CLASSICAL MUSIC / Upbeat: Alter ego

THE NAME of Bayan Northcott must surely have appeared on this page more than anybody else's, writes Robert Maycock. Today, though, it is the turn of his music. The Aldeburgh Festival, which opened last night, has given him the accolade of devoting its annual Musical Portrait to him - both as the composer of a fastidiously wrought catalogue of works, and as a subtle programmer.

The soprano Lucy Shelton and the Endymion Ensemble are performing his Sextet, Oboe Sonata, and Three English Lyrics, interspersed with special favourites: pieces by Stravinsky (Three Songs from William Shakespeare), Haydn (the E flat minor Piano Trio) and Faure (Nocturne No 6). To start, there's a new arrangement of Purcell that he has made, which found him a couple of weeks ago in a happy state of bewildered delight as he 'discovered' canon after canon. We thought we'd better let him have the day off from his column. But he will be back next week.

Jubilee Hall, Aldeburgh, 11am