Choral festival comes to Leeds

 (Photo: Robbie Ribeiro)

Members of church choirs from across the North of England will converge on Leeds Town Hall later this month for a choral festival.

Choristers of all ages are being invited to take part in the festival, called The Whole Company of Heaven.

The festival is being organised by the Royal School of Church Music and will be directed by Dr Simon Lindley, the City of Leeds organist.

Choristers will sing compositions by Francis Jackson and T Tertius Noble, both past organists of York Minster, and Ernest Bullock, as well as church music composers George Dyson and Charles Villiers Stanford.

The festival culminates in a special service at 3pm that will also mark the eve of the feast day of St Michael and All Angels with hymns on the theme of angels and saints. Preaching the sermon will be the Bishop of Beverley, the Right Reverend Glyn Webster.

"We are hoping for 600 choristers from across the whole region, including cathedral choirs from Wakefield, Sheffield and Bradford," says Andrew Robinson, the RSCM's Regional Music Adviser.

"This is a celebration of the role of music within worship and a rare chance to bring together choristers to celebrate our fine North of England heritage of church music, in the iconic space of Leeds Town Hall."

Singers, whether as part of a choir or individuals, need to book in advance to take part and music will be provided in a service book priced at £6. For more information go to www.rscm.com/riponandleeds or contact Andrew Robinson on arobinson@rscm.com.

News
NHS Trust settles with Christian nurse suspended in trans row
NHS Trust settles with Christian nurse suspended in trans row

A Christian nurse who was suspended for 10 months after allegedly misgendering a transgender patient has received a settlement from the NHS. 

Fulani terrorists kill 20 Christians in Nigeria's Plateau State
Fulani terrorists kill 20 Christians in Nigeria's Plateau State

Gunmen described as “Fulani terrorists” raided a village in central Nigeria on Thursday night and killed at least 20 Christians, area residents said.

New ‘Tyndale Trail’ launched to mark 500 years of English New Testament
New ‘Tyndale Trail’ launched to mark 500 years of English New Testament

A new long-distance walking trail tracing the life of Bible translator William Tyndale has been launched in south-west England, as part of commemorations marking 500 years since his groundbreaking English New Testament.

Russia and Ukraine agree to temporary Orthodox Easter truce
Russia and Ukraine agree to temporary Orthodox Easter truce

In the Orthodox calendar, Easter falls one week after the date celebrated in western Europe.