IT IS not often that a market town choir gets to give a first public performance of a major work but that will be the case tomorrow when Richmondshire Choral Society showcases a 35-minute cantata by one of own members which it believes could become a favourite with other choirs.

Jubilate Natale was composed by Mark Harrison 25 years ago and given a performance at St Mary’s, Menston, West Yorkshire, the school where he worked.

It was then largely forgotten until he offered three of the movements from it to Richmondshire Choral Society to sing in two previous Christmas concerts.

So impressed were the director and choir members they asked to perform the whole work – and were surprised to learn this would be its first full public performance.

The cantata is in eight movements and is written for soprano and baritone soloists, full choir and orchestra.

Mr Harrison has rescored much of the orchestral accompaniment to take advantage of the Richmondshire Orchestra’s additional capacity so in some respects this performance can be regarded as a world premiere.

The eight movements follow the Christmas story but not in a strict narrative sense. The words are in some cases anonymous medieval poems or taken from the Catholic church liturgy, but elsewhere they have been mostly written by Mr Harrison with a some short quotations from other writers.

Starting with the Christmas proclamation of Hodie Christus natus est, the cantata continues with a movement about the fall of Adam followed by the prophecy of the virgin birth in a setting of the medieval poem, I sing of a maiden. The story continues with a lullaby after which there is a lusty song from the shepherds, glory from the angels and the light of the Gentiles appears. The finale is in the best Bach and Britten tradition of bringing the audience in to join the singing.

Richmondshire Choral Society’s music director, Edward Seymour, said: “It has been an honour to work with Mark and RCS on Jubilate Natale. The work presents the story of Christmas with such variety, colour and drama. We must see and hear this work more often.”

The concert takes place at St Mary's Church, Richmond, tomorrow. Other works in the programme include Bach's Sleepers Wake!, Schubert's Mass in G and three well-known carols. For more information visit richchoral.org.uk.