l EDINBURGH Youth Orchestra celebrates its Golden Jubilee this week with a gala concert at the Usher Hall on Monday.

The Easter course, which brings togerther the best of the young musicians of the capital and beyond, was established in 1963 and the first concert was conducted by James Loughran who went on to be chief conductor of the BBC SSO, succeed Sir John Barbirolli at the Halle, and conduct the first concert by the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. Monday's concert will have a triumverate of conductors in Donald Runnicles, regular favourite En Shao and artistic director Garry Walker. The soloists are Dame Evelyn Glennie, below, Julian Lloyd Webber and Nicola Benedetti and the programme includes Elgar, Wagner, Beethoven, James MacMillan, and new birthday piece by Eddie McGuire.

www.edinburghyouth orchestra.org

l TYNESIDE'S latest musical sensations, Rob Heron & The Tea Pad Orchestra, visit Scotland at the end of April for a short tour en route to their first headlining shows at Shetland Folk Festival. The sextet, whose style encompasses western swing, gypsy jazz, blues, ragtime, Cajun, and country-roots, have won a host of admirers since releasing their debut album, Money Isn't Everything, in 2012. Among their biggest fans is popular country-blues man about town Pokey LaFarge, who invited the band onto his own UK tour with his South City Three last year after hearing just a few tracks. They play The Old Library, Kilbarchan on Thursday, April 25; The Catstrand, New Galloway on Friday 26; Heart of Hawick, Saturday 27; Biggar Corn Exchange, Sunday 28; and Leith Folk Club on Tuesday 30, before taking the ferry to Shetland.

www.teapadorchestra.co.uk

l THE largest collection of amber in the UK will go on display at the National Museum of Scotland from May 10 to September 8. The free show, Amazing Amber, will contain over 320 objects, 75% of which have never previously been seen in a public exhibition.

www.nms.ac.uk