TRURO's international lutenist Ben Salfield is ready and raring to go again after his July lay-off caused a tour of Poland, including a group of masterclasses, to be cancelled at the last minute.

The 32-year old renaissance music star was rumoured to be considering retirement from the concert stage after a series of health glitches, but he is back on stage at the S. Domingo Theatre in Milan on Friday night.

Ben Salfield began his performance career at St Ia's Church, St Ives, in 1988. Immediately hailed as a world-beating prospect, his career snowballed after he debuted in five countries during a huge international tour in 1993.

Speaking from Italy this week, Mr Salfield told the Packet: "I'm buzzing like a bee in a honey jar. This is my comeback and despite the fact that I'm absolutely terrified, it's a bit like falling off a motorbike - you have to get straight back on! In many ways this is the easy bit of the month. When I get back to Cornwall we'll be working flat out on our new music festival."

Ben Salfield also appears on the Falmouth Arts Centre International Guitar Series this month, which kicks off for four days on September 22.