OPERA, folk and the launch of a quietly growing music festival are all lined up for your delectation this weekend.

English Touring Opera returns to the Lighthouse today and tomorrow with an exciting programme of rarely-performed masterpieces by Puccini and Mozart.

Tonight’s performance features two, one-hour long Puccini operas.

These two short works, Il Tabarro and Gianni Schicchi are Puccini’s most perfect and perfectly contrasting masterpieces.

Il tabarro is a moody, grotesque thriller that takes place on barge in Paris and Gianni Schicchi is a sparkling Florentine comedy.

Today’s performance starts at 7.30pm, with a pre-show talk at 6.30pm. Tickets are £19.50 plus concessions.

Mozart’s La Clemenza di Tito is on tomorrow at 7.30pm, also with a pre-show talk at 6.30pm and tickets are £19.50 plus concessions.

Call 0844 406 8666 for bookings and full details.

Heading west, folk legend Eliza Carthy is at Bridport Arts Centre tonight to sing songs from her latest album Neptune.

In a change of direction from her usual work, the album is strongly autobiographical and her songs will be performed by her five-piece band playing drums, bass, Hammond, accordion, fiddle, guitar, cello and piano.

Today’s gig is at 8pm and tickets are £15 plus concessions standing, £17 plus concessions on the balcony. Call 01308 424204 for full details and bookings.

Internationally acclaimed violinist David Juritz and pianist Sophia Rahman will perform a one-off recital in Burton Bradstock tonight to herald this year’s music festival in the village, which takes place in August.

Playing on the superstitions of Friday the 13th, their programme includes Saint-Saens’s Danse Macabre and John Williams’s Devil’s Dance from the Witches of Eastwick.

They will also perform Ravel’s Pavane Pour Une Infante Defunte, Johannes Brahms’s Violin Sonata No 1 in G major op. 78 (Rain Sonata), Leos Janacek Sonata IX1905 (c14), John Corigliano’s Red Violin Caprices and the theme from Intermezzo by Heinz Provost and Max Steiner.

Tickets are £10 including a glass of wine or elderflower cordial from Gill Redford, or from the village post office and the concert takes place in the village hall at 7pm.

WOW is Weymouth’s stormingly successful youth musical theatre and a barn dance is being held in Preston village hall, near Weymouth, tomorrow night to raise funds for the organisation.

Music will be provided by Jump At The Sun and the party will get started at 7.30pm. Tickets are £10.