Chepstow Choral Society is now in the final weeks of preparation for another important major concert.

The Society has always presented a choral programme in the pre-Easter period, with this year's taking place on Saturday March 8, the Society will perform an outstanding programme of choral and orchestral music in St Mary's Church, Chepstow at 7.30pm.

The programme's principal choral item is the Requiem by Gabriel Faure. This piece of music is often performed at this time of year and, although the Society has sung this work several times over the past 30 years, this will be the first performance with a full orchestra.

The other two choral items are both new to the Society. The first is Anton Dvorak's exciting Te Deum, which combines choral singing, soprano and baritone solos and some quite stunning orchestration.

The second is the final choral piece for the evening. This will be a tribute to the British composer Ralph Vaughan Williams who died 50 years ago this year. The Benedicite has been chosen as a demonstration of Vaughan Williams's magnificent contribution to choral music.

The musical programme will be completed with the orchestral piece, the Pavane by Maurice Ravel.

The two soloists for the evening are Charlotte Ives (soprano) and Neil Bellingham (baritone). The orchestra will once again comprise many of the now-established instrumentalists who have given Chepstow music lovers such high quality music in recent years.

The performance will be directed by the Society's Musical Director, Graham Bull. Tickets (£10/£8) are available from Chepstow Bookshop and through choir members (tel. 01291 623310 for further information)..

Chepstow Choral Society will complete its 2007/2008 season on July 12th with another first' performance, Carl Orff's Carmina Burana and Brahms' Liebeslieder at Chepstow Leisure Centre. This will be the Society's Festival Concert.

Enquiries and information about singing membership should be directed to Marjorie Duerden (tel. 01291 623310), with information and enquiries about patron membership being obtained from the membership secretary Jean Parkes (01291 620414).