Crowds awaiting the Tour de France in Holmfirth on Sunday will find themselves being serenaded by members of Huddersfield Philharmonic Orchestra.
The sounds of popular classics will swell from the town’s fire station, where the orchestra is to play a free concert lasting, with breaks, from 10.30am until 3.30pm.
Fionnuala Donnelly from the orchestra explained: “We hope to bring classical music to a much wider audience than we are used to and hope to be able to convert some of the crowd into concert-goers. It will be a fun day out for the orchestra who have not played a concert quite like it in their 151-year history.”
The orchestra has planned a programme to keep the crowds entertained while they wait for the elite racers and will be playing a real mix - everything from the William Tell Overture to themes from Star Wars and Thunderbirds.
For its part in the Grand Depart celebrations, the orchestra has also commissioned local composer Nicholas Simpson to write a piece for the special day.
Ilkley Moor Sans Chapeau will be premiered on Sunday and features novelty musical sounds, including, of course, a bicycle bell.
The orchestra has a regular concert programme, playing in Huddersfield Town Hall and the parish church.
It has just completed a season under the baton of new conductor Robert Guy, which ended with a concert featuring the home-grown talents of guest violin soloist Rachel Spencer.
Its forthcoming season will include Mahler’s Symphony No 5 with the well-known love theme from Death in Venice.
To find out more about the orchestra look at www.huddersfield-phil.org.uk
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