A PRESTIGIOUS link between the world's most famous orchestra and Britain's most easterly town looks set to play on for an historic fifth year. Hopes are high that the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra will continue playing at Lowestoft's Marina Theatre in 2009 - and The Journal understands that the orchestra may announce an extension to its residency at the Marina tonight as the RPO presents its sell-out summer concert.

A PRESTIGIOUS link between the world's most famous orchestra and Britain's most easterly town looks set to play on for an historic fifth year.

Hopes are high that the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra will continue playing at Lowestoft's Marina Theatre in 2009 - and The Journal understands that the orchestra may announce an extension to its residency at the Marina tonight as the RPO presents its sell-out summer concert.

A high-profile meeting was set to be held in London yesterday where the deal to keep the RPO residency in town was expected to be signed and sealed.

After teaming up with the theatre and launching a campaign to keep the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra playing at the Marina in January, for the past six months, The Journal's rallying call for people to “use it or lose it” has received a triumphant encore.

It is understood that after four years of capacity audiences for concerts at the Edwardian 750-seat theatre, the prized association between the Marina and the world's most famous orchestra is primed for another curtain-call.

And if it is given the go-ahead, it is likely to provide another huge boost to Lowestoft and the surrounding areas.

Having been hailed as the most important event in the cultural life of the district, the unique association has already proved an enormous success - and now with enough public support the RPO looks as though they will be committing to an unprecedented fifth year.

The message, which the theatre and The Journal launched in January, was for our readers to make the latest six concert series a sell out success.

This was because the series does not receive any major subsidy and is reliant on ticket sales - but at talks last night that looked set to confirm the residency would continue, there looked set to be a victory for the campaign, which was spearheaded by The Journal.