YORK’S Lord Mayor kept his cool when he was surprised on stage by two leaping lions.

Fortunately, they were ceremonial lions taking part in a traditional Chinese New Year lion dance – and York’s first citizen Cllr David Carr escaped unscathed.

Cllr Carr was the guest of honour at a Chinese New Year concert held at The Mount School yesterday (Sunday).

The concert, organised by the York Chinese community and featuring young singers from the York Chinese School as well as a performance by the city’s newly-formed East Asian Ensemble, was held to mark the Lantern Festival – the 15th day of the Chinese New Year.

Cllr Carr was ‘ambushed’ on stage by the two lions – actually men in elaborate lion costumes - who had been giving a lion dance to open the concert.

He said: “I thought the lions were brilliant. The dance is an ancient Chinese tradition and it is supposed to invite prosperity and good fortune for the year ahead. Let’s hope so!”

The concert featured a range of traditional Chinese songs and folk tunes.

It was the first public performance to have been given by members of the East Asian Ensemble, who range in age from six to 18.

Paul Feehan, the former director of music at Bootham School who is the ensemble’s conductor, said he was delighted with the way the young orchestra had performed in its first public outing.

“I was very pleased!” he said. “It wasn’t perfect, but I didn’t expect that. They did very well and we got some great feedback!”

York businessman Will Zhuang, who helped to organise the concert, said he too had received some good feedback about the ensemble’s performance.

“I think they (the York Chinese community) have never heard such a good live performance for the New Year!” he said.

Will said he hoped more young Chinese and East Asian people in York would now come forward to join the ensemble – and said there would be more performances in future.

“We are working with different venues across the city,” he said.