MUSIC For St John’s Day is the next Furness Bach Choir concert staged this Saturday (June 24, 7.30pm) at Ulverston Parish Church. Choir chairman Ross Baxter said the first half of the year had been a difficult time for FBC, following the death of their much-loved conductor, Anthony Milledge, in February, so it will be a significant concert for the choir. He added: “The first concert without Tony at the helm, since he took over in 2007, will feel very strange, so it is wonderful that we will be conducted by his widow, Deborah, in a programme that will highlight the strengths that Tony brought to the choir: fresh approaches and compelling, energetic delivery of great music from different periods.” The programme includes Faure's Requiem.

“Faure’s lovely Requiem was a natural choice for the concert,” explained Deborah. “Its calm melodic beauty is shot through with moments of passionate intensity.”

Midsummer also marks the Feast of St John the Baptist, and for the other half of the programme Deborah has chosen polyphonic works for this Feast by 16th Century composers: Gibbons, Weelkes and Byrd from England, Guerrero and Morales from Spain. “Midsummer is a moment of change," continued Deborah. "And the two halves of this concert reflect the transition that the choir is going through, bidding farewell to a treasured past, and looking forward to the future just breaking over the horizon.”

As well as the choir’s own vocal soloists, and choir favourite, Colin Dean, on the organ, the Faure piece will feature violinist Pamela Redman, who will also play movements from JS Bach’s Partita No 2 in D minor.

Tickets are available on 01229-837680 or at the door.