some standard repertoire performed in the standard manner," she continues.

"But we think twice before simply bunging something in a concert hall."

Trailers for the festival, including public workshops and family concerts, have been taking place in the past few weeks and today you can catch the Brighton College Chamber Choir and the Brighton Youth Orchestra in an informal concert at Brighton College (7pm).

But the main programme kicks off on Saturday, with a performance of love songs by the medieval folk crossover group Alva (Pavilion Theatre, 1pm).

Elsewhere local composer Paul Robinson will provide a live score for a screening of Jean Cocteau's Le Sang D'Un Poete (Duke Of York's, October 9), the "Simon Schama-like" Andrew Carwood will direct The Cardinall's Musick in a concert to mark the 400th anniversary of the Gunpowder plot (St George's Church, October 9) and Roberts' own group The Tallis Scholars will again close the festival with a performance of Spem In Alium, famously written for 40 voices (St Batholomew's Church, October 16).

And there's another interesting development on last year's programme, with the introduction of what they hope will be a regular world music event.

"We really wanted to extend the remit of what Early Music means," explains Norburn. "So we've got a concert by the Indian singer Majri Asnare-Kelkar, accompanied by a dancer. We're on a constant learning curve."

Call 01273 709709 or log on to www.bremf.org.uk for more information.