THE lilting tones of a restored instrument will ring out this weekend in celebration of the completion of work on it.

The harpsichord was once owned by one of York's most prominent citizens, Tempest Anderson, who gave his name to the Yorkshire Museum's lecture hall.

It was made long before he was born, in 1846, by instrument-maker Thomas Haxby.

Based in Blake Street, York, Haxby patented a mechanism for the harpsichord in 1771 and used it in the 1777 instrument, which has just been restored.

He was also employed to repair and maintain the organ in York Minster and was a member of the Minster Choir and a soloist for nearly 46 years.

The harpsichord will feature in a concert at the Yorkshire Museum tomorrow by the Concert Royal group.

Their director, Peter Harrison, said: "We have included music by James Nares, who was organist at York Minster at the same time Thomas Haxby was working, and by Dr Edward Miller, who was organist at Doncaster Parish Church in the second half of the 18th Century.

"We can be almost certain that this music would have been played on this harpsichord 200 years ago, and it is likely that Thomas Haxby would have played it."

The harpsichord has been restrung using brass and iron wires, which would have been used at the time.

Its plectra, which pluck the strings to produce notes, were replaced using black turkey quills, which they would have been made from originally.

The instrument now produces a sound as near as possible to how it would have been when Haxby made it.

Tickets for the concert, at 7.30pm, are £5, and £4 for concessions, and can be booked on (01904) 650333.