A WORLD-RENOWNED choir is looking forward to Carlisle's good pubs when it comes to town next week.

The Sixteen, a UK-based choir and period instrument orchestra, will perform at Carlisle Cathedral on October 13.

Harry Christophers MBE founded the group in 1977, with their first billed concert taking place in 1979.

Mr Christophers, the composer, said: "It was 2019 when we last played in Carlisle. I think that was around June time. It’s been a long time.

"As we all know, we’ve lost well over a year of being able to socialise and everything.

"I’m really looking forward to being back in Carlisle.

"The chance to enjoy a beer after it will be good as well.

"You’ve got good pubs in Carlisle."

The Sixteen perform early English polyphony, works of the Renaissance, Baroque and early Classical music, and a diversity of 20th Century music.

The performance at Carlisle Cathedral is part of the 20th anniversary of its much loved Choral Pilgrimage, which was postponed in 2020.

This year’s tour is named The Call of Rome and focuses on the city which has inspired countless pilgrimages.

It will feature music from the composers Tomás Luis de Victoria, Josquin des Prez, Felice Anerio and Gregorio Allegri.

Mr Christophers said that he has been enjoying the tour after being unable to do so for 18 months.

He said: "[The response has] been great. It’s been absolutely wonderful.

"People are just overjoyed to be hearing us again and getting out themselves.

"These cathedrals that we perform in are historic places, they’re beautiful."

For the tour, three composers, Roxanna Panufnik, Bob Chilcott and Gabriel Jackson, have composed their own versions of Allegri’s Miserere.

At each concert, a different version will be performed, and the audience will not know whose version it will be until Mr Christophers announces it during the concert.

Mr Christophers encouraged people to come to the performance: "If you’ve not been in Carlisle Cathedral, come and hear music that fits the place like a glove.

"If you’ve not experienced our music, then that’s the place to come.

"You will hear the sort of building that will enrich the music that we’re performing. It is an experience.

"For lots of people it is different music to what they will have heard before, but the human voice is so captivating."

The Sixteen perform at Carlisle Cathedral at 7.30pm on Wednesday, October 13.

Tickets are available from their website.