THE St Cecilia Orchestra under the baton of conductor and founder Xenophon Kelsey gives the first of its 21st jubilee year concerts in Ripon Cathedral on Saturday, February 27.

The programme consists of all six Brandenburg Concertos, a wonderful opportunity to hear some of Bach’s most famous and best loved works.

The orchestra is famous throughout the region for the quality of its performances. The recent Christmas Spectacular saw almost every seat in the cathedral filled and the February concert promises to be equally popular.

Bach’s concertos call for relatively small forces but virtuoso soloists.

Anthony Thompson, who will play solo trumpet in concerto no 2, is one of the most sought-after players throughout the North. As well as playing with the St Cecilia, he appears regularly with such famous orchestras the Halle, RLPO, the CBSO and Northern Sinfonia.

As a session musician, he has worked with artistes as diverse as Barbara Windsor and Shirley Bassey. His musical talents range from the trumpet to the coaching horn via the didgeridoo.

The two natural horn soloists in the first concerto are Ian Wildsmith and Joel Roberts.

Wildsmith is a postgraduate student at the RNCM and has been working with Opera North. February 27 is his swansong in Ripon before leaving to take up a post in Australia.

Roberts is a postgraduate horn student at the Royal Academy of Music and holder of several musical awards. His talents extend from the horn to the Wagner tuba. He plays with the St Cecilia and freelances.

The music will be performed by candlelight in the nave, creating an atmospheric evening for audience and orchestra alike.