IT SEEMS only yesterday that Bishop Auckland formed its music society and now it is entering its 13th summer season of concerts.

They are held on Fridays in the throne room of Auckland Castle, where the new Steinway grand piano will be played by some extremely outstanding artists, writes Dave Robson.

In the last year or so, music societies throughout Britain have been inviting the Kiev-born pianist Evgeny Soifertis back for repeat concerts, especially in the music of his homeland.

Bishop Auckland audiences will be able to hear him when he opens the society's summer season next Friday.

Chopin preludes, a Rachmaninov sonata, mazurkas by Glinka and Liszt's Spanish Rhapsody make up what should be a very popular programme. Incidentally, he will also appear in Darlington in November.

The Swedish/British Kungsbaka Piano Trio has, in recent years, made a very big name for itself. Indeed, it now appears for the third time, on May 14, with a programme where Dvorak and Schubert flank the idiosyncratic style of Charles Ives' Trios.

The talent of youth is celebrated in a viola recital by Countess of Munster award-winner Rebecca Jones in concert with pianist Abigail Evans on July 16. They offer Schubert's marvellous Arpeggione Sonata, Hindemith's Viola Sonata and, intriguingly, Paganini's virtuoso La Campanella.

The Archaeus String Quartet, now well established on the musical scene, brings Haydn, Dvorak's Op 106 (it is his centenary year) and Salzedo's 2nd Quartet, written for the Archaeus, in a concert full of interest on September 17.

Coinciding with the season is a celebrity recital on June 11 by Emma Johnson, who makes a return visit with the equally acclaimed pianist John Lenehan to perform what is almost a history of the clarinet from Weber via Schumann and Debussy to Benny Goodman.

For a brochure and tickets, contact Peter Cooper, 44 Archery Rise, Durham. DH1 4LA, tel 0191 386 8622.