The city's cathedral will host an evening of nature-inspired classical music, courtesy of John Woolrich and the celebrated chamber orchestra Britten Sinfonia.

Mr Woolrich, who was BBC Radio 3's composer of the week earlier this year, has been commissioned to create an original piece about the Great Fen Project.

And classical music lovers in the city will be the first to hear his special tribute to the "raw beauty" of the vast swathe of Fenland being restored near Peterborough.

The Great Fen Project is a £20 million lottery-funded scheme to create a 9,000-acre wildlife haven connecting Woodwalton Fen and Holme Fen nature reserves.

The project has attracted high-profile support from Prince Charles, naturalist David Bellamy, former Prime Minister John Major and actor Stephen Fry, who is president of the Great Fen Campaign.

Mr Woolrich visited the site of the scheme last summer with members of the Cambridge-based Britten Sinfonia to draw inspiration for the musical celebration.

He said: "The landscape and history of the Fens are awe-inspiring and quite enchanting. I am very excited to be composing a piece that evokes the mystery and raw beauty of this area."

The concert on Wednesday, May 6, will not only feature the composer's original tribute, but will also include performances of nature-themed pieces including Ralph Vaughan Williams' The Lark Ascending, Benjamin Britten's What The Wild Flowers Tell Me, Summer Night On The River by Frederick Delius and Scene With Cranes, by Jean Sibelius.

The programme will be conducted by Garry Walker, and will feature Russian violinist Alina Ibragimova, the youngest-ever winner of the Royal Philharmonic Society's Emily Anderson Prize.

The event is being followed by a repeat performance at King's College Chapel, in Cambridge, on May 7, and profits from ticket sales will benefit the Great Fen Project.

Chief executive of the Britten Sinfonia David Butcher said he was looking forward to the concerts.

He said: "John is a wonderful composer and we always enjoy performing his work. Britten Sinfonia is delighted to be involved in these concerts and to help the Great Fen Project promote this inspirational landscape."

Huntingdonshire District Council councillor Peter Bucknell, who is a member of the Great Fen Project Steering Group, said the concerts were a "unique way" to generate interest in the conservation scheme.

"They are a wonderful way to celebrate the scale and beauty of this fantastic project," he said.

"We hope these concerts will combine the arts and natural world to great effect, and provide great entertainment in wonderful venues for people across Cambridgeshire and beyond."

n Tickets for the concert are on sale now. For more information, call 01480 388248, or visit www.greatfen.org.uk