A Worcestershire orchestra is getting ready to celebrate its 50th anniversary with a new piece dedicated to the county.

The Worcester Philharmonic Orchestra will mark half a century of musical entertainment at Pershore Abbey this weekend.

The birthday concert will begin with five Dvorak’s Slavonic Dances, a nod to the orchestra’s first show in 1972.

Elgar’s Enigma Variations will bring the celebrations to a close.

Also in the programme, and receiving its first performance, is Worcestershire Rhapsody.

The piece, by George Owen, has been specially commissioned for the occasion in memory of Ian Pattinson, the founder of the orchestra.

Mr Owen is a classically-trained composer whose works have been widely performed, and played on BBC Radio 3.

Currently, he is a completing a PhD in composition at the University of Bristol.

The commissioned piece, Worcestershire Rhapsody, will explore the geography of the county, including the Malvern Hills and the rivers Avon and Severn, before portraying the Border Morris tradition using local folk songs.

The anniversary concert begins at 2.30pm on Saturday, November 12.

Tickets cost £15 and are available online at ticketsource.co.uk or from Tourist Information offices in Pershore, Worcester and Malvern.