THE world-renowned Farnham Youth Choir kicked off its new season with a joyous concert at St Andrew’s Church to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Lions Club of Farnham.

There wasn’t a spare seat to be had as supporters of the Lions, including the Mayor of Farnham, Mike Hodge, and his consort Waverley council leader Julia Potts, packed into Farnham’s parish church to mark the club’s half century.

It was also a poignant occasion for the choir, having welcomed 10 new members to its ranks this season - its second under the stewardship of musical director Jo Tomlinson - as well as adding five new pieces to its repertoire.

The first half of the concert was dominated by sacred pieces ranging from the familiar ‘Stabat Mater’ arranged by Giovanni Battista Pergolesi to Will Todd’s jazz-infused ‘The Lord is My Shepherd’, as well as pitch-perfect solos by Charlotte Gill and Annia Grey.

And after a short interval, the tempo lifted as the choir added percussion and even some choreography to its performance - highlights including a world premier of Janet Wheeler’s ‘A Poison Tree’, watched by its composer, and Ivo Antognini’s ‘Wah bah dah bah too bee!’.

The audience was also transported to the West End for a duet of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Pie Jesu sung by Jessica Miller and Annia Grey, followed by Millie Brake’s solo performance of Cy Coleman’s ‘If My Friends Could See Me Now’ from Sweet Charity.

As the night drew to a close, the choir showed another string to its bow with renditions of Bob Dylan’s ‘Make You Feel My Love’ and the show-stopping finale, Michael Higgins’ playful arrangement of Paloma Faith’s ‘Upside Down’.

The concert was one of several special events arranged to celebrate the Farnham Lions’ 50th year, capped by July’s ‘Summer Spectacular’ at a private motor museum in Churt which attracted 690 guests and raised more than £40,000 in aid of four local youth-based charities.

Addressing the audience Andrew Lodge, president of the Lions Club of Farnham, thanked the “wonderful” Farnham Youth Choir, St Andrew’s Church and the Farnham Institute for their “generous support” putting on the concert, as well as the mayor and all those in the audience for joining the celebration.

The mayor, Mr Hodge, congratulated the Lions on reaching its landmark and expressed hope that the club would continue “for another 50 years”, adding its efforts are “much appreciated by everyone in Farnham”.

Graham Noakes, of Farnham Youth Choir, in turn thanked the Lions for inviting the choir to help mark its anniversary, and expressed hope that the audience would leave “with a different perspective on what young voices can achieve”.

He added the youth choir aims to give its members, aged 11 to 18, “lifelong skills that will continue to play an important role in their lives going forward”, and has its sights set on representing Britain at the World Choir Games in Calgary in 2020.

Farnham Youth Choir is looking forward to a packed schedule of concerts this December. For more information, including how to audition for the choir, visit the website www.fyc.org.uk.