Tomorrow the Chiltern Camerata is celebrating its 20th anniversary with a concert marking what has been and what is to come.

The semi-professional string orchestra is coming together with the Chiltern Music Academy, which was founded just two years ago for young people in the Wycombe area.

Sam Loughton has been the music director of Chiltern Camerata since 2009 and is also involved with the Chiltern Music Academy, he explains: “The Chiltern Music Academy runs orchestras and choirs and bands and so on for youngsters, the event tomorrow, May 15, is a collaboration between these two organisations.

“We thought it would be nice to combine with the youngsters. Three different groups from the Chilterns Music Academy. We have a string orchestra which is the senior group, then we have a middle group called the junior strings and then we have a beginners group called strings stars, which is anything from a grade one or two, down to ages six or seven. So a real range of ages and abilities all joining together with this concert.”

The Chiltern Camerata seeks to share their enjoyment of music-making and bring a wide range of classical music to audiences and it is evident through talking to Sam that he shares this passion.

Sam, who grew up in Penn, says: “Music has always been a very major part of my life. I’m a string player and an organist but mostly I am a conductor now in terms of my musical activities.

“I started having piano lessons in Little Missenden at six and then took up the violin and then the organ. I studied a music degree at Cambridge University, I was what’s called an organ scholar so I was in charge of all the music in the college that I was at. All my children are involved in the Chiltern Music Academy and so are carrying on the tradition.

“I love sharing the music with the audience. I usually introduce concerts in my own words so I take the audience through them rather than just putting a programme out and I think that really helps to communicate what we’re doing straight to the audience and sharing with the audience my love and my interest in what we’re doing. So it’s communication and sharing.”

This is not the only thing Sam loves about his role, he says: “I get to choose all the music that I really feel passionate about which is a wonderful privilege.

“I love leading the team and trying to get the best out of the musicians I’m working with as a team effort, getting them to play and think to the best of their abilities to produce a really good performance and then I love performing in concerts.”

The concert promises to be informal and fun for the whole family. It will include classical works by Vaughan Williams, Purcell, Percy Grainger, Tony Osborne and Thomas Tallis.

Chiltern Camerata, Kings Church, Raans Road, Amersham, HP6 6LX, Sunday, May 15, 4.30pm. Details: 01494 883112