THE Monmouth Choral Society has launched its season with a new programme of music for the year ahead, a new logo and an open invitation to prospective new members to join up.

The choir has resumed its Tuesday evening rehearsals at the Bridges Centre, Monmouth, in preparation for its next concert, which is at St Mary's Priory Church on November 17.

Musical director Huw Williams said: "Our first concert will feature beautiful music from Vienna and Prague.

"Alongside the lovely Mozart Coronation Mass, with its famous operatic soprano solo in the Agnus Dei, we will be performing two other works: Dvorak's Mass in D has some lovely melodies and the Kyrie especially has a really folksy character.

"The Bruckner Missa Solemnis is an early work inspired especially by the late masses of Haydn and is full of colourful orchestral, solo and choral writing."

Huw Williams will conduct the concert, and the choir will be joined by soloists Sian Winstanley, soprano, Martha McLorinan, alto, Ben Thapa, tenor and Greg Skidmore, bass, with Sam Bayliss, organ, and the Regency Sinfonia.

Roz Williamson, chair of Monmouth Choral Society, said: "Last year the choir celebrated its 20th anniversary. We had an exciting year performing some great music. This season, we hope to top this with music ranging from Mozart to Fauré and a block-buster performance of Elgar's Dream of Gerontius in April.

"We hope that some new singers join us. Monmouth Choral is friendly and welcoming. Singing in a choir is a great way to meet new people and have a lot of fun – it's even good for your health!"

The new logo, created by Darren Stacey of Doubletake Design, is based on the curves of the treble clef but also suggests river and sound waves. In future it will appear on all the choir's posters, publicity and other material.