'Come to join our choir and sing beautiful music'

A choral society has invited people to join members in singing "one of the most beautiful pieces" of music.

Wombourne and District Choral Society (WDCS) is holding a Come and Sing event, before a free concert at Springdale Methodist Church, Penn, Wolverhampton, on Saturday 14 March.

It said people with choir experience or who can read music will enjoy joining in with Fauré's Requiem and Cantique de Jean Racine.

"We also welcome people who have never tried singing with a choir to come and challenge themselves, to have a go with the help of our experienced members," a spokesperson said.

Registration at the church starts at noon followed by "intensive rehearsals", led by musical director Dr Edward Caine, before the informal concert at 16:45 GMT.

Participants pay £15 and are asked to invite friends and family to the free concert at the church in Warstones Road.

The WDCS said it offered "the perfect opportunity to unwind and enjoy one of the most beautiful pieces of the choral repertoire, as well as to get to know our choral society, which is open to all comers".

The society was founded in 1929 and its choir has about 90 members.

A spokesman for the group added it was "probably the first" such event for the choral society which wanted to host a community event and attract new members, after numbers fell as a result of the Covid pandemic.

"Covid did greatly affect how we operated for sometime and some members were hesitant to rejoin afterwards," he said.

"But, we did our best to keep the spirit of the choir intact and issued a monthly newsletter called 'In Harmony' to strengthen the bond."

The society's piano and organ accompanist Dr Jonathan Clarke will play at the event in March.

The group added: "It's a rare opportunity but it will also be musically fulfilling and lots of fun."

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