HARROGATE International Festivals will celebrate the final work of the late British composer Sir John Tavener with a pre-concert talk by his great friend, the violinist and founder of the Medici Quartet, Paul Robertson.

Conversations between the two were recorded by the BBC and will be aired before a performance of Scatter Roses Over My Tears on Thursday, July 24, at the Royal Hall.

Prof Robertson credits Tavener’s music for “saving his life”.

The pair had already become close friends after Tavener was commissioned to write a piece for the quartet when both musicians fell ill.

“For many months, we were both in intensive care and in comas at the same time,” recalled Prof Robertson, who had been left paralysed after an operation. Tavener, who died last November, suffered from Marfan Syndrome.

“When we both got back to our respective homes, we called each other surprised to be still alive.”

The composer sent Prof Roberton his new composition, which turned out to be the music his family had played while he was in a coma.

He spent nine months learning the work. “Just to get the violin up to my shoulder was a day’s work,” he said.

“To get movement back at all is a miracle. In that sense, I owe him my life.”

The quartet, which retired in 2007, is to reunite for the concert.

Said Prof Robertson: “I found recordings of conversations John and I had about the piece, so there will be a pre-concert introduction. It’s very special. His music is transcendent. It belongs to that force that created the world in the first place. It’s immensely powerful.”

The concert will end with a brief piece by Beethoven, belonging to the same emotional world, as a homage, and includes a work by Mozart. It starts at 8pm. Book online at harrogateinternationalfestivals.com or ring the box office on 01423- 562303.

Another festivals highlight is the chance to hear concert pianist James Rhodes play Shubert and Chopin at the town’s nightclub, Revolution.

Rhodes, dubbed the Russell Brand of classical music, is this year’s artistin- residence. Though he will also give a formal recital at the Royal Hall, he is motivated by a desire to spread enjoyment of the arts more widely though his talent for bringing the genius of composers who wrote 300 years ago to passionate life. He is the subject of a Channel 4 documentary to be broadcast in September.

Recital at Revolution is a free gig on Thursday, July 24, at 5.30pm, and will include anecdotes about his life and the composers he has chosen followed by a question and answer session. Reserve tickets on 01423- 562303.

His Royal Hall concert is on Friday, July 25, at 8pm, playing Schubert, Chopin and Blumenfeld. Tickets cost from £12-£45.

Raworths Harrogate Literature Festival is this weekend at St George Hotel featuring Kate Adie, Kirsty Wark, Nick Cohen, Arthur Smith, and a DCI Banks From Page to Screen special with actor Stephen Tompkinson, novelist Peter Robinson and executive producer, Gabriel Silver.

Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival is from July 17-20 at the Old Swan Hotel and will feature its tenth crime novel of the year awards.

Special guests include J K Rowling as Robert Galbraith, Val McDermid, Denise Mina, Sophie Hannah, Ann Cleeves, Peter May, Lynda La Plante, SJ Watson, Belinda Bauer, Laura Lippman and John Harvey. There will also be a Broadchurch TV special, with actors Olivia Coleman and Jodie Whittaker and the show’s writer, Chris Chiball and novelist Erin Kelly.