Gordon Stewart is, as ever, full of the joys – not of spring though – but of the autumn.

It’s like sitting with a musical encyclopedia as we race through the composers, conductors and musicians whose talents will be on display in the new Kirklees concert season.

The first concert in the main orchestral season is just weeks away.

Huddersfield Town Hall will host nine and Dewsbury Town Hall has four.

In addition there’s a bumper organ and chamber concert series with again, Huddersfield taking the lion’s share of around 16 and Dewsbury offering a further eight.

 The brochure is out, booking has started and no-one could be more enthusiastic about it all than Gordon.

For those who don’t know Gordon, his official title in this neck of the woods is Kirklees Borough Organist, a job he has had for years.

But his influence on the area’s music scene stretches way beyond the many lunchtime concerts that he plays at Huddersfield Town Hall.

Gordon is also an integral part of the team which puts together the professional concert seasons across Kirklees and which are managed by Opera North.

Anyone who has ever heard Gordon play, or heard him talk about music, will know that he not only has considerable musical gifts, he wants to share them.

So who better to sit down with and discuss the upcoming season than the man who attracts hundreds of people to his lunchtime organ concerts and is one of the most in-demand concert organists in the country.

The Orchestra of Opera North plays the bulk of the main orchestral concerts in both Huddersfield and Dewsbury.

 But there will also be visits by some of the country’s other renowned orchestras, all of them now favourites with our audiences.

Few will get a warmer welcome than the Northern Sinfonia which now has a new name – the Royal Northern Sinfonia.

The orchestra, based at the Sage in Gateshead, was given the title by the Queen earlier in the summer. It’s the first such title to be awarded in more than 20 years and will be applauded by all those concert regulars in Huddersfield who have long appreciated the skill of this top orchestra.

There will be an added poignancy when the orchestra arrives in October as it will be conducted once again by Thomas Zehetmair who is moving on and is in his final season as its music director.

The BBC Philharmonic is back as are the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic.

And with all these outstanding orchestras come an array of top notch conductors and performers.

“Opera North are bringing in some  familiar names but are also giving some outstanding young performers opportunities to play,” said Gordon.

“We do get some good people. Opera North have talents scouts out watching the next generation of musicians and building a relationship with them.”

And this policy of nurturing talent enables concert audiences in Huddersfield and Dewsbury to hear some of the most talked about musicians around.

Violinist Francesca Dego is certainly a performer who is causing much excitement in the music world.

Violinist Francesca Dego who will play in the Kirklees concert season in Huddersfield
Violinist Francesca Dego who will play in the Kirklees concert season in Huddersfield

“She’s had amazing success with her first recording which was devoted to Paganini,” said Gordon. “She got rave reviews.”

Watch out too for Leonard Elschenbroich playing Shostakovich’s First Cello Concerto. And who would miss the pairing of Howard Shelley, one of the country’s most revered pianists, conducted by his son, the award-winning Alexander Shelley. It’s a first public performance together for them and it’s happening here in Huddersfield.

Soprano Sarah Tynan will sweep audiences off their feet in the Viennese Whirl concert which offers a Christmas treat for many families and is always a sell-out.

And there will be approval too for the return of Kathryn Stott, one of the country’s greatest pianist and a favourite not just of the BBC Proms but of the Huddersfield Town Hall audience too.

Gordon reeled off all of these and more as highlights. And looking back to last year?

“The big concert last season where we had 104 musicians on stage was quite remarkable.

“For me that was the highlight of the season. I floated out of the hall.”

And he sees much more of that to come this season but can’t remind concertgoers enough of just what value for money this huge season offers.

“I went to one night of a Baroque orchestra in Sydney last year. I had a side gallery seat which cost me £126. That’s the ticket price of a whole season on Band B (side balcony) in Huddersfield Town Hall.

“You can’t argue with that as value for money looking at the spread of music and quality of musicians we have scheduled to appear.”

I’m not about to argue with that.