FOR its annual May spring concert, Okehampton Choral Society will be performing perhaps the most well-known choral work ever written ? Handel?s Messiah.
The society is using a special arrangement of the score by Mozart to ensure an extra special interest in the concert this year.
The four visiting soloists are: Katherine Bond, who is completing an advanced singers course at the Royal Academy of Music, Mary Burman, who is a well-known performer and teacher in the South West, Gordon Pike, from Exeter Cathedral and Roger Cleverdon from Westminster Abbey and well-known in the Okehampton area for his contribution to various summer concerts.
The orchestra of the Okement Players has been specially augmented and will be led by Paul Mathews.
The concert will be directed by John Holland.
John said: ?It has been a real pleasure to rehearse this music with the choir over the past few months.
?Its vitality, energy and sheer drama come up fresh every time.
?It is astounding that the whole thing was written in less than three weeks and Mozart?s orchestration promises to add new colours and perhaps intensify mood changes.?
The concert takes place in the Fairplace Church, on Saturday, May 3, at 7.30pm.
Ticket programmes are available from The Beanfeast in the Arcade, or on the door, but numbers are limited because of the large number of performers taking part.