WHETHER you love a bit of Irish blarney or prefer a bit of South African rock, this year’s Hilton Arts Festival, which runs at Hilton College from September 18 to 20, has something to cater for every musical taste.

South African musical legends, The Blarney Brothers are sure to give festival-goers a foot-stomping, sing-along party when they take to the stage in the Peroni Festival Marquee. The music is accompanied by a liberal flavouring of genuine Irish Blarney and humour because the Blarney Brothers are as Irish as shamrock and poteen.

So, take my advice and dance (and drink) the night away with Paul and Damien McIlroy and Tony Fisher from 8 pm on Friday, September 18. Tickets are R50 and the show is open to all ages.

In Forever Young, sisters, Jenny and Andre Hattingh, take you on a nostalgic, musical journey through the sixties and seventies. Interspersed with anecdotes, they sing the songs of The Seekers, Peter, Paul & Mary, John Denver, Bob Dylan and Simon & Garfunkel.

Catch them in the Art Block at 2 pm on Saturday, September 19 and Sunday, September 20 at 10 am. Tickets are R120. The show is for all ages.

The talented lasses from Herschel Girls’ School in Cape Town will join the talented lads from Hilton in Lads and Lasses in the Hilton College Chapel at 6 pm on Friday, September 6.

Together they will perform choral music ranging from works by Palestrina to contemporary favourites. The show will culminate in a combined performance by the two choirs. Tickets are R100 for adults and R85 for Children. Open to all ages.

Durban’s popular Warren Brothers, the men behind the Johnny Cash Show and Memphis55, bring a new show to Hilton, Running Down A Dream – a tribute to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, which can be seen in the Art Block at 8.30 pm on Saturday, September 19 and 4.25 pm on Sunday, September 20.

Rob and Garth Warren have teamed up with Nic Olsen on guitar and vocal and Andrew Makins on drums for this tribute to one of the world’s most prolific and maverick bands, Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers.

Formed in 1976, the band soon rose to fame, churning out hit after hit with their brand of consistent rock ‘n roll. It also features songs from Petty’s stint with supergroup The Traveling Wilbury’s.

So, why not join the band and sing along to Free Falling, American Girl, Mary Jane’s Last Dance, End Of The Line. Handle With Care and I Won’t Back Down. Tickets are R120 and the show is for all ages.

If you prefer the sweet sounds of the saxophone, then make sure you book tickets for Samba, Sax and Salsa in the Hilton College Chapel at 6 pm on Saturday, September 19.

Internationally renowned saxophonist, Andrew Young, will present a concert crammed full with spicy salsas, hot mambas, reggae, rhythm and romance. Together with a brilliant band of South African musicians, he brings sounds of the Caribbean to your doorstep. If you like your music hot n’ spicy then this is a show definitely not to be missed!

Born in Liverpool, Andrew has performed with José Feliciano, Dionne Warwick, Gino Vanelli, Shirley Bassey and Jonathan Butler amongst many others.

Tickets are R150 and the show is for music lovers of all ages.

Festival favourites, Platform Jazz, are back at Hilton to present Swing Time, a classy show showcasing the elegance and nostalgia of the jazz swing period with big band tunes from the 1920s through to the 1960s.

Listen to gorgeous songs such as Hey Mambo, Blue Moon, Embraceable You and a jazzy version of All about that Bass; and enjoy the tribute to the great big bands of that time including the Glenn Miller favourite In the Mood! with effervescent Shelley MacLean on vocals, Cathy ‘Hotlips” Peacock on trumpet, Duncan Wooldridge(trombone), Jeff Judge (sax), Kirsten Sayers (clarinet), Andreas Kappen (double bass), Melvin Peters (piano) and Bruce Baker (drums).

Tickets for the show, which takes place in the Chapel at 2 pm on Sunday, September 20, are R100.

Also returning to the Festival is sizzling vocal sensation, Take Five, who will be staging their new show, Timeless, in the Chapel at 8 pm on Friday, September 18.

The programme includes songs that have stood the test of time, presented with a Take Five twist. From Carol King and Carly Simon to Simon & Garfunkel and Sting, Timeless promises a kaleidoscope of music with more than a hint of harmony.

Take Five features the vocal and musical talents of Haylea Hounsom, Tammy Saville, Chloe Clark and Tory Du Plessis, under the musical direction of Shelley McLean. Tickets are R100.

South African rockers, Watershed, will be setting the Falcon Tent alive from 8.30 pm on Saturday, September 19.

Formed in 2000, the talented four piece band has released four studio albums, two of them reaching platinum status and the other two achieving gold status. Watershed have won two South African Music Awards for best pop album as well as four People magazine awards for best SA band.

Indigo girl, one of their best known songs was a top ten hit in Europe selling on over a million compilation albums. Letters, another hit for the band, held the number one position on 947 for a record six weeks.

Tickets are R160. Please note: No Hilton College Boys, No U18s.

To book for these Hilton Arts Festival shows log on to http://www.hiltonfestival.co.za