WOKING Choral Society is marking its return to full choral singing after an 18-month lockdown pause with a performance of Handel’s magnificent oratorio, Messiah.

The society gave its last performance in the HG Wells Centre in March 2020, a week before the first COVID lockdown and two weeks before the centre was due to shut its doors for the last time.

The revival performance is in The United Reformed Church, White Rose Lane, Woking, on Saturday 27 November at 7.30.

Messiah is one of the most popular in the choral repertoire and rightly so. It tells the biblical story with a mix of solos and choruses including the well-known Hallelujah Chorus.

To do full justice to this magnificent work, the choir will be joined by a full orchestra, the Garter Ensemble, and four professional soloists who have all sung at the highest level nationally and internationally. They will be conducted by their musical director, Richard Bannan.

The soloists are mezzo-soprano Martha McLorinan, tenor Nicholas Mulroy, bass Jimmy Holliday and soprano Miriam Allan.

Miriam was one of the quartet who gave a moving performance at the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral. She has also sung Messiah in the Sydney Opera House in her native Australia.

Tickets are £18, students £5 and under 16s free. They are available from The Lightbox museum and gallery in Woking, the Brittens Music shop in The Broadway, New Haw, online via www.wokingchoral.org.uk and at the door on the night.