ENGLISH genius will be celebrated by the Orchestra of the Swan, as the Stratford-based outfit makes its return to Pershore’s Number 8 venue, for a series of spring concerts.

But European genius will also be very much in the lively mix.

A new season will kick off on Friday, February 16, at 7.30pm with English Genius, the first evening of ‘friendly classics’ in their Pershore spring concert series.

A spokesman said: “The series will continue with concerts in March, April and May and offers audiences the opportunity to hear world class soloists in a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere.

“English Genius will feature principal horn, Francesca Moore-Bridger, playing Matthew Taylor’s Horn Concerto. This will be matched with the Ireland masterpiece, A Downland Suite and will conclude with Simple Symphony, a work based on material Britten wrote between the ages of nine and twelve.”

The spokesman added: “For the second concert, Romantic Strings, on Friday, March 16, the orchestra will be joined by soloists Sally Harrop and Luan Shaw, conducted by Jason Lai. This will be an evening with two extremely evocative works by Mendelssohn, and the melancholic Andante Cantabile of the String Quartet No.1 in D major, a famous movement in its own right. One of the late Romantic era’s definitive compositions, Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for String Orchestra, is the perfect ending.”

The series continues with Magical Mozart on Friday, April 20, described as “a celebration of the Classical era at its best”

The spokesman said: “Bromsgrove International Young Musicians Competition winner 2017, Emily Sun will be demonstrating her talent performing Violin Concerto No.5. The concert will also include the symphony nicknamed The Palindrome due to the 3rd movement (which is played forwards, then backwards!) and Mozart’s Symphony No.29.

Tickets for all concerts are on sale now from Number 8 box office on 01386 555488.

For further details, see number8.org