ALLEGRI is an adventurous chamber choir which sings unaccompanied sacred music for two terms each year and a concert with an orchestra in summer.

The choir's next performances are at St Cuthbert’s Church, Kentmere, on Saturday, June 13 (7.30pm) and at Crosthwaite's St Mary’s Church on Sunday, June 14 (7.30pm), where singers and players perform Mozart’s much loved Requiem, Purcell’s delightful Birthday Ode Welcome to all the Pleasures, and Pachelbel’s gloriously cheerful setting of Psalm 100 Sing to the Lord.

Though often performed by large choirs, Mozart’s Requiem was first sang by a choir of 16. This performance by Allegri’s 24 singers gives music lovers the chance to hear the orchestral parts in great detail, relishing the trombone solo in the Tuba Mirum and the clarinet duets that appear throughout the great work.

Purcell’s Welcome to all the Pleasures is the first of his Birthday Odes, written to celebrate St Cecilia’s Day in 1683. Written for small choir and strings, there will be short solos by a number of Allegri’s singers.

The Pachelbel psalm setting is for double choir, with each voice supported by a instruments to give a great feeling of richness.

Weaving his usual magic with the conductor's baton will be Allegri musical director Owen Davies.

Owen was educated at Imperial College and Cambridge, singing in many groups at both universities. He then taught physics on three continents before becoming a freelance writer of training and educational materials.

Before moving to the Lakes he had conducted choirs in Wales and Borneo. Among his more memorable concerts as a conductor is a performance of Faure's Requiem in the army band hall of the Moslem sultanate of Brunei.

Since moving to the Lakes he has accompanied a number of groups, notably Kendal and District Gilbert and Sullivan Society for nine years up to 2014 working with the excellent musical director John Perrin. He set up Allegri in 2004 to cater for singers who wanted a short burst of intensive preparation for each concert: "We meet for five weeks to prepare a programme that is then performed at two venues," explained Owen. "We do that three times a year. In other words it attracts different singers from the ones who go to a choral society or operatic society every week through the autumn and winter."

Tickets for the Kentmere concert are available from Iain Johnston on 01539-822571, Christine Hevey on 01539-821689 or Staveley Pharmacy.

For the Crosthwaite performance, there will be a retiring collection to be split between choir and church funds.