PRO Nobis brings Six Centuries of Choral Music to St Mark's Church, Natland, on April 5 (7.30pm).

Among the pieces performed by Clive Walkley’s acclaimed singers will be the premiere of a new setting of the mass by former Queen Katherine School student, Chris Noble.

Following a degree in music at Sheffield University, Chris - born and bred in Kendal - landed a PhD in composition. He now teaches privately and at Sheffield Music School, runs the Medics Original Jazz Orchestra (MOJO) and plays jazz piano in a number of groups.

Compositionally, Chris says he’s primarily interested in integrating jazz harmonies into a more contemporary ‘classical’ context.

“Missa Brevis was composed five years ago with the intention of combining two great influences in my life – the choral tradition and the jazz idiom.

“As a chorister and songman in the sadly now-defunct Kendal Parish Church choir I was exposed to all kinds of different settings of the mass, and even then had a desire to write something similar eventually.”

Son of Alan and Alison, Chris' grandfather, Jim Noble, was one time deputy editor of The Westmorland Gazette; he was also chairman of the Westmorland Music Council, organist at Kendal Parish Church and conductor of Staveley Choral Society.

Saturday’s concert begins in the 16th Century with music by Palestrina before moving on to Purcell, Bach, Mendelssohn, Herbert Howells and music by contemporary composers James MacMillan and Jonathan Dove.

A new work by Clive himself will also feature.