LANGCLIFFE Singers, under the baton of musical director Nigel Waugh and accompanied by Brian Heaton, will be performing a pre-Christmas concert of English music on Saturday December 7 at Settle Parish Church.

The concert will feature works by Ralph Vaughan Williams and will start earlier than the group’s usual concert times.

A spokesman for the group said: “The first half of the concert will have a Shakespearian feel, including ‘In Windsor Forest’, a compilation of five choruses adapted from his opera, ‘Sir John in Love’, written between 1924 and1928.

“The words of the latter piece are largely from Shakespeare’s ‘The Merry Wives of Windsor’, although the third section includes texts by Thomas Ravenscroft and John Lyly.”

The second half of the concert will include ‘Fantasia on Christmas Carols’ by Ralph Vaughan Williams. “This lovely piece links three well-known carols – ‘This is the truth sent from above’, ‘Come all you worthy gentlemen’ and ‘On Christmas night all Christians sing’ – into one piece for choir and bass soloist,” said he spokesman.

“All three of the carols were rediscovered by Vaughan Williams and Cecil Sharp just a few years before this piece was composed. It will be complemented by a range of Christmas carols.”

The concert will also include songs and readings of Shakespeare’s words by individuals and groups from within the choir.

Taking place at 7pm on December 7 at Settle Parish Church, tickets are available now from Capella, inside Settle Town Hall, from Bentham Post Office, on the door, online at the group’s website, and on the door.

Meanwhile, the singers, which were formed in 1983 by singing teacher, Valerie Baulard, says a warm welcome awaits anyone interested in joining the group, particularly tenors and basses.

Nigel Waugh was appointed conductor in 2009. Under his direction the choir has performed works as diverse as Bach’s St John Passion, Rossini’s Petite Messe Solonelle and music celebrating the Leeds-Liverpool canal. They have also hosted a series of ‘Come and Sing’ events which have attracted singers from all around the Craven area. The choir meets on Tuesdays in St John’s Methodist Church Hall, Langcliffe, between 7.30pm and 9.30pm. To find out more, visit: www.langcliffesingers.org.uk