THE Hereford Concert Society's new season begins at The Courtyard on Wednesday, September 26 with a concert by the renowned Haffner Wind Ensemble, with the president of the society, Nicholas Daniel playing a leading part in the ensemble.

In an exciting programme which includes works by Mendelssohn, Gubaidulina and Poulenc, they will be joined by one of the foremost of today's accompanists Julius Drake, in a performance of the romantic quintet for piano, clarinet, flute and horn by Rimsky Korsakov.

The following month the Cambridge Baroque Camerata visits, with its founder/director Jonathan Hellyer-Jones playing harpsichord and organ and the oboist Gail Hennessy as soloist. Their programme is of course devoted to Baroque Music played on period instruments, featuring music by Bach, Vivaldi and Corelli.

For the first time the Hereford Cathedral Lay Clerks will be performing at The Courtyard on November 20 with Peter Dyke the assistant organist at the Cathedral playing the piano. This concert for St Cecilia's day will include music by Cavalli and Schumann and also lighter items - details of which we await with interest.

The opening concert of 2002, on January 17, will be given by The Bochmann String Quartet, led by Michael Bochmann. They have had great success in the last decade with both recordings and concerts. In 2000 they were quartet in residence at the Malcolm Arnold Festival in Northampton and have now recorded his three quartets one of which they will be performing at their Hereford Concert. They have been quartet in residence at the University of Worcester where they have instigated workshops and masterclasses for students and young professionals.

Founded in 1994 by experienced violinist Roger Huckle, the Emerald Ensemble, who perform the February concert can call on some of the country's finest young musicians for their various ensembles. They have played at The Three Choirs Festival and also at Festivals around the country. Their programme is a dynamic one, with Shostakovich's Concerto for trumpet, piano and strings as a centre piece to music by Ralph Vaughan Williams and Dag Wiren.

March sees the return of the very popular Richard May, cello, and Nicholas Oliver, piano. Their programme of music by Beethoven, Schuman and Rachmaninov is set to be one of the many highlights of the season.

Young pianist Ashely Wass who gives the April recital, first came to notice when he won first prize in the World Piano competition in London. Following from that came a series of concerts with leading orchestras and also winning fifth place in the Leeds International piano competition. This year he will be playing in Paris, Holland and Finland as well as appearing in festivals in America. His debut disc for Naxos of music by Cesar Franck has received overwhelming critical acclaim - this is not a to be missed concert to end this outstanding season of widely varied concerts.