This year the Ardee Baroque Festival looks forward to celebrating five very successful years as it announces the programme for 2008.  This boutique Festival is Ireland's only period music orchestral festival and will take place this year from 14th to 16th November.  Set in the atmospheric churches and castles of mid-Louth, the festival has already grown to be a tremendous success. The 2008 programme has a wide appeal encouraging all to take a fresh look at Baroque music this autumn - to take part, to listen, to experience and even 'meet the instruments'!  Featuring a number of Irish and international artists, the Festival reaches out to encourage all ages to join with them in celebrating their 5th birthday. The Festival is delighted to welcome back the anchor ensemble of the festival, the renowned Irish Baroque Orchestra.  The IBO will be the orchestra in residence in Ardee for a full week of rehearsals, education work, and performances, and return to the Festival under the helm of their renowned artistic director and leader, Monica Huggett, to perform a programme entitled 'A Baroque A-Z', featuring works by Albinoni, Biber, Handel, Lully, Vivaldi and Zelenka.  The audience are invited to join the orchestra in a festival club reception in Ardee Castle following the opening concert in St Mary's Church of Ireland - a regular feature of the festival programme. The IBO also return to perform the closing concert on the final night of the festival.