Classical Preview: Northern Sinfonia welcomed at cathedral

Those who cannot wait until September for the annual Ripon International Festival will welcome an interim concert, presented by the festival on May 8, and featuring the Northern Sinfonia, an orchestra who have previously appeared to much acclaim in the Cathedral with the festival's artistic director, Janusz Piotrowicz, conducting.

Opening with the Overture, Scherzo and Dance from Mendelssohn's captivating incidental music to Shakespeare's play, A Midsummer Night's Dream, the young soloist, Huw Morgan, takes the stage for the central item, Haydn's Trumpet Concerto.

Hitting music's headlines in 2006 as the outright winner of the brass section in the BBC's Young Musician of the Year Competition, he went on to win the coveted award of Outstanding Brass

Player in London's Royal Overseas League Music Competition.

We move up a gear in size for the second half of the concert with Schubert's powerful and expressive Ninth Symphony, better known as "The Great".

Already performed to much acclaim earlier in the year in their home venue at The Sage in Gateshead, the Northern Sinfonia are the size of orchestra more akin to the ensembles in Schubert's time.

Available in June are the full details of the main festival, from September 5-23. This year it spreads its wings to Harrogate's Royal Hall, and will include the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the fabulous voices of Stile Antico, the Mugenko Taiko Drummers and the period sounds of the Pantagruel Renaissance Musicke.

Northern Sinfonia, Ripon Cathedral, May 8, 7.30pm. 01765 603994.