THE Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment will play to the gallery in York tomorrow.

To celebrate the centenary of the National Art Collections Fund (Art Fund), the orchestra will perform the premire of The Middleham Jewel, a new work by Jonathan Dove, at the Yorkshire Museum, Museum Gardens.

Thursday's concert forms part of a seven-date tour of museums and galleries inspired by treasures saved by the independent art fund charity for British public collections over the past 100 years.

The audience is invited to explore historical links between music and art in a pre-show talk about the featured work of art, in this case the Middleham Jewel, followed by musical examples from the players to illuminate the connections between the work and the music.

The medieval jewel was found in 1985 by a metal-detector enthusiast, near Middleham Castle, Wensleydale, and was bought in 1992 for £2,500,000 with an art fund contribution of £180,000. The gold diamond-shaped jewel is about two inches wide, set with a sapphire, with fine detail on both the front and reverse.

It was probably used as an amulet or charm.

Jonathan Dove says: "I liked the idea of unearthing something precious, suggesting to me the gradual revelation of an existing 15th century melody."

Under director Elizabeth Wallfisch, the orchestra will be playing works by Handel, Rameau, Janitsch,Vivaldi and Oswald, as well as the Dove premire. The concert starts at 8pm, preceded by the talk at 7pm, and tickets cost £26, £18 or £12, available on the door.

Updated: 10:31 Wednesday, March 05, 2003