MUSICIANS from Orchestra North East will be conducted by maestro Thomas Blunt for the first time when they appear at their next concert at Durham Cathedral.

The programme features organist Keith Wright fronting Saint-Saens’ mighty Symphony No 3 “Organ Symphony”, as well as violinist Geoffrey Silver playing the popular Bruch Violin Concerto No 1 - as heard in the 2012 Last Night of the Proms.

The Durham Singers, under the direction of Dr Julian Wright, will be joining the orchestra for Parry’s Blest Pair of Sirens - familiar to many for its use at Royal occasions, including last year's Royal Wedding.

Mr Blunt conducted the Royal College of Music Chamber Choir on the London Philharmonic Orchestra’s boat as part of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Pageant on the Thames.

The orchestra played below deck and was conducted by David Parry, but Mr Blunt conducted the singers above deck and very much exposed to the elements – many nationwide will remember images of the drenched choir and conductor, bravely singing through the downpour.

Mr Blunt was chorus master of Glyndebourne from 2006 to 2009 and assistant conductor to Vladimir Jurowski and the London Philharmonic Orchestra in 2010/11.

He also recently completed the prestigious Allianz International Conductors’ Academy, where he was one of three conductors invited to work with both the Philharmonia and the London Philharmonic Orchestras.

And he was the first British participant on the scheme, which concluded with a successful concert at the Royal Festival Hall with the LPO.

The musicians of Orchestra North East come from across the North-East– from Cleveland to Northumberland - joining together for the opportunity to play larger-scale orchestral work.

A registered charity, the orchestra is run by a committee of musicians who hire professional conductors, soloists and a leader who are involved in agreeing forthcoming concert programmes.

The orchestra changes slightly from concert to concert according to the professional commitments of the musicians who make up the orchestra. Players are invited to play from a roster of around 80 individuals, the majority of whom make their living from music.

The musicians freely give their time in return for the unique opportunity to play larger-scale repertoire and the orchestra has just three intensive rehearsals in the week before each concert.

The Durham Singers is a chamber choir of about 40 amateur singers who enjoy performing an adventurous repertory of mostly unaccompanied choral music, to the highest possible standard.

In recent years, the choir has performed music by contemporary composers, such as Richard Rodney Bennet, Paul Spicer and Julian Anderson, alongside a core repertoire of English renaissance and romantic music.

The choir puts on around four concerts per year – one of these traditionally featuring a major work with orchestral accompaniment.

The concert will be staged at 7.30pm on Saturday, October 20.

Tickets are £14 (students £7) and children under 16 free when accompanied by an adult. For further information visit www.galadurham.co.uk or contact 0191-332 4041.