THE annual English Choral Experience, which runs from July 24 to 30, is celebrating its 10th year, directed as usual by the renowned leading choral director Paul Spicer.

The mini Arts Festival takes place in the timeless beauty of the 12th century Dore Abbey and is inclusive of fine dining, evening events and a multi media arts exhibition.

The course is aimed at experienced singers and the choir will be singing Howard Ferguson’s beautiful but rarely heard work, Amore Langueo, written in the mid 1950s, as the main work; other music is by Weelkes, Gibbons, Howells, Britten and a lively new commissioned work by Paul Spicer to celebrate the 10 anniversary of this highly popular and successful course.

Running concurrently with the singing course will be the inaugural year of the English Choral Experience Conducting Course: eight emerging conductors – two Advanced Student Conductors and six Intermediate Student Conductors – will have the chance to work with conductor Paul Spicer and other specialist tutors.

The public is welcome at any time to visit the abbey and hear the singing, to browse the fascinating exhibitions and attend various evening events: on Tuesday, July 26 and Thursday, July 28 at 9.15pm Compline will be sung by the English Choral Experience Consort, and on Friday, July 29 at 9pm a concert will be given by the ECE Scholars and on Saturday, July 30, the ECE Choir will be in concert at 7.30pm (tickets for both concerts available on the door).

A feast of visual art complements the musical activities of the week, providing an array of unique, wide ranging and varied styles of artworks.

The multi-media exhibition takes place in the south aisle and turns the whole event into a mini arts festival, which this year features painters, potters, textile artists, a glass artist and a metal sculptor.

Exhibiting this year will be artist-in-residence Susie Cawley, who paints in oils, watercolours and mixed media inspired by the landscape and natural forms of Shropshire, Herefordshire and North Wales; Jason Braham, who makes well-thrown salt-glazed stoneware pottery for everyday use; textile artist Abigail Bury; weaver Mon Darnbrough; leather and textile artist Philippa Day; sculptor Rachel Higgins,; felt artist Lorna Hollom, artist Ellie Ling, potter Sue Lilleman, glass artist Mollie Meager, artist Laura Rowlatt and photographer Jon Wild. Also exhibiting is potter Merryn Lloyd, who has organised the exhibition for the past 10 years. Merryn makes thrown functional domestic stoneware and porcelain, unashamedly in the Leach tradition. In the hope that her work will long outlast her she tries to make pots that are a pleasure both to look at and use. This will be her 10th and final year and she hopes that this year’s choice of artists and craft makers will delight everyone.

The exhibition will be open daily between 9.30 am and 6.15 pm and admission is free.

For full details of the week visit the website at englishchoralexperience.co.uk