IT’S an orchestra known for both the quality of its music and for its friendly approach.

Players are assured of a warm welcome when they join Paddock Orchestra which has an early summer concert just around the corner.

The orchestra, which rehearses on Tuesday nights at Paddock Village Hall, plays at St John the Divine Church in Rastrick on May 18.

It is part of an Art Weekend that the church is running from Friday, May 17 to May 19 and the concert programme has a suitably summery feel.

The orchestra will be conducted by Barbara Bancroft who will feel very much at home at this venue. Barbara did supply work at Brighouse High School and has lived in Rastrick for 20 years.

She took over as conductor of the orchestra more than four years ago having previously played as a second violinist and been assistant conductor under two previous conductors.

The orchestra’s current leader is Christine Hoare and the concert will feature two soprano soloists, Suzanne Longley and Sally Leeming.

Suzanne Longley lives at Hove Edge where she is a governor at the junior school attended by her daughter.

Suzanne sang for a number of years with the Yorkshire Bach Choir and the trio Sospiri. She was a member of Enkelit specialising in Scandinavian music and performed at the Tamper Festival in Finland.

Since moving to West Yorkshire she has sung with the Aire Valley Singers, performing regularly with them as a soloist.

Suzanne is also a member of a Newcastle based chamber choir with which she has appeared at a variety of venues including The Sage and St. Giles, Edinburgh. She sings a wide repertoire but particularly enjoys Early Music.

Sally Leeming is originally from Clitheroe in Lancashire and studied at the College of Ripon and York St John.

She taught in a Bradford middle school for many years, while singing and performing in her spare time.

Over the last few years Sally has developed her expertise in teaching musicianship through singing. She teaches privately and in schools in the Bradford area and is involved in the Chorister Outreach programme for Bradford Cathedral.

Sally is in demand as a soloist with local choral societies and choirs.

The orchestra itself has fairly modest beginnings. It began at an ‘All-comers’ night-class run by Kirklees Council tucked away in a classroom in a school at Crosland Moor.

The class brought together people who played various instruments and were of varying ability.

The aim was simply to enjoy making music together and that’s what they did.

When the class was disbanded some of the players didn’t want to lose their musical sessions and decided to form an orchestra.

And Paddock Orchestra continues to thrive to this day with the reputation for the quality of its music matched only by the warm welcome that musicians find there.

It of course took its name from the place where its players found refuge and still regard as home today – Paddock Village Hall.

It stages a number of concerts each year and the one in Rastrick will feature a number of classical favourites including Mendelssohn’s The Hebrides, Walton’s Crown Imperial, Sullivan’s Overture to Iolanthe, plus Fantasia on British Sea Songs.

The soloists’ programme will include Mozart concert aria, Vado ma dove and Delibes’ beautiful duet from his opera, Lakme.

Concert tickets available from Anne Beaumont on 01484 716871 and on the door.

The concert begins at 7.30pm and there will be pre-concert organ music by Gordon Normanton.