COULD there have been a more fitting way of remembering and celebrating the staggering achievements of York-born composer John Barry?

Here at the Barbican, just a stone’s throw from where he first performed at the Rialto, a sell-out audience gave a thoroughly deserved standing ovation at the end of an extraordinary concert.

Hundreds of local musicians, including The Guildhall Orchestra, York Railway Institute Band, Prima Vocal Ensemble and Millegro singers, and harmonica player Jim Clark, performed one famous film score after another during this feast of wonderful music, including Born Free, Goldfinger, Dances With Wolves, Diamonds Are Forever and my favourite, Out Of Africa.

Projected on the big screen above were the original posters for dozens of other films whose scores were also written by the Oscar-winning musical genius, such as Indecent Proposal, Peggy Sue Got Married and The Deep. There was also a touching tribute song, The Music Man, written and performed by Steve Cassidy, who recorded with John at one time.

Despite one or two minor technical glitches, the evening, which looks to have raised about £10,000 for the Lord Mayor’s charities, York Against Cancer and York and District Mind, was an undoubted triumph.

The Lord Mayor, Coun David Horton, rightly singled out key organiser Graham Bradbury for special praise, saying he had “worked his socks off” for the past six months to make the event happen.

Graham best summed up the concert afterwards when he said: “What a night! I think John Barry would have been very proud of York!”