A double-header of some of the most accessible gipsy music Eastern Europe has produced is one of the musical highlights of next weekend.

King Naat Veliov and the Original Kocani Orkestar come from Macedonia, and carry on a tradition of Romany music which dates back to the 1400s.

Meanwhile, contemporary folk and world music duo, A Hawk And A Hacksaw, have joined forces with The Hun Hangar Ensemble to provide their own take on the traditional sound.

The idea for the pairing was sparked by the 2002 Festival's double-header of Romanian gipsy band, Taraf De Haïdouks, and Lebanese composer and oud master, Rabih Abou-Khalil.

"It was artistically a success - that mix of contemporary from a very traditional mode," says festival music programmer Guy Morley. "When I saw A Hawk And A Hacksaw were available, I thought we may be able to do something similar, creating a balance between contemporary and the traditional.

"As a concert, it is almost irresistible, a powerful music for the heart and the feet."

Jeremy Barnes and Heather Trost, two Americans who make up A Hawk And A Hacksaw, have moved to Budapest to work with The Hun Hangar Ensemble, made up of musicians which Jeremy met while travelling in Hungary.

"I am attracted to music that is on the border between east and west," says Jeremy. "Hungarian music definitely fits in with that."

The new six-piece line-up has already put together an EP, which led to a change in working practices for the two Americans.

"Some of the musicians from the Hun Hangar Ensemble learn by notation, whereas I do not read music," says Jeremy. "This creates some interesting situations.

"I started this project in 2001 playing solo. I never imagined it would become a duo with a beautiful girl, much less a six-piece, with cimbalom and bagpipes and a man with a giant fur hat."

The Macedonian Original Kocani Orkestar is led by trumpeter Naat Veliov, a man born into a family of trumpeters in the village of Kocani.

He put together the band initially from members of his family.

The Orkestar fuses brass sounds from cornets, trumpets and tubas with the accordion to create a high-octane sound, mixing both traditional elements and Western contemporary sounds.

The King became famous in his home country for his role in Emir Kusturica's film, The Time Of The Gypsies, which ensured the band started getting bookings further afield.

"I love Mr Veliov's music," says Jeremy. "But I have never seen it live. People should buy his records."

  • Starts 7.30pm, tickets from £15. Call 01273 709709