The star of Radio 4's Just A Minute began his working life as a cook before joining the Army, running a night club, taking up journalism and serving as an MP in five Parliaments.

Sir Clement, who was knighted in 1987 and is related to most other famous Freuds, can be heard at the Radcliffe Centre in Church Street from 8pm onwards on Monday, July 7.

The week-long festival opens with a performance by lively Appalachian music and dance group the Haddenham Hoofers outside the Old Gaol at noon tomorrow, Saturday.

Tomorrow evening, Buckingham Choral Society will perform music by Handel, Mozart and Purcell in the Church of St Peter and St Paul from 8pm, accompanied by soloists from the Royal Academy of Music and the Orchestra of Stowe Opera.

On Monday, Craig Greene will perform a piano recital including music by Bach and Mozart starting at 11am, while the Linford Ensemble will perform Mozart's Divertimento in E flat from 1pm.

Tuesday offers a morning piano recital including work by Brahms, Debussy and Miyoshi, to be performed by Mami Shikimori. It will be followed by a lunchtime concert performed by pianist Sally Mellor and a wind quintet from Oxford, and an evening performance by the Lydian Piano Trio in memory of Buckingham Summer Festival patron Dame Thea King.

On Wednesday morning, Kirsten Johnson will perform a piano recital including works by Haydn, Chopin, Raymond Head and Cesk Zadeja. A lunchtime vocal recital will feature soprano Lianne-Marie Skriniar and alto Richard Poyser, while visitors can hear award-winning Northumbrian smallpipes player Kathryn Tickell and her band from 8pm.

Festival regular Haruko Seki will return to Buckingham for a piano recital on Thursday morning, and visitors can enjoy a lunchtime concert by violinist Frances Mason and harpist Jenny Broome. The Maurizi Ensemble, which has performed in every Buckingham Summer Festival, will play music by Mozart and Brahms in the evening.

Friday will begin with a piano recital by Ning Chaiporn Pookhaothong, including works by Brahms and Prokofiev, to be followed by a lunchtime concert by clarinet player Ben Westlake and pianist Daniel Smith.

The Friday evening concert, entitled Sister Awake!, is a woman's life told in songs and poems from the Elizabethan age, also including lute songs and ballads by composers such as Purcell, Campion, Dowland and Wilson.

The 20th anniversary festival will conclude with the traditional evening gala concert, to be performed by the Orchestra of Stowe Opera.
Led by Edward Davies and conducted by Robert Secret, the orchestra will perform a concert of music by Beethoven featuring young Dutch violin soloist Nadia Wijzenbeek.

Entry to morning and lunchtime concerts is £4 on the door. Tickets for evening events are £10, with the exception of Clement Freud Entertains and the July 12 gala concert, which are £15.

Under-18s accompanied by an adult will be admitted free-of-charge to morning recitals and lunchtime concerts, and at a reduced price of £5 to any evening event.

Tickets are available from the Tourist Information Centre in the Old Gaol, Buckingham, The Duke's Music in Market Hill, Buckingham, or on-line from www.wegottickets.com.

Contact the festival office on 01280 813834 for more information.