OTLEY Choral Society is excitedly preparing for their next concert on Saturday, November 16 at Otley Parish Church at 6pm with their sister choir, Ilkley Choral Society.

All the pieces are new to the choirs, including the premier of a piece written by ex-choir member Peter Gosling. Now living in Germany, Peter composed “Chevin” using the lyrics from a poem written by local Leeds poet Jeremy Pritlove, to recreate the happy memories of the years he lived in Otley.

The choir is also performing the beautiful Requiem by Matthew Coleridge; written around the time the composer's first child was born Matthew Coleridge brings an uplifting, life affirming quality to the Requiem. A piece sung by many choir members with other choirs, but which they will now sing together for the first time. The Requiem features soprano Elspeth Piggott, baritone soloist Johnny Hill, solo cello Andy Wardale and David Pipe playing organ.

The choir's Musical Director, Alex Kyle, has also included Holst’s Short Festival Te Deum to begin the concert, commemorating 150 years since Holst birth in 1874, and also three evocative movements from Songs of the Fleet by Charles Villers Stanford who died in 1924.

Tickets (£18, under 18s are free) for this exciting evening are available from Browns Gallery, Otley, The Grove Bookshop, Ilkley, or online via otleychoral.co.uk