Tickets on sale for Belvoir Wassailers concert in village church

The group, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, was originally made up of employees of the Belvoir Castle Estates but now it has a membership of over 30 singers from the Melton area.

Tickets cost £10 for the Burton Lazars concert and are available by emailing Jenny Pengelly at jenpenge@aim.com or by calling her on 01664 668095.

The choir has raised in the region of £50,000 for local and national charities during the last two decades.

An anniversary concert at All Saints Church, Knipton, in July, was attended by the Dowager Duchess of Rutland and many former choir members, musical directors and soloist from previous years. The evening generated £500 for the church restoration fund.

The choir staged its AGM at Waltham village hall on October 25 when members marked the retirement of founder member, past president and tenor, Gillie Ward.

He has been a great influence on the choir over many years and a presentation of an engraved vase was made to him plus a bottle of his favourite tipple, single malt whisky, with his name on the label.

Any male singers interested in coming along and joining the choir would be very welcome.

The choir is also in search of more sponsors to help continue its round of charity concerts in the Melton Mowbray and Vale of Belvoir area.

***Apologies for an error in a previous article in the Melton Times – the specified November 27 concert at Burton Lazars was from a previous year.