THE National Youth Chamber Choir of Great Britain will present Sun, Sea, Sky, Stars at St John's Church, Workington, on March 10 in a special Rosehill on the Road event.

It is the acclaimed chamber choir’s first performance in West Cumbria – and in fact Cumbria.

This hand-picked ensemble is drawn from the ranks of the National Youth Choir of Great Britain, with members aged 18 to 25 and typically enrolled in music further education or at the start of junior singing careers.

The core octet of the group is made up of NYCGB Fellowship holders in receipt of a dedicated professional programme.

The concert is presented by Rosehill Theatre in association with the Rotary Club of Workington and supported by Allerdale Borough Council and locally based county councillors Alan Barry, Joe Holliday, Carni McCarron-Holmes, Marjorie Rae and Celia Tibble.

Conductor Greg Hallam said: “Audiences will have the opportunity to experience the outstanding voices of these talented young people as they perform a range of music from traditional to more contemporary pieces.”

The programme will include Eric Whitacre's Lux Aurumque, Kate Rusby's Underneath the Stars, Hubert Parry's Songs of Farewell, Imogen Heap's Hide and Seek, Love Endureth by 2018 Last Night of the Proms composer Roxanna Panufnik, and more.

Choirs administrator Elizabeth Curwen, who is originally from Kendal, joined the NYCGB girls’ choir at the age of 11 in the year it was formed. She was a member for years, attending every course as well as completing two tours, and now works full-time in the office in Durham.

She said: “I am thrilled to help organise this wonderful event in Cumbria. NYCGB has been a huge part of my life and I hope that seeing the National Youth Chamber Choir perform may be an inspiration to other young singers and encourage young people from the area to audition.”

As part of the chamber choir’s visit to West Cumbria they will also deliver a schools event on March 11 at Rosehill Theatre.

John Head, community chairman for the Rotary Club of Workington, said: “Rotary is pleased to support any opportunity to bring a choir of such quality to the area, particularly as pupils from several schools will have the chance to attend a music workshop at Rosehill Theatre the day after the concert.”

This latest Rosehill on the Road event in St John’s Church follows English Touring Opera’s successful presentation of St Matthew Passion in October 2018, which featured several local choirs.

Sun, Sea, Sky, Stars at St John’s Church, Workington, on March 10 begins at 6pm and tickets at £15 (£6 U26) can be booked at rosehilltheatre.co.uk or on 01946 692422. Subject to availability they can also be bought at the church on the evening.