Thankfully, classical music festivals tend to be a most organised form of organised chaos so I survive them without too many complaints. Last weekend presented just such a challenge. After a compulsive gripe about the long journey, on Easter Saturday I basked in the aweinspiring surrounds of Bantry House.

The Callino String Quartet opened musical proceedings with Mozart's Dissonance quartet. The performance demonstrated a fine balance between poise and verve but somewhere between these aspects, the element of beauty was somewhat compromised.

The inner parts contributed to occasional beefy moments, with the effect of the first violin line sounding like it was being squeezed into a tight space. The senza vibrato sound in the opening of the 2nd movement conveyed hesitancy more than anything and was too cold in the context of their interpretation.

Maria McGarry's performance of Schumann's Papillons was enchanting and she really got under the skin of the dance feeling therein. The musical space that McGarry communicated so well could have benefited the work as a unit had the pauses taken a little more breathing time, but as an evocative gesture, her interpretation was utterly compelling.

After Mozart's chamber reduction of his 13th piano concerto, the audience was satisfied to go home which made for a wonderfully intimate setting for a late performance of Schoenberg's string sextet, Verklarte Nacht with Cian O Duill and Christopher Marwood joining forces with the Callino quartet. It is a work that cannot be over-exaggerated, such is its unbridled passion. With the players embracing this aspect, my return journey was a pleasant one.

While we all know Bantry for its more established chamber music festival in June, the next bank holiday weekend sees the sixth year of the equally established Vogler Spring festival in Drumcliffe, Co Sligo.

Beginning Friday 28 through to Monday, the weekend brings an illustrious ensemble of musicians together for what has become an internationally distinguished musical gathering. Aside from the familiar prowess of the Germans whose residency programme in Sligo gave rise to this festival, visitors to St Columba's Church in Drumcliffe will enjoy more string playing of the finest degree. A former student of both Kim Kaskashian and Nabuko Imai and winner of the Lionel Tertis and Yuri Bashmet viola competitions, the visit of young Russian violist, Tatjana Masurenko, is tantalising enough for me. Vladimir Ovchinnikov, 1987 winner of the Leeds International Piano competition, will keep the Russian flag flying, particularly in a solo recital of Shostakovich and Mussorgsky on Saturday 29. Carolin Widmann, violin, Jan-Erik Gustafsson, cello, Frank-Immo Zichner, piano and a strong Irish contingent of soprano Ailish Tynan, violinist Catherine Leonard and harpist Cliona Doris complete the bill.

I couldn't begin to give you the programme, but with nine concerts ranging from Mozart to Ian Wilson, there's something for everyone.

Away from all the festival madness in Sligo, the Irish Chamber Orchestra, with Douglas Boyd directing, will bring concerts to the NCH, Dublin (27), St Peter's Church of Ireland, Drogheda (28) and finish their tour on 30 April in the UCH Limerick. Dublinborn soprano Alison Roddy will make her premiere with the orchestra in arias by Schubert and Mozart's Exultate Jubilate. A Corelli Concerto Grosso, Mozart's Symphony no. 40 in G minor, two movements from William Walton's Henry V and Tippett's Fantasia Concertante on a theme of Corelli complete the bill.

Festival junkies will be delighted to hear news of the ICO's MBNA Shannon International Music festival in July, another one for the diary.