STEETON musician Ben Crick has helped to revive the Harrogate Festival Orchestra of the festival’s 50th anniversary.

The orchestra played at the first Harrogate Festival in 1966 and again performed last week at the finale of this year’s event.

Among its ranks were members of the Skipton Building Society Camerata – of which Yorkshire-born Ben is artistic director.

He said: “All I care about is making music and climbing mountains. I think orchestral music is the most beautiful music in the world. I believe the art form can speak to everyone.

“When the great symphonies were first written, it was part of the social scene. And there’s a risk we are estranged from that. I want to integrate it, so it’s normal.”

Ben, a classically trained cellist, is convinced Harrogate Festival Orchestra can be a success.

He said: “From this first concert at Harrogate, we can take the orchestra to rural venues where provision is limited and create a vibrant artistic musical hub.”

Then lives with his partner, opera singer Hannah Mason, and their four-year-old son.

The festival finale was staged at the Royal Hall in Harrogate last weekend.

Skipton Building Society Camerata recently performed as part of the 100-day arts and culture festival leading up to the Tour de France.

The orchestra appeared at Glusburn Institute with a programme showcasing three pieces - Elgar's Serenade For Strings, Finzi's Dies Natalis and Dvorak's Serenade For Strings.

The orchestra was joined for the first time by Paula Sides, English Touring Opera's multi award-winning soprano, from Cookeville in Tennessee.

Ben said that, as a keen cyclist, he was delighted the camerata could be part of the Tour’s arts Festival.