THE romance and glamour of old Vienna will be recreated in Derby as the music of Johann Strauss is celebrated in a special concert.

The Johann Strauss Gala is not only the definitive tribute to the music of the Waltz King, it also recreates the feel of the times with period trappings such as costumed dancers.

The orchestra will be directed from the violin in traditional Viennese manner by music director David Juritz and songs of the period will be brought to life by soprano soloist Amy Freston.

Amy says that, above all, the evening is "fun".

"People never tire of the music," she says. "It's brilliant for the gloomy winter as well because the music is so upbeat.

"The New Year's Day concerts from Vienna are incredibly popular and this is the chance to hear that music live.

"It's brilliant to have this music done in this style. In the majority of concerts you don't have the conductor talking, the costumes, the atmosphere and the audience really taking part.

"We all leave feeling so positive. You can't come away from it any other way. Every night it makes me smile. "

The programme includes favourites such as The Blue Danube Waltz, Radetzky March, Wiener Blut, Tritsch Tratsch Polka and The Laughing Song from Die Fledermaus.

An integral part of the evening are the Johann Strauss Dancers. Performing in period costume, their routines have been created by award-winning choreographer Christopher Hampson, whose work includes pieces for English National Ballet and Royal New Zealand Ballet.

Amy, who also gets to wear a glamorous gown or two of her own, says: "Christopher has managed to make a nice narrative of some of the waltzes and polkas and then there's some pure classical, traditional dance and a little bit of comedy in some of them.

"So the show looks lovely and as the conductor always says: 'This music is brilliant on its own but the dancers really bring it too life'.

"There's also much excitement this year because we are getting new frocks. In act two we get big princess dresses which look gorgeous but aren't easy to dance in. I get this enormous dress and it really helps me to feel right for the concert. It does make you feel so different, like a princess."

Amy trained as a dancer until she was 19 but eventually decided it wasn't for her.

"I have the ultimate admiration for dancers," she says. "I had some injury problems and the constant pain of classical dance wasn't for me even though it will always be my first love. It was hard to give up but, luckily for me, I had done a bit of singing and I went back to an old teacher and he encouraged me to start again.

"Now, I'm able to use my dance training in a really helpful way on stage. I was depressed when I gave up dancing as it was a life's work gone but I'm so pleased it has come good in the end. Directors like the fact that I have danced and I'm always up for doing strange things – I did the Can Can in the Merry Widow. We had dancers in there to do it and I saw them and thought 'Right, I'm back in there. I'm going to do the splits'."

The Strauss concert is so light and appealing that there might be a tendency to think it's easy for the performers but Amy says that's a misconception.

"It's actually quite hard to pull off," she says. "That music is always about the rhythm and life of it and if you get that wrong it's horrible.

"I remember doing Die Fledermaus and the music has to come alive or it's quite deathly really. Just because it is such fun doesn't mean it's easy, you have to have life in every beat to make it really speak."

Impresario Raymond Gubbay is behind the concert tour. As well as taking the music of Strauss around the country he has also found a way of making concert tours of Vivaldi and Mozart commercially viable.

Amy says: "He's a very unpretentious man and very good at knowing what the majority of audiences like. Yes, his shows are populist but they are also of a very high standard.

"Because he always has such brilliant musicians all his concerts are great adverts for classical music."

WHAT: The Johann Strauss Gala Concert

WHERE: Derby Assembly Rooms

WHEN: Saturday, February 18, 7.30pm.

TICKETS: £24-£28.50

BOX OFFICE: 01332 255800