THE Academy of St Olave's begins 2008 with a typical mixture of the well-known and much-loved, the unusual and new at in concert at St Olave's Church, Marygate, York, tomorrow at 8pm.

Among the familiar are the Adagio for Strings by Samuel Barber and the glorious Adagio for Strings and Organ by Albinoni, and the evening ends with another favourite, Haydn's Clock Symphony.

The centrepiece, in contrast, is the first performance of a specially commissioned work, Dick Blackford's Concerto for Two Horns and Orchestra.

"After the performance of my Trumpet Concerto two years ago, Jonathan Hunter asked me if I would write a piece for him for two horns and orchestra, " says the composer from Flaxton.

"I had to think about it for a while because it's an unusual format, but I'm very grateful to Jonathan because it opened up an opportunity for something a bit different in my output."

Hunter and fellow horn player Janus Wadsworth have worked closely with Blackford throughout the composition of the piece.

Tickets: £9, concessions £8, from Ticket World, tel 01904 644194; student stand-by £3.