ONE of the UK’s leading student chamber orchestras returns to the Yorkshire Dales with a small chamber ensemble this Easter.

The concert by the Vacation Chamber Orchestras (VaCO) will be held at 7.30pm tomorrow at the Octagon Theatre in Grassington Town Hall.

The programme includes Martinu’s Nonet with its sunny and bright first movement as well as works for wind quintet, string quartet and double bass.

VaCO was set up to provide development opportunities for some of the country’s talented musicians, giving them experience to play together and to promote high-quality orchestral and chamber concerts in rural North Yorkshire.

The students are challenged with repertoire that is difficult to play but wonderful to listen to.

VaCO has been running for nearly 25 years in North Yorkshire and the Dales, and many students have gone on to play for many of the major orchestras around such as BBC Philharmonic, Halle, Opera North, Manchester Camerata, as well as many other international chamber ensembles.

Students are tutored by eminent exponents in their field, and this Easter being no exception as Jon Thorne, oculi ensemble and professor at Royal Academy of Music, and Tom Verity, clarinet with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Aurora Orchestra and Sterling Trio, join the team.

Yorkshire’s own Xenophon Kelsey, who has been conducting, lecturing, teaching and playing for nearly 50 years and who was the brainchild behind VaCO ,said: “We will be coming to Grassington to perform one of our Easter concerts at the Octagon Theatre, Grassington. The Easter concerts start the beginning of a new, exciting VaCO musical year and the repertoire that we have selected will bring beautiful, exquisite music for you all to experience.”

Tickets, which cost £10 for adults but are free for under 16s, are available at the door or online.