THE North Yorkshire Chorus will celebrate 40 years of concert-giving in the county with a performance of Mendelssohn’s much-loved oratorio Elijah.

“We wanted a really special choral work to celebrate this anniversary” said Tony May, chairman of the chorus, “and because 2009 is also the bicentenary of Mendelssohn’s birth, Elijah was an obvious choice and a popular one with our members”.

The chorus had its origins in singing courses organised by Barry Griffiths, the county music adviser at the time, and was formed in 1968 as The North Riding Chorus.

Mr Griffiths will attend the concert, which takes place at Hambleton Forum, Northallerton, on December 12.

The first public performances by the fledgeling chorus were in 1969, in Richmond and Northallerton.

Since then, it has put on more than a 100 concerts in North Yorkshire and neighbouring counties, in addition to five visits abroad.

Mr Griffiths stepped down in 1977, and there have been three further principal conductors: Nicholas Smith, Martin Hindmarsh and most recently Greg Smith, who took over in 2007.

Members still come from all over the county and, because of the long travelling distances for many of them, rehearsals take place on alternate Saturdays in Northallerton.

The chorus has sung Elijah only once before, in Thirsk, in 1995.

The work, first performed in Birmingham in 1846, is very much in the tradition of 18th century English oratorios and is a direct successor to Handel’s Messiah, which the chorus regularly performs.

“It has the same mixture of narrative passages, choruses and arias,” said Peter Harbord, publicity officer, “but a stronger dramatic element, and some of the best music for voices and orchestra to come out of the 19th century.

If you like both Messiah and the music of the early Romantic period, then this is a dream combination.”

The part of Elijah will be sung by the popular North Yorkshire- born bass-baritone D’Arcy Bleiker, fresh from his recent success in the same role with Ripon Choral Society.

The other soloists are Victoria Sharp and Sara Boomsma (sopranos), Joyce Tindsley (contralto) and Russell Campbell (tenor). The chorus and the Mowbray Orchestra will be conducted by Greg Smith.

“We’ve assembled a very strong line-up for this concert,”

said Mr May. “The chorus itself is in great heart and it’s going to be a really memorable marking of our first 40 years.”

The concert is on Saturday, December 12, at 7.30pm in Hambleton Forum, Northallerton, and full details are given on the website www.northyorkshirechorus.org.uk.

Tickets are £15, with free admission to under-16s accompanied by an adult, and are available from Greensleeves in Northallerton and White Rose Bookshop and Hambleton Books in Thirsk.

They will also be on sale at the door, though advance purchase is advised. In case of difficulty, phone 01642-783475.