JESS Gillam shares the stage with the Hallé in the new Lakeland Sinfonia Concert Society series.

Ulverston sax sensation Jess - whose debut album Rise released in April 26 reached top spot in both the Official UK Classical and Classic FM charts - joins the eminent Halle orchestra on Saturday, January 18, for a performance of John Adams’ large scale saxophone concerto.

On the podium will be Kazuki Yamada, who is the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra’s principal guest conductor and principal conductor and artistic director of the Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo. In the second half of the concert, the dynamic Japanese conductor directs the Halle through a performance of Rachmaninov’s gloriously romantic second symphony.

LSCS's 2019/2020 programme of eight concerts at Kendal Leisure Centre's Westmorland Hall is once again top quality from beginning to end with the Royal Northern Sinfonia giving three performances: the first on Saturday, October 5, an all-American programme with music by Aaron Copland, Samuel Barber and Philip Glass; the second on Saturday, November 9, welcoming the return of violinist and conductor Julian Rachlin playing the beautiful second concerto of Prokofiev. However, the pick of the three splendid RNS concerts could be the all Beethoven programme on February 22 to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the composer's birth.

For the first of its two concerts the Lakeland Sinfonia welcomes back a local favourite, internationally renowned pianist Martin Roscoe. On November 30, Ulverston-based Martin plays the much-loved Grieg concerto and, in the second half, Philip Ellis conducts Tchaikovsky’s first symphony.

The orchestra’s second concert, under highly regarded baton wielder Wyn Davies on March 21, brings the intriguing pairing of Bach’s double violin concerto and Beethoven’s triple concerto for violin, cello and piano, featuring three of the finest international instrumentalists, Trio Shaham Erez Wallfisch and distinguished Lakeland Sinfonia leader, violinist, Martin Hughes.

"Picking out highlights is no easy task," explains trustee and concert secretary, Gordon Hands. "Simply because it’s such a strong season. We had a number of sell-out concerts in recent months and the new programme promises full houses in the Westmorland Hall in the season to come."

Lakeland Sinfonia chairman, Peter Lever, is looking forward to welcoming new faces and visiting orchestras too. "Inevitably it is the visitors who attract most attention," he agrees. "As we approach Christmas, we welcome the Dunedin Consort, directed by John Butt, who present Handel’s Messiah. They are world leaders in repertoire of this sort, and it should be a thrilling occasion."

The season ends on Saturday, April 25, with the return - after apparently an absence of more than 20 years - of another revered UK ensemble, the excellent Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, under its chief conductor, Vasily Petrenko. The Philharmonic's programme includes Mahler’s fourth symphony, which promises to be one of the many highlights of another superb LSCS season.

For full details of the eight concerts and ticket details visit www.lakelandsinfonia.org.uk.