A BRAND new rhapsody by a Ruscombe based composer receives its world premiere this weekend.

Geoffrey Poole’s Rhapsody for Violin and Orchestra is set to be performed by Stroud Symphony Orchestra at their summer concert on Saturday.

Geoffrey is a contemporary ‘classical’ pianist, with hundreds of performances in over 30 countries, some 80 broadcasts and 60 publications to his name.

He regularly gives recitals with the celebrated violinist Madeleine Mitchell, who will perform the piece as a soloist at Saturday’s concert.

Described in The Times as ‘one of Britain’s liveliest musical forces’, Madeleine is no stranger to Stroud Symphony Orchestra.

She appeared with them 30 years ago, at which point they were known as the New Stroud Orchestra.

“I was in the audience that day,” said SSO conductor Jonathan Trim.

“I was certainly inspired by Madeleine’s superb performance, in the Sub Rooms, which would have been at the very start of her career. And the Tchaikovsky violin concerto she played was my favourite classical piece at that time, when I was 14.

“Like many people then and since I was amazed that Stroud had its own fully fledged symphony orchestra.

“I subsequently joined the SSO on violin and have conducted it for the past 22 years,” he said.

“It feels a great privilege to be coming full circle and conducting Madeleine this weekend.”

The programme for Saturday’s concert is based around film music and includes pieces from Star Wars, Chronicles of Narnia, Jurassic Park and Pirates of the Caribbean, as well as music by Beethoven, Tchaikovsky and Vaughan Williams.

Stroud Symphony Orchestra’s Summer Concert takes place at Holy Trinity Church in Stroud, on Saturday at 7.30pm.

Tickets are available from the Sub Rooms.