THE historic Bradford Festival Choral Society has collaborated with one of the region’s leading jazz groups on a jazz-choral fusion.

The choir will perform with the Gordon Tetley Big Band for the first time, at Bradford Grammar School’s Price Hall on Saturday, November 18.

The programme includes jazz and blues influenced Mass in Blue by internationally-acclaimed composer Will Todd and rarely heard choral pieces by Duke Ellington. The concert continues the choir’s commitment to performing music written by women, with the world premiere of young composer Lillie Harris’s piece Now Celcome, Somer, a psalm by Icelandic composer Anna Thorvaldsdottir, and solo items from the band and guest soprano soloist Lorna James.

Thomas Leech, musical director of the 120-strong BFCS, says: “We’re delighted to be performing with the GT Big Band for the first time - it’s going to be an astonishing sound and I’m sure Will’s music will captivate the audience.”

Composer Lillie Harris, whose music also features in the choir’s forthcoming Christmas concert, adds: “I’m so delighted that this wonderful choir are premiering my piece; it’s a work that describes my optimism at the coming of summer but also recalls happy memories as a singer at school preparing for the carol service.”

* Go to ticketsource.co.uk/bfcs