INSPIRED by a concert they had just heard, five young amateur musicians, who were travelling back from London in the early 1930s, decided the time was right to form their own orchestra in St Albans. They had recently played for St Albans Operatic Society and decided to recruit its conductor, Augustus F Lowe, "to take a few rehearsals and see how things would shape". Just 12 musicians were present at the first rehearsal in June 1931, but by the autumn, as many as 40 were attending. As a result, the then named St Albans Orchestral Society gave its first concert in the Victoria Hall on Tuesday, April 19, 1932.

The programme, (price threepence) describes an extended evening. It began with Beethoven's Egmont Overture and six further items, including Schubert's Unfinished Symphony, Mendelssohn's Second Piano Concerto (with Lowe as soloist) and the New World Symphony by Dvorak.

Three-quarters of a century later, the St Albans Symphony Orchestra is celebrating its 75th anniversary with a suitably rousing programme to include Shostakovich: Festive Overture, Tchaikovsky: Romeo and Juliet, Tchaikovsky: 1812 overture and Stravinsky: Rite of Spring. The concert, which takes place at the cathedral, is in collaboration with City of London Sinfonia under the baton of conductor Dr James Ross, a finalist in the 1998 BBC Philharmonic Orchestra Conducting Competition, who has lead the orchestra since 2001.

Vice president and violinist Tony Harris has been a member of the orchestra for more than 47 years and vividly recalls Ross' appointment.

"I was chairman of the orchestra at the time and as such had to organise the appointment of the new conductor. The post was advertised nationally and we had over 60 applicants.

"James Ross was unanimously appointed. He was quite outstanding.

"He's made the set-up much more dynamic with a full range of brass and wind intruments and what I call the heavy strings - double basses and cellos."

Tony tells me he joined the orchestra in 1960, following an appointment at St Albans Art College.

As a graduate from Chelsea School of Art, he was asked to design the orchestra's float for the 1992 Golden Jubilee.

"The piece we were playing was Walton's Crown Imperial," says Tony. "I had the idea of visiting the mews at Buckingham Palace and requested permission to do a replica of the Coronation coach.

"Fortunately, I was allowed in and I was able to do some drawings. The remains of the coach we built would often reappear for the pantomime Cinderella."

Over the years, Tony has collected more than 200 programmes from the concerts including the programme for the 1999 solo appearance by young Harpenden clarinettist Julian Bliss aged only nine.

"The wonderful thing about living in St Albans is that there is such a wealth of musical talent," says Tony. "It's very rewarding to have been associated with the orchestra for so long. The standards have just grown and grown and grown."

The orchestra present large scale concerts with leading soloists, an annual New Year's Day concert in St Albans Abbey and chamber orchestra programmes. As well as the anniversary concert, the orchestra will be performing Monsters and Dinosaurs, a children's concert on Sunday, July 1.

The 75th anniversary concert takes place on Saturday, June 9 at 7.30pm in St Albans Abbey. Tickets: £1 children, £5-£16.

Details: www.saso.org.uk