GIVEN that he has conducted some of the world's great orchestras in concert halls around the world, it is perhaps a little surprising to hear John Wilson admitting that recording his new album was a nerve wracking experience.

Gershwin in Hollywood, which is released tomorrow, was recorded live at the Royal Albert Hall on the final night of John's sold out tour of the UK last year with his orchestra.

"It's very hard to not to know that those microphones are there," said John. "You have to concentrate in a totally different way and there is extra pressure on you and on the orchestra.

"But we had such a great reaction to the tour and people kept asking if the music was available on CD that we decided to record the last night of the tour and I have to say I'm delighted with the results."

The album features some of the great show tunes from a golden age of Hollywood written by George and Ira Gershwin including Funny Face and They Can't Take That Away From Me.

Performing some of the great show tunes with a full orchestra has become something of John's speciality. In the past he has presented the music of Cole Porter and in November he comes to the Bridgewater Hall as part of a new tour playing some of the great movie scores.

He has also been the 'go-to guy' when it comes to restoring 'lost' pieces of music.

"I have spent the last 15 years getting involved in musical archeology," he said. "I did find it fascinating as sometimes there is so little to go off, maybe just a part of a recording or a few pieces of a manuscript.

"It's a painstaking process but it is also immensely satisfying but also an extremely lonely endeavour."

John has worked with many of the world's great orchestras on classical concerts which may seem at first glance a little at odds with his tours with his own orchestra which involves much more populist work,

"I don't see the issue," he said. "The important thing is to embrace this music as part of our musical culture which is why it deserves to be treated as seriously as you would say Beethoven.

"I think we are in a transition period at the moment and some people don't realise the importance of the music from Hollywood or from the great stage musicals. Some people will embrace it readily whereas others need to re-evaluate it after a period of time has passed."

For John, the important thing is to get audiences to experience the sound of an orchestra.

"With the great orchestras, they can go from the beginning to the end of a piece without a conductor," said John. "But where the conductor comes in is to guide the orchestra to introduce all those stylistic elements and subtle nuances which lift the piece to even greater heights.

"As a conductor you have to learn not to impose unreasonable demands on the players but there is nothing like standing in front of an orchestra - it knocks you sideways."

For his winter tour John has selected some of the most famous movie themes plus some more surprising ones.

"We'll be playing the music from Tom and Jerry which won an Oscar," he said. "That really takes some playing and is a wonderful score.

"I would just urge everyone to come along without prejudice and just enjoy it. Once you've heard a full orchestra you will never forget it."

Gershwin in Hollywood is released tomorrow. John Wilson and his Orchestra play Music from the Movies, Bridgewater Hall, Manchester, on Wednesday, November 30. Details from 0161 907 9000.