Harrogate concert to celebrate work of pioneering female British composer this weekend

The concert at St Mark’s Church on Leeds Road will begin with Mozart's 32nd symphony and conclude with Faure’s Dolly Suite, the music used for many years to open the ‘Listen with Mother’ programme on the BBC World Service featuring HPO’s harpist.

But Saturday’s concert at 7.30pm will give pride of place to Alice Mary Smith, the first known woman in Britain to compose a symphony.

Her first symphony in C minor (1863) reflects the style of the time bathed in Mendelssohnian influence and contributes to the Austro-German Classical tradition in music.

Composed at the age of 24, Alice Mary Smith later went on to compose a further symphony, large scale cantatas, choral works and songs.

Harrogate Philharmonic Orchestra was founded in 1980 as Harrogate Pro Musica and is a chamber orchestra of about 32 regular players specialising in baroque and classical repertoire.

Its players, many of whom are professional and trained musicians, are drawn from a wide area and give three concerts each year of well known and unfamiliar music from the 17th-21st centuries.

Through its long history the orchestra has been under the baton of many highly reputed conductors.

Saturday’s concert at St Mark’s Church will be conducted by Jeremy Carnall with leader Nadiia Ivkovs.

Tickets are available only from www.harrogatephilharmonicorchestra.org.uk (with Paypal).

There are reduced prices for students with cards and under-16s.

Carers assisting wheelchair users go free of charge.