YORK Musical Society will honour the 100th birthday of Dr Francis Jackson with a concert dedicated to the Malton organist and composer at York Barbican on October 28.

Dr Jackson, whose birthday falls on October 2, was Master of the Music at York Minster for 36 years and was YMS’s conductor too. He is now a vice-president of YMS.

Next month's concert will have the theme of Simple Gifts – Music Inspired By Folk Song. "Folk music has inspired English and American masterpieces throughout the 20th century," says conductor David Pipe. "Our concert embraces those traditions, charting the path right up to the present with John Rutter’s imaginative folk-song settings."

The YMS chorus and orchestra, joined by baritone John Holland-Avery, will offer British and American composers’ responses to the folk tradition of memorable melodies and stories of ordinary people’s lives.

Vaughan Williams’ English Folk Song Suite and John Rutter's The Sprig Of Thyme will be complemented by Aaron Copland’s first set of Old American Songs, including the Shaker song Simple Gifts, and Gustav Holst’s Choral Hymns from the Rig Veda, which explores ancient Indian religious sagas.

Soloist baritone John Holland-Avery was formerly a choral scholar at York Minster, who studied music at the University of York before becoming a lay clerk at St John’s College, Cambridge, and undertaking further study at the Royal Northern College of Music. Conductor David Pipe is director of the organists’ training programme and cathedral organist for the Diocese of Leeds and was formerly assistant director of music at York Minster.

Tickets cost £10 to £20, concessions £8 to £18, students and under-16s £5, on 0844 854 2757, at yorkbarbican.co.uk, in person from the Barbican or on the door.