One of the island’s longest running choirs celebrates a milestone in their history this weekend, when they perform their summer concert.

The Manx Festive Chorus will perform ’Elijah’, by Mendelsohn, at St George’s Church on Saturday, May 19, from 7pm.

This concert will mark the 50th anniversary of the choir, and for this performance they have enlisted the help of some local and also some internationally recognised singers.

The performance will feature a guest organist and five soloists, including two former Cleveland medal winners, soprano Karen Elliot, who was won the island’s highest music award a record six times, and the mezzo soprano, Mandy Griffin, who gained the accolade four times.

They will be joined by the UK singers, tenor Christopher Littlewood, a recent graduate from the Northern College of Music, and the bass-baritone Andrew Greenan, who has appeared on some of the most noted international stages, such as the Royal Opera House, in Covent Garden, The New York Met, the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris, and many other European and American venues.

Also appearing is the winner of the Sheffield Plate, 14 year-old Evan Darroch, who performs in many local choirs, and also with the National Youth choir of Great Britain.

The organist for the evening will be Russell Medley, who is the senior vocal coach and repetiteur at the school of vocal and opera studies at the Royal Northern College.

This concert also marks the remarkable unbroken tenure of conductor John Bethell MBE, who has conducted the choir since its inception in 1968.

The Manx Festive Chorus was born after many of the island’s existing choirs amalgamated,following a filming session for the BBC in 1967.

They first performed Elijah in 1970, and it has remained a favourite of the chorus ever since.

Tickets for the performance, which is sponsored by the Isle of Man Arts Council are £10, available on the door.