THE Skipton Choir is set to give its first live public performances in more than two years.

The 60-strong choir will debut at Skipton Town Hall on Sunday March 6 to sing at the Skipton Craven Rotary Club’s sell-out ‘Step into Spring Tea Party’, a veritable musical feast especially for the district’s elderly people and their carers.

On Saturday April 2 at 7.30pm, the choir will perform its first public concert at Christ Church, Skipton, in aid of young rugby player Luke Mortimer, from Skipton, who lost both hands and legs after contracting meningococcal meningitis in December 2019. His family is currently fundraising for robotic limbs which cost several thousand pounds and need to be replaced as he grows. Martin House children’s hospice is also a beneficiary.

The concert will include the first ever live performance of ‘We Will Sing Again’, the specially composed song premiered with a virtual performance during the pandemic.

The choir’s last public performance was also held at Christ Church when it staged a ‘Night of Music for Martin House’ in November 2019.

David Weale, the choir’s musical director said: “Everyone is incredibly excited to be singing at live public performances again and we have a terrific repertoire of songs to share with everyone.”

We Will Sing Again was written by David and his sister Rebecca Luetchford and was released on YouTube in aid of Yorkshire-based charity Dementia Forward in August 2020.

It was the choir’s second virtual performance in aid of charity. In May 2020 it released its version of When You Believe (from the 1998 film, Prince of Egypt) in aid of the Sue Ryder Manorlands hospice, in Oxenhope, raising £3,140.

The choir was originally established more than a decade ago. It started meeting for live rehearsals after a break of 17 months in August 2021 at Skipton Girl’s High School where it rehearses every Monday evening during term time.

Choir chairman Carol Squire added: “Music is a lifeline for many people and particularly proved to be so during the pandemic when so many of us were isolated from friends and family during the various lockdowns.

"We managed to keep going through weekly Zoom rehearsals but it has been so good to be together again and do what we love best, which is singing together as a community choir.”

Anyone wishing to obtain tickets to the April 2 concert at Christ Church, should contact Carol Squire on 07501 252040.