A very special concert will take place in St Mary’s Church, Bishops Lydeard.

On Saturday, November 10, Taunton based chamber choir The Phoenix Singers will be presenting a sequence of music and readings to mark the centenary of the First World War Armistice in 1918.

The concert will also be an important and poignant occasion for the Choir as they say goodbye to their highly respected Musical Director, Andrew Maddocks, who retires after 22 years.

The commemoration programme looks at seven themes that were very much part of the Armistice and the months and years that followed.

The larger part of the programme deliberately uses music written by composers who were alive during the war period.

There are pieces by Charles Stanford, Vaughan Williams, Edward Elgar, Edgar Bainton, George Butterworth and Hubert Parry. Since the Dunkirk Memorial Home (A Royal British Legion Care Home) is nearby, there will be an opportunity to donate to a collection for the Royal British Legion and a donation will be added from ticket sales.

Tickets at £12 (children and students: free) available by booking online at thephoenixsingers.co.uk and from Taunton Visitor Centre or call 01823 252658.