THE new Prima Concert Orchestra will add another string to the Prima bow by joining the Prima Vocal Ensemble for the Yorkshire premiere of Morten Lauridsen's Lux Aeterna at St Michael Le Belfrey, York, on May 20.

"With more than eight years of concert experiences already behind us, our diverse community choir will be raising our game to a new cultural level," says musical director Ewa Salecka. "The Prima Concert Orchestra will make their debut performance accompanying the 120-strong Prima Vocal Ensemble for Lauridsen's Grammy-nominated 1997 suite."

Ewa and pianist Greg Birch already have led their singers to memorable concert opportunities with the likes of the Mowbray Orchestra and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Now they are launching a 28-piece ensemble to accompany their choirs in events in York and beyond.

Formed entirely of experienced York musicians, the orchestra has been funded initially through a crowdfunding appeal with the support of friends, family and choir members.

The May 20 programme will feature much more than Lauridsen's suite. In the first half will be tributes to "international artists now sadly missed", such as David Bowie, Leonard Cohen and George Michael, and a complete performance of Bob Chilcott's A Little Jazz Mass with a jazz trio.

"But it is Lux Aeterna that forms the emotional highlight of the evening," says Ewa. "Widely celebrated on release, it's a unique and sensuous work described by Lauridsen himself as having an 'ecstatic tone... an openness to modern music'."

This sentiment appeals directly to Ewa and her vision of musical expression, given how this Polish-born musical director is "personally driven and genuinely excited to find new ways of engaging the community in music".

"This is a both natural step in that process and yet still a remarkable achievement for the singers: a contemporary concert with music by respected living composers, performed by a community choir open to everyone and accompanied by its very own professional orchestra," she says. "I simply love the thrill of seeing the singers and their audiences emotionally involved in music this way."

Greg adds: "We're guiding people outside their own familiar musical landscape. Be it new genres or just new classical composers, we're encouraging the broader community to embrace new concert experiences. Our wider hope is that this will contribute exponentially to the cultural life of our wonderful city."

Tickets for this 7.30pm concert are on sale at £6 to £15 at the York Theatre Royal box office, on 01904 623568, at yorktheatreroyal.co.uk and on the door.

To support Prima Concert Orchestra, visit crowdfunder.co.uk/prima-concert-orchestra

York Press:

Aled Jones

ANOTHER of the Prima portfolio of choirs, Prima Vox, have won the opportunity to perform with Welsh singer, television presenter and radio broadcaster Aled Jones at his Grand Opera House concert in York tonight.

"We're thrilled to be selected to appear with this world-renowned singer and aim to display the very best of York’s choral expertise alongside Aled," says Ewa.

Jones is touring five British cities this spring – Glasgow, Wrexham, Lichfield, London and York – with a new concert programme wherein each city's chosen choir will start the show. "I'll then do songs from my album of last year, One Voice, singing with a projection of my younger self singing Walking In The Air at one point, and we'll then sing together, me and the choir," says Jones. "In the second half, I'll have guitarist Pete Harris playing with me, giving me the chance to sing songs I've not done usually, up very close and personal!"

A second choir has been picked to take part in the 7.30pm concert too: a primary school choir made up of Year 5 and 6 pupils from The Froebelian School in Horsforth.

Tickets for Aled Jones Live tonight are on sale at atgtickets.com/york or on 0844 871 3024.