“The best line-up of Baroque music the country has ever seen……a truly extraordinary weekend”        - The Irish Times     The Sligo festival of Baroque music is now entering its 9th year. Held annually over the October Bank holiday weekend the festival has gone from strength to strength since its beginnings in 1995.         Organised and funded by the Model Arts and Niland Gallery and programmed by Artistic Director Rod Alston the festival aims to present the very best early music performers in a relaxed an convivial setting.         Regarded as the best event of its kind in Ireland it consistently features high calibre Irish and International performers. Previous artist have included Emma Kirkby, Julia Gooding, Sarah Cunningham, Malcolm Proud, Elizabeth Wallfisch and Passacaglia among others.         The Sligo Festival of Baroque music 2004 Festival will focus (non-exclusively) on the three "Giants" of late Baroque music, Johann Sebastian Bach, Georg Friderick Handel and Georg Philipp Telemann - along with some of their lesser known contempories. Bach, Handel & Telemann were almost exact contempories, and although they were very aware and admiring of each other's music, they had quite individual styles.         The 9th Festival of Baroque music in Sligo will give the opportunity to hear some of the greatest pieces of chamber music from the 18th Century.