WITH thanks to individuals and companies which had helped made the Elgar 150th Birthday Festival and this publication possible.

NEXUS Creative is proud to be associated with the Elgar Festival. Managing director Nigel Harte said: "Elgar's inspirational music is of enormous importance to the history of our region.

"It is essential to continue to promote this major international composer and his association with Worcestershire to new audiences."

The firm has developed the website, www.elgar-festival.com, with details all the events that are happening and gives information on how to book tickets for the festival.

To find out more about the firm, go to its website, www.nexuscl.com MIKE Fardon, who has produced the programme for the Elgar Festival, is managing director of Osborne Books, based in St John's Worcester. Osborne Books is a leading publisher of vocational business studies and accounting texts, which it sells to schools, colleges and training providers.

It has also published historical and musical books under its Heritage imprint, including several about Elgar.

THE amalgamation of two old Midlands companies, John Goodman, founded in 1848, and Ebenezer Baylis, founded in 1858, has resulted in one of the largest sheetfed printers operating from the Baylis premises on the London Road. 150 people now work at the site, led by Clive Parkes, using the very latest technology, and servicing all parts of the British Isles. Goodman Bayliss has gifted its services to the festival by printing the programme.

ALSO thanks from the Elgar Festival organisers to Dick Hickton from Maximus for his and the company's support of the event.