MUSIC lovers are being urged to rally round and help save the Malvern-based ESO, which ceased trading this week after 26 years.

The orchestra's board of directors is working with the Friends of the ESO to launch a Save The ESO campaign.

They plan to launch it at the orchestra's silver jubilee gala concert at Malvern Theatres on Friday, April 7, which is now being put on by the friends.

Conductor William Boughton, the soloists and many of the musicians will be handing over their fees for the concert.

Sebastian Parsons, the board's chairman, urged people to show support for the orchestra by attending the concert and giving generously.

"I'm very optimistic. If the concert raises the money and we can get some money from the Arts Council, then we can have a relaunch," he said.

"We will have to trim our sails and we may well go back to the original string orchestra format," he said

The English String Orchestra Ltd is in negotiation with its creditors.

The firm has been struggling to continue since it lost grants from West Midlands Arts, Worcestershire County Council and Malvern Hills District Council six years ago.

"We've had public funding for individual projects, but they tend to want you to find matched funding, which takes time and energy," said Mr Parsons.

He said the Elgar Festival, being held in Malvern later this year, will not be affected, as that has also been transferred to a new promoter.