BEARSDEN’S choir will celebrate its 50th anniversary later this year with a major concert.

The 120-strong choir will take to the stage at Glasgow City Halls with 50 orchestra members from the Royal Conservatoire for the first event of the year, on April 29.

The group will pay homage to the choir’s first performance with their rendition of Sir Edward Elgar’s masterpiece Dream of Gerontius.

Carol Young, the choir’s vice-president who herself joined 30 years ago, told the Evening Times the choir is open to people of all ages and promises to provide an excellent night of musical entertainment from a wide array of Glaswegians.

She added: “You don’t have to live in Bearsden to be a part of the choir, I travel from Clarkston every week.

“We have a quite a large group of young people involved. Recently we’ve taken over stalls at freshers fairs and we’ve now got a lot of students – and they’re not all music students.

“It’s a great group to be a part of.”

The choir began on June 25, 1968 when East Dunbartonshire’s provost at the time, Provost Fisher, formed the Bearsden Burgh Choir to perform the Messiah with 88 members taking to the stage on December 18, conducted by Harry McGill at the Rio Cinema and accompanied by the Glasgow Chamber Orchestra.

Since then it has gone from strength to strength, performing on Songs of Praise and winning the Sainsbury Choir of the Year twice. Now they’re looking to make this milestone birthday their greatest moment yet.

Those looking to purchase tickets, which cost between £17.50 and £20 or £5 concession, or sponsor the choir, can get in touch with City Halls Box Office and enquiries@bearsdenchoir.co.uk