A FORMER Salisbury Cathedral chorister is returning to south Wiltshire for a special concert of medieval music.

Grace Newcombe is part of Rumorum who are at All Saints’ Church in Fittleton for Welawey, Weilawei, Weylaey: 13th century British Song on Friday, 7.30pm.

Grace says: “It’s very early music, mostly from the 1200s, so I hope that it will be a novelty to most classical concert-goers and music lovers. It’s a mix of accompanied song, some pieces for two intertwining voices, and some instrumentals. There is also a fair amount of improvisation during the programme, from both voices and instruments. We’ll be singing in two medieval languages, Middle English and Anglo Norman - and we are hoping to project the texts with translations in real time during the concert, so that the audience can understand the stories we are telling.”

Grace started out as a chorister at Salisbury Cathedral and her love of music grew from there as she explains: “From then on it was something I wanted to do professionally, and as I studied further, I fell deeper and deeper into the world of Early Music.”

She adds: “It's great [ to be returning to the area to perform]. There isn’t much opportunity to perform or see concerts of medieval music in England, despite our great medieval heritage and the beautiful churches and other venues available. When I left to study abroad, I was determined to bring this music back with me at some point. And I’ll be really happy to see any old friends, colleagues, and teachers who might be interested in what I’ve been up to since I left Salisbury.

“Bringing this particular programme to my Salisbury is special, as it is focussed around British clerical song from medieval times - that means that a religious centre such as Salisbury may well have had these very songs resounding in the streets, on the market place, or in the cloister in the 12th and 13th centuries.”

Tickets are £10 on the door and include a glass of wine. Doors open at 7pm.

For more information go to rumorum.com