Chester Music Society Youth Choirs have decided to call time on the choir after 28 years.
A final celebratory concert will be held on Saturday, July 9 at All Saints Church in Hoole.
The Youth Choir was formed in 1988 and the training choir, Preludes was formed in 1994.
The choirs were formed to give seven- to 18-year-olds the opportunity to sing in a choir, develop team skills, engender citizenship and perform to a high standard.
The Youth Choirs have achieved this over the past 28 years with hundreds of performances, entry into competitions, residential weekends and overseas tours.
The choirs have consistently commissioned new work from both established and emerging young composers.
The access to musical activity now in schools has meant that the numbers have fallen and the viability of the choirs is not sustainable.
People with involvement in the choirs in the past, as musical directors, accompanists, singers and volunteers have been invited back for one final celebration. All three of the choirs, The Preludes, The Youth choir and The Alumni Choir will perform.
The concert will feature a range of songs that the choirs have enjoyed over the years with many being sung jointly by the Preludes and the Youth choir as well as some with the Alumni Choir and the Youth Choir.
There will also be songs featuring all three choirs with one final big sing.
In line with the choir’s tradition, the Preludes are singing a new composition written for them.
The piece is Laughing Song, words by William Blake and music by Louie McIver. Louie was a member of both Preludes and the Youth Choir but is now making a name for himself as a pianist and composer.
The 16-year-old was category winner in the Chester Young Musician competition and winner of the BBC Young composer competition last year and this will be the first performance of this work.
The Youth Choirs want as many people as possible to come along and join in the festivities at the final concert. The evening will end with a social event that will allow people to catch up with old friends.
The concert on Saturday, July 9 at All Saints Church in Hoole starts at 7pm. Tickets are priced £8 to include a glass of wine.
