AS FAR as barbershop singing is concerned they don’t come much bigger and better than Cottontown Chorus.

Current British Champions for a record fifth consecutive time, the chorus is ready to raise the roof of Kendal Parish Church on Saturday, December 7 (7.30pm) as part of this year’s Kendal Parish Church Charity Christmas Tree Festival.

Cottontown Chorus is the UK’s leading barbershop choir.

Renowned for a great sense of fun and a unique style of entertainment, the chorus has delighted audiences on stages throughout the UK, with stirring harmonies, emotional lyrics, exciting choreography and visual effects.

The world of barbershop singing has changed enormously in recent times. Gone are the days of straw boaters, stripy blazers and cheesy ditties.

Cottontown musical director Neil Firth said that what surprises people when they hear a top chorus nowadays is the beautiful choral quality of the sound and the emotional power that it delivers. He added: “That’s achieved through a high level of technical skill and a lot of hard work.”

Based in Bolton, Cottontown attracts members from across the north west of England, including the Kendal area.

Among the close-knit group of more than 60 guys, all seriously committed to vocal and performance excellence, is Phil Hull, well-known former Kendal Town treasurer and musician who after 10 years elsewhere is back living in Lakeland.

Also from this neck of the woods is quadruple medal-winning singer Dave Brown of Shap, who with Phil alongside makes the 150-mile round trip to Bolton for Cottontown’s weekly rehearsals.

Cottontown’s multi-medal winning singers constantly strive to improve and entertain. They compete in barbershop competitions both in the UK and internationally and are also past winners of the adult section of the BBC Radio 3 Choir of the Year competition.

Cottontown’s latest ‘British-best’ was the sought-after Gold Medal at the British Association of Barbershop Singers (BABS) convention in May and the singers have gladly accepted an invitation to compete at the main International Convention in Las Vegas in July next year where they will give their all to an audience of around 8,000 at the MGM Grand.

The KPC festival starts on Friday, December 6, and open on Fridays, from 4pm-7pm, Saturdays, from 11am-6pm and Sundays from 3pm-5pm, until December 22.

Refreshments will be served and everyone will be able to enjoy the magical atmosphere created by 50 ingeniously decorated Christmas trees staged around the church, each one sponsored for a charity, including Help for Heroes, Breast Cancer, MS Society, Muscular Dystrophy, Manna House and many others.

Last year, the festival raised almost £3,000 for various charities.

As well as Cottontown, the festival also includes two other nights of fantastic entertainment - Saturday, December 14 (7.30pm), features favourite Christmas music from Kendal Choral Society, Millennium Choir and Carnaffin Jazz Band, with mince pies and mulled wine adding more spice to the festive feel.

And on Friday, December 20 (7.30pm), one of the region’s top bands, prizewinning Burneside Brass, perform a programme of Christmas tunes.

Further information on festival events visit KPC website; tickets are also available by email concerts@kendalparishchurch.co.uk.