BRADFORD Festival Choral Society opens its 2019-20 season with Paul Mealor's Oratorio, The Farthest Shore.

Premiered in 2013, the piece has been described as a 'stunning aural sensation".

Since his motet Ubi caritas, was performed at the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton, Mealor has shown he has the knack of writing music choirs love to sing and audiences love listening to. Derived from a Tenth Century Celtic legend, a stranger is cast upon an unforgiving shore during a terrible storm, an unfathomable spell is weaved over the inhabitants of a small village, and a struggle ensues between demonic and angelic forces. It's an ambitious work for Bradford's largest choir, who are joined by a children's choir plus professional brass, organ, and soloists.

Rob Voakes, a member of the choir for 10 years said: "In rehearsal the choir has to put more than the usual amount of trust in our musical director, Tom Leech. The process can perhaps best be summarised as: "What on earth is this?" "This is really difficult" and "Wow! l can't wait until the performance."

The choir will also perform John Rutter's celebratory Gloria and, maintaining the choir's commitment to works by female composers, Roxana Panufnik's beautiful Schola Missa de Angelis.

The concert is at 7.30pm on Saturday, November 23, at Price Hall, Bradford Grammar School.

Tickets available on the door and from the BFCS website. Free entry for those aged 30 or under, or those on a low income