THE Academy of St Olave’s chamber orchestra will celebrate Alan George’s tenth season as musical director on January 26 in a special concert featuring his son, violinist Jacob George.

George junior will perform Sibelius's Violin Concerto in the beautiful setting of St Olave’s Church, Marygate, York, at 8pm, returning to the York orchestra as a soloist for the first time, having played previously within the ranks. A car accident less than two years ago left Jacob with a badly injured right hand – crucially his bowing hand – and consequently temporarily unable to play but, thankfully, he has since made a full recovery.

"The accident required him to be be airlifted to hospital and have significant surgery to his hand, and following his recovery, Jacob has effectively had to learn to play the violin again, so it's quite some achievement for him to be performing a concerto again so soon afterwards," says the academy's publicist, James Sanderson.

Fitzwilliam String Quartet viola player Alan George’s tenure as the academy's musical director began in September 2009, since when highlights have included performances of Schubert’s Eighth and Ninth Symphonies, Brian Newbould’s completed version of Schubert’s Tenth Symphony and Beethoven’s Ninth "Choral" Symphony with the Yorkshire Bach Choir.

"St Olave’s Church has always been a special place for me," says Alan. "Not only because it's just around the corner from my house in Bootham Terrace, but also because it was the venue for a memorial concert for my daughter Jessica, one year after she died in 1994. Since 2009, it has also been an immense pleasure to direct the wonderful Academy of St Olave’s."

Son Jacob was principal second violin for the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain, topped off by three appearances at the BBC Proms. He has appeared as a soloist with several orchestras, including performances of Dvorak’s Romance with York Guildhall Orchestra and the Kabalevsky Violin Concerto with Sheffield University Symphony Orchestra, and aside from his music commitments, he is studying for an MSc in urban planning at Newcastle University.

To mark the contribution of the George family to the York orchestra, this month's concert will be in support of Jessie’s Fund, the charity set up by Alan and his wife, Lesley Schatzberger, after their nine-year-old daughter Jessie’s brain tumour diagnosis in 1994. Sadly Jessie died shortly afterwards, but Lesley and Alan decided that Jessie’s Fund should become a charity dedicated to helping seriously ill and disabled children through the therapeutic use of music. Based in York, Jessie’s Fund now helps children all over Britain and more information on the charity’s work can be found at jessiesfund.org.uk/.

In addition to the Sibelius Violin Concerto, the academy will perform the overture to Weber’s opera Oberon and Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. This means that during Alan George’s ten years as musical director, the orchestra will have performed all but No. 1 of Beethoven’s symphonies.

Tickets cost £14, concessions £13, students and children £5, at academyofstolaves.org.uk, on 01904 550099, in person from Visit York, Museum Street, or on the door.

Charles Hutchinson