RIPON Choral Society is preparing a special concert to commemorate the end of the First World War.

It has teamed up for the first time with the Chapel Choir of Harrogate Ladies’ College and will donate a proportion of ticket sales to the Royal British Legion Ripon branch after the concert on Saturday, November 10.

The choir will perform Benjamin Britten’s monumental War Requiem, a work which requires two orchestras, 70 musicians and two choirs.

It is the culmination of a series of five war-themed autumn concerts that Ripon Choral Society began in 2014 to mark the centenary of the First World War.

“The opportunity to hear a live performance of Britten’s War Requiem does not come around very often because of the sheer scale of its conception,” said conductor John Dunford.

“We are gathering the resources of three magnificent soloists, the Orchestra D’Amici, and the girls from Harrogate Ladies’ College in what promises to be a performance of beauty, passion, and raw emotion.”

In the run-up to the concert, three members of the choir completed a fundraising bike ride along the entire length of the Western Front from the Belgian coast to the Swiss border.

Andrew Hill (tenor), Colin Witham (tenor) and John Lawton (bass), plus their vehicular support team of Jane Drake (alto) and her husband Del, donated the ride’s proceeds partly to the choir and partly to the Royal British Legion. The Ripon branch is putting the money towards a newly-located Garden of Remembrance outside the cathedral.

Director of Music at Harrogate Ladies’ College, Kate Morgan hopes the concert will have a lasting impact on the younger generation.

"We are so excited to be collaborating with Ripon Choral Society in the performance of such an iconic masterpiece of 20th century choral music on the eve of the 100th anniversary of the Armistice. To be involved with this challenging and moving work is a great opportunity and I hope the girls always remember this performance."

The concert on November 10 starts at 7.30pm in Ripon Cathedral with conductor John Dunford and soloists Samantha Hay (soprano), James Oxley (tenor) and Matthew Brook (baritone), accompanied by Orchestra D’Amici.

Tickets cost £22 reserved, £20 unreserved (student concessions available) from ticket hotline 07736 759 930, Ripon Cathedral Shop, at the door or online at riponchoralsociety.org.uk.