ILKLEY and Otley choral societies will combine for a special concert at 7pm on Saturday, March 28 , at St Margaret’s Church, Ilkley.

Alan Horsey has been musical director of both choirs for nearly 20 years and this will be his last concert in Ilkley before he retires. The concert is also a memorial to Lydia Pettitt, the last surviving founder member of the choir from 1949 until her death on Boxing Day, 2014.

Members of her family will attend with Cllr Mike Gibbons, Lord Mayor of Bradford and Mrs Elizabeth Sharp, Lady Mayoress.

Pieces chosen by Mr Horsey will include Mozart’s Ave Verum Corpus, Exultate Jubilate and Requiem Mass and Haydn’s Te Deum.

Soloists are Joanne Dexter, Alison Hudson, Greg Tassell and Neil Baker. The orchestra is the Yorkshire Chamber Ensemble, led by Sally Robinson.

Tickets (£12) are available from The Grove Bookshop and choir members or at the door but demand is expected to be high.