Ripon’s St Cecilia Orchestra will be joined at Ripon Cathedral by international soloists in a thrilling programme of Romantic greats showcasing Brahms, Dvorak and Weber.

Taking place on Saturday, April 25, the concert will open with the overture to Weber’s final opera, Oberon: an early Romantic masterpiece telling the story of the knight Hüon and the magic horn gifted to him by Oberon.

Next, the orchestra will be joined by Jack Liebeck (violin) and Tim Lowe (cello) in Brahms’ mighty Double Concerto.

The concerto has been described as a ‘titanic work, seemingly hewn from musical granite’ (LA Philharmonic) and it is the final work Brahms composed for orchestra.

The concert by St Cecilia Orchestra at Ripon Cathedral on Saturday, April 25 will feature soloist Tim Lowe (cello). (Picture contributed)

placeholder image — The concert by St Cecilia Orchestra at Ripon Cathedral on Saturday, April 25 will feature soloist Tim Lowe (cello). (Picture contributed)

Jack Liebeck is known for his ‘flawless technical mastery’ and ‘beguiling silvery tone’ (BBC Music magazine) and is in demand around the world as a soloist.

He can be heard playing on the soundtracks of Jane Eyre, Anna Karenina and The Theory of Everything.

Tim Lowe is praised for his ‘remarkable agility and assertive sound’ (James Palmer) and his ‘outstanding musicianship’ (Musical Opinion).

The concert will conclude with what many consider to be the pinnacle of Dvorak’s symphonic output: the dramatic Symphony No 7.

Commissioned by the London Philharmonic Society but inspired by Dvorak’s intense patriotism, the symphony is full of emotion and Slavonic melodies, culminating in a jubilant finale.

Tickets (free for under 18s) are available 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 on concert day.