ILKLEY Choral Society starts its new 2024-25 anniversary season in September, and it is inviting people to two open rehearsals.

The society rehearses in Christchurch, The Grove, Ilkley on Mondays from 7.30 to 9.30pm.

However, on these first two Mondays, September 2 and 9, potential new members are invited to a pre-rehearsal tea/coffee on the balcony from 7pm, where they will have a chance to meet officers, the committee and choir members, to have an informal chat and find out about the society.

People will be invited to be a Guest Member for the remainder of the evening. Music will be provided.

If after the first or both Mondays, potential new members wish to join on a permanent basis, they will be invited to become a full member.

Ilkley Choral Society is the town’s largest classical choir, and performs all of its concerts with Otley Choral Society, making a singing strength of around 120 for performances in St Margaret’s Church, Ilkley, and in Otley Parish Church. Two concerts per season are usually performed in each venue.

Although Ilkley Choral is a non-audition choir, potential members are expected to be able to sing in tune and have a basic music reading capability.

All voices (soprano, alto, tenor and bass) will be welcome. The choir has a vocal trainer and teacher in musical director Alex Kyle, himself a professional singer as well as a choir master.

Although the choir rehearses and exist as Ilkley Choral Society, Alex also is the MD of Otley Choral Society, and all concerts are performed as a combined choir.

In September, the society starts rehearsing for its first concert in Otley on November 16.

The choir will practice Holst’s “Festival Te Deum”, Standford’s “Songs of the Fleet” and Matthew Coleridge’s “Requiem”. The “Requiem” is a relatively new work.

This concert will focus on British choral music.

The choir’s other performances will include Handel’s “Messiah” at Ilkley in December (this will be the 75th anniversary of the choir’s first performance of the work), Dvorak’s “Stabat Mater” at Ilkley and Haydn’s “The Creation” at Otley.

Potential new members are invited to come along on at 7pm on September 2 and 9 at Christchurch, The Grove, Ilkley.

Anyone who wishes to speak to the choir beforehand, contact the choir’s secretary on secretary@ilkleychoral.org.uk