Thomas Bowes is a successful soloist and chamber musician and has played on the soundtracks of hit movies such as The King’s Speech, Skyfall and The Hunger Games.

On May 9, when he performs in Rickmansworth as part of a month-long ‘Bach pilgrimage’, he will have to share the limelight with his violin.

The exquisite instrument he is fortunate enough to own was made by Nicolo Amati in Cremona, northern Italy, in 1659 – some 26 years before even Johann Sebastian Bach was born. Violins by Nicolo Amati are very rare and several of those that have survived are now in museums.

Hertfordshire-born Bowes, who describes his violin as a “mysterious triumph of medieval and renaissance technology”, is setting out on a 22-date tour of churches in England, Scotland and France.

The Rickmansworth concert will feature three compositions that Bach wrote for solo violin: Partita no 3 in E Major, Sonata no 2 in A minor and Partita no 2 in D Minor.

A new recording of the Bach sonatas and partitas that Bowes made at the Abbey Road studios will be released in June.

The May 9 concert is being staged by Three Rivers Music Society. It will be held at the Baptist Church, High Street, Rickmansworth, WD3 1EH and will begin at 7.30pm (pre-concert talk by Thomas Bowes from 7pm). Under-25s free.

Further information at trms.elgar.org