Ripon Cathedral is to host a rare concert that is a true event – the St Cecilia Orchestra performing with a sitar virtuoso.

Taking place on Saturday, September 27, this spectacular gala concert will see incredibly talented Jasdeep Singh Degun and the Ripon-based orchestra bring together the traditions of Western and Indian classical music.

The concert, celebrating St Cecilia Orchestra’s 30th anniversary, showcases Degun’s own sitar concerto Arya, and his Lament for sitar, tabla and strings, paired with Rimsky-Korsakov’s ever-popular Scheherazade: An exhilarating journey of love, intrigue and adventure.

Jasdeep Singh Degun is known to many for his sensational collaboration with Opera North on their 2022 Orpheus project.

Ripon Cathedral is to host a spectacular gala concert with incredibly talented sitar player Jasdeep Singh Degun and Ripon's St Cecilia Orchestra. (Picture contributed)

placeholder image — Ripon Cathedral is to host a spectacular gala concert with incredibly talented sitar player Jasdeep Singh Degun and Ripon's St Cecilia Orchestra. (Picture contributed)

Described as "a custodian of tradition and restless innovator who is unconstrained by genre”, Degun has performed with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, the BBC Concert Orchestra and BBC Symphony Orchestra, and recently played at the national VJ Day service.

His concerto Ayra, a Sanskrit word meaning noble, precious or valuable, is a powerful work that follows the sitar on a journey through three movements.

The Lament for Sitar, Tabla and Strings is a short work taken from the Orpheus score, originally sung by the entire chorus with full orchestra and lamenting the death of the main character, Eurydice.

In this arrangement, Jasdeep Singh Degun will be joined by tabla virtuoso, Gurdain Rayatt, acclaimed for his versatility and artistry across Indian classical, orchestral and cross-cultural music.

In the second half of the concert, the orchestra takes to the stage alone in Rimsky-Korsakov’s evocative masterpiece of storytelling, Scheherazade.

Loosely based on the Arabian Nights tales, Rimsky-Korsakov hoped that listeners should carry away the impression that it is beyond doubt a narrative of fairy-tale wonders.

At the helm will be guest conductor Gary Matthewman, making his third appearance with the orchestra, who has performed as a pianist and conductor alongside many of the most celebrated names in classical music, including Dame Kiri Te Kanawa.

Tickets (free for under 18s) can be purchased via www.ticketsource.co.uk/st-cecilia

Unreserved tickets are also available from the Little Ripon Bookshop, Harrogate Theatre box office, and on the door from 6.45pm.