HISTORY repeated itself at a special fundraising concert at York's historic Mansion House.

The great and good of York donned their finery at the weekend to attend a replica of a concert first held 189 years ago.

The Lord Mayor of York, Coun Janet Hopton, opened the doors of the Mansion House on Sunday for a "Fashionables Concert".

When the Lord Mayor took up residence in May the manager, Richard Pollitt, showed her some interesting artefacts from the archives, one of which was a programme for a concert held on January 14, 1818. Sunday's concert was meant to be a re-enactment of this first concert and included works by Haydn, Mozart, Handel and Bach.

The 1818 event was reported at the time by a forerunner of The Press, the York Chronicle, pictured.

An extract from the report reads: "On Wednesday evening, the Lady Mayoress gave a grand concert and supper to a party of above 200 fashionables.

"A temporary orchestra was erected in the elegant and capacious state room, and the lower rooms were appropriated to the reception of the company at supper.

"Soon after seven o'clock the concert room began to fill and at eight precisely the music commenced - it is impossible to particularize the various excellent compositions that were presented to the audience in rapid succession, but the glee of "Come five with me", deserves to be especially noticed."

David Horton, the Lord Mayor's consort, said: "Because of the fire restrictions, we could not invite the same number of guests - some 200 - as attended the 1818 concert, but the 50 fashionables' who paid to come along enjoyed a memorable evening.

"The music was selected from pieces played in 1818 and was played by the York Young Soloists."

The York Young Soloists provide much-needed opportunities for young musicians to perform concertos and to explore the full range of the chamber music repertoire.

They are selected by Maggy Lamb from the most talented in their field in and around York with the aim of keeping a link between those still at school and those in further education.

Money raised from the event on Sunday night will go to the Minster Development Campaign.