MANCHESTER Camerata will be performing the first concert of their Crewe series on Friday November 20 at 7.30pm at the Lyceum Theatre.

The audience will be treated with lively classical favourites by Mozart and Haydn, as well as works by Australia’s national treasure Peter Sculthorpe – who recently celebrated his 80th birthday – and Hungarian composer Bartók.

Entitled A Final Farewell, this programme has at its heart Haydn’s witty Farewell Symphony. This work was Haydn’s musical hint to his employer that his musicians should be allowed to go home after a long summer retreat in 1772. In the final movement Haydn unleashes his protesting pièce de résistance, instructing each musician to exit the stage until only the front desk violinists remain at the end of the performance.

The concert opens with Mozart’s light-hearted Divertimento K 137 for strings, followed by his First Violin Concerto, with its song-like solo lines and wide variety of musical ideas.

Added to the mix are two pieces which make extensive use of folk music. Peter Sculthorpe’s work Port Essington, which features a string orchestra and a string trio, explores the theme of early colonialism in Australia. Bartók’s Romanian Dances showcase a selection of seven folk tunes, from a selection of 1,115 dance melodies which the composer collected over many decades from his native Hungary.

Audiences will see several new faces leading the orchestra this season as regular leader Richard Howarth stepped down from the role in July.

He will retain close links with Manchester Camerata as guest leader.

In this concert however, the spirited Michael Gurevich will be directing from the violin.

Each concert of the season will be preceded by a short informal talk delivered by the performing musicians.

To book tickets, call the box office on 01270 537333 or visit www.lyceumtheatre.net