The Cheltenham based Cantores Chamber Choir will be saying goodbye to their long-standing musical director with two performances this week.

This will be the last concert in Cirencester under the musical direction of John Holloway, who is retiring from Cantores having conducted them for 12 years.

They will be performing in Cirencester Parish Church on Saturday 23rd March.

Cantores member Aileen Graham said: “During his time John has achieved high quality choral singing from the choir with his enthusiasm and skilful varied programming.

“Cantores usually give two concerts per year in the splendid venue of Cirencester Parish Church which has very much become our home.”

This concert, entitled ‘Serenade to Music’, includes works by Haydn, Mendelssohn, Vivaldi, Ešenvalds and Dove as well as the title work by Ralph Vaughan Williams.

Cantores’ regular String Ensemble and organist Julian Elloway will provide accompaniment and also perform two movements of Handel’s organ concerto ‘The Cuckoo and the Nightingale’.

The same programme will be performed in Holy Trinity Church, Minchinhampton on Saturday 16th March. Further details and tickets (£15) for each concert are available via www.cantores.net.

Cantores are hoping to appoint a new musical director by Easter.