The morning sees the latest in the orchestra's fascinating, and free, baby-friendly Mini-Mozart series – an idea inspired by chance during an informal concert at St George's Church in Preston last year.

"Some mums had wandered in at the back with their babies and the players noticed that the babies were turning their heads at a certain cello passage," explained orchestra manager and viola player Fiona Sinclair.

"There were three or four babies and they only started making a noise when the music stopped, so it all started from there really."

The music that turned the babies' heads was in fact Ravel's String Quartet, but coupled with research showing the beneficial effects of classical music on infants, a great idea was born.

Saturday's (March 24) interactive show is at the Lune Park Children's Centre, Lancaster, at 10am - but phone first as capacity is limited.

Later it's down to Preston Minster for a top programme of Beethoven, Prokofiev and Ravel featuring international pianist Kathryn Stott – probably her last orchestral performance for some time as she concentrates on her chamber music interests.

It caps a busy week for the Sinfonietta who enjoyed a triumphant night at Preston's Charter Theatre on Wednesday, March 21, in front of 800 cheering schoolchildren for their ambitious Wilde Stories, a live soundtrack and film project created in the county's schools.

The orchestra 'steals' its players – all of whom have Lancashire roots – from the ranks of the great British orchestras and brings them home to the halls of Preston, Fleetwood, Morecambe, and many others.

Although they have performed in an amazing variety of venues up and down Lancashire for more than 10 years - including shopping centres, schools and community halls - the Sinfonietta is still one of the county's best-kept secrets.

"I think people assume that we're a kind of grown-up youth orchestra," Fiona Sinclair. "In fact, it's a set of top professional musicians from top orchestras playing top-class music."

Lancashire Sinfonietta with pianist Kathryn Stott are at Minster Church in Preston tomorrow, Saturday March 24 at 7.30pm playing Prokofiev Symphony No.1, Ravel Piano Concerto in G, and Beethoven Symphony No.7. Prices £7.50, £4.50 concession. Preston box office:01772 531794.
For more information and free downloads of the Sinfonietta's latest CD visit www.bluefroguk.com