Past members of the Isle of Man Choral Society are being invited to celebrate a special birthday.

In September 1979 Alan Pickard, music director at the then Board of Education, formed the Isle of Man Teachers’ Choir.

The choir had a small membership of practising teachers and initially sang in small concerts but in 1981 the choir joined the Manx Youth Choir (another of Alan Pickard’s inspirations) and performed Carmina Burana in a concert at the Villa Marina.

In March 2020 the choir will again sing Carmina Burana at the Villa Marina to celebrate this performance.

The Isle of Man Teachers’ Choir went on to perform most of the major choral works and members travelled to sing in England and Europe.

Today the choir (renamed The Isle of Man Choral Society in 2006) boasts nearly 150 members and in 2018 sang in Carnegie Hall, New York, and the Mercedes Benz Arena in Berlin at the special request of Sir Karl Jenkins.

The choir has had three conductors - Alan Pickard, who retired in 2002, Pam Duchars who stepped down in 2012 and the current musical director, Julian Power.

Most of the island’s leading soloists and some Cleveland Medal Winners have performed with the choir giving Manx audiences first class choral concerts over the years.

To celebrate the choir’s remarkable history, a 40th anniversary dinner, for past and present members and soloists, is being held on Thursday, September 5, at Woodbourne House, Douglas.

If you were a choir member or soloist, the choir is inviting you to go to the event.

The evening will also have some entertainment.

Tickets £25 per person on sale from [email protected] or further information from Carole Sutherland at [email protected]

The choir is also planning to go to Tallinn in Estonia next year for a performance that will coincide with the 20th anniversary of the death of TT star Joey Dunlop, who died in the city during a motorcycle race.