JAPANESE violinist Ken Aiso will be the guest soloist when the Ten Tors Concert Orchestra begins its Spring 2000 Series of concerts next month.

The orchestra — which draws its professional musicians from West Devon and Dartmoor — begins its season with a concert at St Peter's Church, North Tawton, on Saturday, March 11 at 7.30pm.

The programme will include popular works by Handel, Mozart, Britten and Pachelbel.

Soloist Ken Aiso will perform Bach's 'Concerto for Violin in A minor' and the dazzling 'Melodie and Scherzo' by Tchaikovsky.

Simon Ible, the orchestra's conductor, will also be presenting a pre-concert talk at St Peter's Church on Friday, March 10, at 7.30pm. This will give local music enthusiasts the opportunity to find out more about the orchestra and the music it will perform.

The series continues on Easter Saturday, April 22, at the Ariel Centre, Totnes, when the mezzosoprano soloist Victoria Simmonds with sing arias by Handel, Purcell and Gluck.

The orchestra will also perform symphonies by Haydn and Arne.

A third concert will be held on Bank Holiday Monday, May 29, at St Paul's Church, Yelverton. This programme — designed to coincide with the BBC Music Live Festival — will include the first performance of a new work commissioned by the orchestra with additional funding provided by South West Arts.

The television and film composer Roger Bolton has been invited to compose this new work for the Millennium titled 'New Dawn — Dartmoor Sunrise'.

The programme will also include Warlock's 'Capriol Suite' and Mozart's Symphony No 41 'Jupiter'.

The soloist is baritone Simon Tunkin. He will sing songs from Bernstein's 'West Side Story' and Figaro's aria from Rossini's 'The Barber of Seville'.

Ten Tors Concert Orchestra artistic director Simon Ible said the three concerts were part of the orchestra's Music for the Millennium series of ten, funded by South Devon and Dartmoor LEADER ll, the South West of England Regional Development Agency and West Devon Borough Council.

He said the grants had facilitated the creation of a new professional chamber orchestra for the Dartmoor region of Devon.

'The objectives are to bring top quality music to small towns and provide employment for local professional musicians,' said Simon.

'The orchestra is playing music by many of the greatest composers and at the pre-concert talks — usually held the evening before the concert — there is an opportunity for local music lovers to get together informally and share their musical passions as well as perhaps discovering something new about their favourite composers.'

Full concert details and a Spring 2000 Concert Series brochure can be obtained by contacting Simon Ible on (01566) 783310. Tickets for the concerts are £8 (under 16s £4).

Admission to the pre-concert talks is free and refreshments are provided.