THE Dorset Chamber Orchestra will present an evening of Beethoven's most memorable works in a concert at St Mary's Church in Dorchester.

The concert opens with an overture entitled Coriolan, which serves as an almost self-portrait of the composer. This will be followed by Beethoven's piano concerto no. 5, known as The Emperor, and the concert will finish with symphony no. 6, known as Pastoral.

Of the closing masterpiece, leader Jane Bultz commented: "This music evokes feelings of the countryside and should leave our audience with a great sense of calm. Life-affirming qualities are woven into this music."

Conductor Walter Brewster added: "The concert features a wonderful young soloist, Dominic Doutney. Dominic is currently studying for his Master's degree at the Royal College of Music in London, with professors Ian Jones and Dmitri Alexeev. In June, he performed Brahms Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Leipziger-Symphonieorchester in the Mendelssohn-Saal at the Leipzig Gewandhaus, to critical acclaim."

Dorset Chamber Orchestra celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2017. Based in Dorchester, players are drawn from all parts of Dorset and beyond, and the orchestra aims to support the careers of young soloists as well as offering quality performance of classical music across the county. Many former members have gone on to pursue distinguished professional careers, including Rebecca Gilliver who is now principal cellist of the London Symphony Orchestra.

The Beethoven concert takes place on Saturday, November 23, at 7.30pm. Tickets are £15 for adults and just £1 for under-18s, available from Harmony Music in Dorchester or via the orchestra's website.