RENOWNED Ambleside-based bassoonist Ursula Leveaux is joining forces with one of Cumbria's foremost chamber choirs, the Wordsworth Singers, for a spring concert on Saturday, March 17 (7.30pm), at Ambleside's St Mary’s Church, and on the Sunday, March 18 (3.30pm), at the chapel of Austin Friars School, Carlisle.

It will be the second time the professional wind player has performed with the distinguished choral ensemble and will feature a rare piece of music composed especially for chorus and bassoon. Ursula - who lives within walking distance of Ambleside - said she was delighted to be playing with the choir again, and it was a "rare treat" to have a concert right on her doorstep.

Ursula is a member of the Nash Ensemble of London and is also principal bassoon with the Academy of Ancient Music and the City of London Sinfonia. She is in demand as guest principal with orchestras and ensembles throughout the UK and Europe and can frequently be heard on BBC Radio 3.

The concert's A Steadfast Heart title is taken from a setting of Psalm 108 (My Heart is Steadfast), written for chorus and bassoon by contemporary British composer Adrian Williams.

"Music for bassoon and chorus is not very common," said Helen Hutchinson, the choir's administrator. "When we heard that Ursula was available and willing to fit us in to her busy schedule we were really excited. Then Mark Hindley came up with the idea for this rarely performed piece of music, Ursula agreed to play it with us, and that formed the basis for our early spring concerts this year."

The concert will also feature the UK premiere of another psalm setting by Patrick Hawes, probably best known as the composer of the Highgrove Suite, commissioned by the Prince of Wales in 2009. In addition, the choir will sing the much-loved Mass in G minor by Ralph Vaughan Williams and Ursula will play his haunting and lyrical Six Studies in English Folksong.

The highly thought of Wordsworth Singers were founded in 1997 and landed Cumbria’s Choir of the Year in the Cumbria Life cultural awards in 2015.

Tickets for both concerts are available in advance at www.wordsworthsingers.org.uk or from the tourist information centres at Ambleside and Carlisle.