A CHOIR’S special birthday will finally be celebrated in the flesh.

Garleton Singers will toast its 50th anniversary – saying a glad farewell to virtual concerts – by holding a special performance in Haddington’s St Mary’s Parish Church next month.

The concert will also celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

The programme will include I Was Glad, written for the coronation of King Edward VII in 1902 by Sir Hubert Parry.

However, the highlight of the evening will be the first ever live performance of The Haddington Psalms by Nigel Don.

This piece was written for the choir’s 50th anniversary, which occurred during lockdown.

Undeterred, and led online by their conductor Stephen Doughty, the choir members recorded themselves at home and more than 400 individual clips were combined into a YouTube virtual concert.

The piece, which is scored for brass ensemble, organ and percussion, opens with a jubilant instrumental fanfare; over the following five movements, the emotions in the Book of Psalms are expressed in dramatic and colourful style, finishing with a joyous setting of the final three psalms in the psalter.

Also included are three fragments of mediaeval plainchant only recently discovered in Haddington Library.

Clive Drewitt, Garleton Singers chairperson, was looking forward to the performance on Saturday, June 11.

He said “We are delighted that our two virtual concerts raised more than £1,200 for charity during lockdown, and really excited to be singing The Haddington Psalms together for the first time.

“We really will be making a ‘glad sound’!”

Visit garletonsingers.co.uk/concerts or Kesley’s Bookshop in Haddington, direct from choir members for tickets.