THE Music in Allendale concert series is opening its 25th anniversary season with a special concert arranged in memory of two of its founders.

Rowena Winfield, who died in 2014, and her husband Roger, who died in 2007, and their friend Colin McDermott established the programme in St Cuthbert’s Church back in 1992.

The couple had heard a talented 14 year-old violinist play during a holiday in Romania and were so impressed, they provided generous sponsorship to enable him to continue his studies in the West.

Since then, Bálint Székely has performed a number of times in Allendale and on May 21, he returns for this special memorial concert with his pianist-wife, Mariko Kondo.

They will be playing music by Beethoven, Schumann and Debussy.

The concert the following month, on June 25, will be given by the Heath Quartet. They will be joined by Finnish viola player Atte Kilpalainen for the occasion, giving Tynedale folk the rare opportunity to hear two of Mozart’s great string quintets with second viola.

The Piatti Quartet, which last visited in 2014, returns on July 30 ready to play pieces by Beethoven, Ravel and Brahms.

And then, due to venue availability issues and clashes with Hexham Abbey Festival, there is something of a gap before the last concert in the series - on October 22.

However, the organisers are confident their patrons will turn out in force for Venera Bojkova, Lucy Jeal and Sasho Somov, otherwise known as their old friends the Somov Piano Trio.

The main pieces that night will be the Op.11 Trio by Beethoven and Dvoˇrák’s great Dumky Trio.

Details of how to purchase tickets is available on the website at musicinallendale.weebly.com.