COMPOSER Dr Alison Willis recently met North Devon choir The Winkleigh Singers to discuss the Choir’s commission of a new piece to celebrate 40 years of choral singing by the choir this year.

Roland Smith has conducted the choir throughout the last 40 years and Dr Willis attended a rehearsal where she shared some ideas about the new piece.

She will be setting some of the Landkey Carols to new arrangements and the piece will be given its world premiere on Saturday, December 14 at Great Torrington Parish Church.

Alison said: “It was lovely to meet the choir who produce a wonderful sound. I am really excited to be working with them on this project which combines ancient local words with new melodies.

“I hope it will prove to be a piece that other local choirs will want to sing to bring the Landkey Carols to a wider audience.”

Roland Smith said: “We are delighted that Alison has agreed to write a piece for us to celebrate 40 years of music making in North Devon.

“She has worked with many well-known musicians, including the BBC Singers, The Sixteen, The Gesualdo Six and the BBC Concert Orchestra, and we are very lucky to have her working with us.”

The choir is still raising funds to pay for the commission and has a GoFundMe page (https://gofund.me/cb709446).

Any donations would be very welcome.