Rich green pasture, superb gelato, stalls along the sidewalk selling knitted toys, honey, paintings and alternative bric-a-brac, and lush, cow-studded paddocks lining the main street are integral to the friendly annual Music Festival experience in Tyalgum. It’s a tiny, unspoiled town, an absolute charmer framed by majestic hills. The Tyalgum Produce Store catered for subscribers between the ambitious 2026 festival events.

Ambitious because bassoonist Katherine Willison, the artistic director, featured a diverse array of offerings, from a Nature Therapy Bush Walk and William Walton’s infrequently performed Façade to an opera and the film The Magic Piano, with a soundtrack of Chopin Études played live by Konstantin Shamray.

Swing Central and Brad Leaver wowed the expectant crowd on Saturday night with performances of Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin specials in a cabaret setting, complete with red gingham-covered tables.

Leaver inserted humorous asides between his entertaining, golden-toned versions of My Way and Strangers in the Night. An exhilarating New York, New York, with superior swing pacing and dazzling instrumentals, prompted a burst of spontaneous dancing.

Tyalgum Community Hall is ideal for chamber music; its generous acoustic is especially kind to strings, harp and voices. Surprisingly, the festival began with a bold, cameo production of Mozart’s...