Now celebrating its tenth birthday, it has improved year on year, to the point where this programme includes the superb Orchestra of Opera North and London's Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

Skilfully placed after the main festival season is over and before the annual orchestral concerts start, it has found a unique space in our annual calendar, the cathedral's beautiful venue being the added bounus.

Both symphony concerts allow us to hear an evening devoted to orchestral masterworks, the RPO programme featuring Dvorak's New World and the Brahms First Symphony (September 21).

Wagner's Prelude to Lohengrin, Borodin's In the Steppes of Central Asia and Sibelius's Karalia Suite precede Shostakovich's mighty Tenth Symphony in the festival's opening concert from Opera North (September 14).

Both are conducted by Janusz Piotrowicz whose Polish background is the key to his Shostakovich, the performance a few years back of the Fifth Symphony being one of the festival's lasting memories.

Do make note of the young cellist, Jamie Walton, and his piano partner, Daniel Grimwood. He has chosen two big-boned sonatas by Chopin and Rachmaninov to display his generous brand of playing (September 16). And don't miss the Rossica Choir of St Petersburg in a programme of Russian Church Music and Folk Songs, (October 2).

Ripon International Festival, September 10-October 2, 01765 603994.