A new orchestration of Sir Charles Villiers Stanford’s Violin Concerto No 2 in G minor will receive its world premiere on March 2. The composer, who died in 1924, left only an unpublished version of the work for violin and piano from 1918. Durham University Professor, Gramophone critic and Stanford expert Jeremy Dibble has orchestrated the piece, which will be performed for the first time by the Durham University Chamber Orchestra and violin soloist Rupert Luck under conductor Calum Zuckert in Durham Cathedral.

'It is a substantial work and completely unknown within the repertoire of British violin concertos,' said Dibble. 'In the tradition of the late 19th-century virtuoso violin concerto, notably of Brahms and Bruch, the work is full of rich and memorable tunes, the slow movement in particular reflecting Stanford’s Irish heritage with its mimicking of Irish traditional melody. My hope is that this new version will be commercially recorded later since it certainly deserves to be better known by violinists, orchestras and audiences.'

Stanford composed a large body of romantic orchestral music including seven symphonies, and influenced an entire generation of such British composers as Ralph Vaughan Williams, Gustav Holst and Frank Bridge.

The Violin Concerto will be performed as part of a weekend of Stanford events from March 2-4. For more information see the Durham University website.