EMMA Johnson, one of the outstanding clarinettists of her generation, joins Ripon St Cecilia Orchestra in a performance of one of Mozart’s most loved pieces, his clarinet concerto, on Saturday, October 24.

The piece will be the highlight of the orchestra's autumn concert, which will also provide a platform for the young local soprano, Emily Jennings, in a work by Mahler.

Johnson first came to public attention when she won BBC Young Musician of the Year in 1984. Since then she has played with many of the great orchestras and accompanists of the world in a hugely successful and varied career.

Her performances of the Mozart concerto have won rave reviews around the world. It is a work she loves and has made her own.

The concert will start with Brahms’ Variations on a Theme by Haydn (St Anthony), a tuneful and lyrical work.

After the interval there will be the opportunity to hear what is generally considered Mahler’s most accessible and enjoyable symphony, number 4 in G.

It is light and playful at times, serene at others but also has a few darker moments as well as many delightful and memorable tunes. he last movement incorporates a moving song describing a child’s view of heaven.

This will be sung by Emily Jennings, a former pupil of Ripon Grammar School who spent her sixth form at Chetham’s School of Music in Manchester. She is now a student on the vocal course at the Royal College of Music.

The concert starts at 7.30pm. The conductor is Xenophon Kelsey.