TWO prominent Yorkshire choirs are to combine in a concert set to be a highlight of the region’s music calendar this autumn.

The North Yorkshire Chorus and Wetherby Choral Society will perform Edward Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius in Ripon Cathedral on Saturday, November 17.

“Neither choir has quite enough singers or funding to bring this off by itself,” said Hazel Sumsion, chairwoman of the North Yorkshire Chorus, “but by combining resources we can seize a rare opportunity to perform this wonderful work with a large orchestra in a historic and beautiful building.”

The concert is the brainchild of John Dunford, conductor of the Wetherby Choral Society, for whom The Dream of Gerontius is almost an obsession.

“My first encounter with it was a performance in Fairfield Hall, Croydon, under the baton of my organ teacher, who entrusted the training of the semi-chorus to me,” he said.

“Frankly, I was not terribly interested in it at that stage of my life, preferring the music of the Baroque and Rennaissance – I used to joke that no decent music had been written since the death of Bach!”

But not only did this 19th century masterpiece make a lasting impression on him, he later realised it was an epiphany – a moment which encapsulated everything he loved about music.

Dunford will conduct this joint performance. “I didn’t think at that time that it would ever be my privilege to conduct this piece,” he said.

“It began to reappear in my consciousness when I was in my thirties, but it was not until the age of 42 that I conducted for the first time.”

He has a copy of every recording ever made of the work and has listened to them all many times over.

He seeks out performances to attend so as to hear the way in which another conductor approaches the task.

“No-one can agree which is the best recorded performance,” he said, and he has come to the conclusion this is because there are so many convincing ways the piece can be delivered.

“There will be many who have heard of the powerful emotional effect of this work,” he concluded.

The choirs have engaged a trio of nationally-acclaimed soloists. Margaret McDonald (mezzo-soprano) is an Elgar specialist and singer of great distinction; Philip Sheffield (tenor) is an outstanding performer equally at home on the opera stage and the concert platform; and John Anthony Cunningham is a superb bass-baritone who is a guest principal at the Royal Opera House.

The Mowbray Orchestra and Greg Smith (organ, and the North Yorkshire Chorus’ conductor) will accompany.

The concert starts at 7.30pm. Tickets (£16 reserved or £14 unreserved) are available from Ripon Tourist Information Centre in Minster Road, or by calling 01642 783475 (NYC) or 01937 842564 (WCS), or at the door. They are not available online.