TWENTY-one boys and 14 men from the Choir of St John Baptist Broughton, near Preston, will arrive in the Island next week for their annual week-long visit.
The highlight of the week will be a concert, on Monday April 7, at 7.45pm, at All Saints' Church, Alexander Drive, Douglas. The choir will present a Concert of Sacred Music, the programme including music by Bach, Handel, Haydn, Fauré, Vaughan-Williams and Rutter. Admission will be free with a retiring collection.
To hear the music before attending, click on the choir's page on the Broughton website.
On the day of their arrival, Saturday April 5, the choristers will sing Choral Evensong at 8pm at St Thomas's Church, Douglas, and the following day they will sing 11am Mattins at St Thomas's and 6.30 pm Choral Evensong at St Paul's, Ramsey.
On Tuesday April 8, the adults will return home and the boys will begin their three-day training course, ending each day with Evensong at 8pm.
At all of these services — which will take place on Tuesday April 8, at St George's, Douglas, Wednesday April 9, at St Thomas's, Douglas and Thursday April 10, at St Peter's, Onchan — parishioners and members of the public are welcome.
But the trip won't be all work for the boys explained choirmaster John Catterall: 'Broughton Church feels they also deserve a good holiday while in the Island.
'Apart from the mid-summer break, and when on tour, the choristers sing at the two principal Sunday services and are often called upon to do rather more.
'In 2007, the 36 boys in the choir put in no fewer than 4,548 church attendances.
'Afternoon trips to the NSC, to the Venture Centre and to glens and beaches the length and breadth of the Island are therefore very much in order.'
Once home, the choir will begin preparations for the next tour, this time to France, where they will be singing five concerts in the local churches in the Morbihan district of Brittany in July.
www.broughtonparish.org.uk