BRADFORD City Park will be filled with choral singing when 17 choirs gather in harmony for the first time next month.

The singing groups include a women's barbershop choir, a swing ensemble, a choir of people with learning disabilities, and a choir formed by refugees settling in the city, as well as community and school choirs. Some are well established choirs, others have come together for the occasion.

Performances take place as part of the Bradford Festival on June 13 and 14.

As well as a concert by the Mirror Pool, there will be ‘pop-up' performances by choirs at venues including the National Media Museum and Bradford Interchange.

The performance in City Park will involve a mass sing-along of You’ll Never Walk Alone, with the audience invited to join in.

MORE EVENTS HEADLINES

Other events include a free 'come and sing' workshop at the Delius Arts Centre on both days at 1.30pm, led by Bradford Festival Choral Society’s musical director, Thomas Leech.

The event has been organised by Bradford Festival Choral Society. Its chairman Maggie Eisner said: "We really want to give everyone in Bradford a chance to sing and meet others through song.

"This is a fantastic opportunity to put Bradford firmly on the musical map.

"We are grateful to the Council, which organises the festival, for funding this project. We hope this will be the start of a long-term relationship between the choirs of Bradford."

Bradford Festival Choral Society is one of the country's oldest amateur choirs, founded in 1856, and its roots date back to the first Bradford Festival three years earlier.

The choir has performed most of the major choral repertoire, working with a stellar cast of conductors including Elgar, Malcolm Sargent and Sir David Willcocks, with internationally-renowned soloists and orchestras.

Mr Leech said: "I'm really enjoying rehearsing with some of the choirs, there are some great talents out there and for some it will be their first chance to sing in front of a large crowd."

Schools and organisations taking part in the mass choral events are: Atlas Community Primary School, Belle Vue Girls’ School, BIASAN choir, Bradford Festival Choral Society, Bradford Voices, Carlton Bolling School, Castaways, Creative Journeys, Great Horton Singers, Noteworthy Women and Baildon MAWS, Opus 44, Pennine Chimes, Queensbury Singers, Sing from the Heart, Steeton Male Voice Choir and United Voice.

* To take part in the Come and Sing event register at bradfordfestivalchoralsociety.org.uk.