SKIPTON’S Christ Church will provide a seasonal setting for some of the country’s best young musicians at a special ‘Winter Concert’ on Saturday, December 29.

The Vacation Chamber Orchestras, which brings together talented young musicians to develop high quality orchestral skills, will play a selection of well-known works, including the ‘Petite Symphonie’ by Gounod and Richard Strauss’s ‘Duet Concertino.’

The orchestra will also be playing Schoenberg’s ‘Notturno for Strings’, and Beethoven’s ‘Symphony No 4 in B flat.’

Conductor for the concert is Yorkshire-born pianist Gary Matthewman, who has worked with world-renowned stars such as Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and Mark Padmore, as well as working at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden and Carnegie Hall in New York.

He said: “To be working with this superb group of talented musicians on wonderful repertoire is something I am really looking forward to, especially as I am an alumnus of VaCO and know how this student chamber orchestra propelled me along my career path. It will be a wonderful post-Christmas treat.”

The group will also be playing a concert at St Wilfrid’s Church, Harrogate, on December 30, with both concerts starting at 7.30pm. Tickets on the door are £10, with under 16s free. Orchestras founder Xen Kelsey, said: “Gary’s participation is yet another example of how we help music students with fantastic career development opportunities.”