A fledgling orchestra is to take on its biggest challenge to date - a production in English of Cosi Fan Tutte, one of Mozart's greatest operas.

In charge of the baton will be 26-year-old Ben Crick, a Mozart fanatic, and founder of Skipton Camerata 18 months ago.

It will be one of a number of performances of the composer's work throughout the area to mark the 250th anniversary of his birth.

Skipton Camerata, which is financially backed by Skipton Building Society, is to perform the opera on Saturday and Sunday, January 21 and 22, in Skipton Cattle Market.

The auction arena - where cattle are sold during the day - has become a popular venue for professional theatre and regularly hosts performances by Barrie Rutter's Northern Broadsides.

Mr Crick, a singer and cello player who is also in charge of music at Skipton Holy Trinity Church, said: "This three-hour opera is the biggest challenge we will have had so far.

"It's taken over my Christmas. I've been constantly studying the score to make sure I'm moving the orchestra in the right direction."

The production will include a choir of 12 voices along with the 25-strong orchestra.

Recruited to take on the role of soloists will be professional singers from the Royal College of Music, the London Guildhall School of Music, the Ohio State Conservatoire as well as bassist Galoway Bell, a member of Opera North.

Mr Crick, a singer and cellist, added: "Cosi is a great work that is as relevant today as when it was composed."

It is the second Mozart opera the group has performed.

In September last year, with a small selection of musicians from the Camerata and a couple of singers from Opera North, he staged Mozart's little know mini-opera Bastien and Bastienna in the Narrowboat public house in Skipton.

For three months before he had painstakingly translated the original German libretto into English.

The production is part of his wider musical mission - to bring the classical repertoire to the people , especially of his hero, Mozart

He plans to stage live opera in railway stations, pubs, shops and stores.

Tickets at £10 and £8 are available by telephoning (01756) 791411.