This weekend, the Lindisfarne Gospels Community Choir made its festive debut at The Bowes Museum in Barnard Castle, County Durham. Lizzie Anderson reports.

AS I walked towards the grand entrance of the Bowes Museum in Barnard Castle this afternoon (Sunday, December 16) I felt a mixture of apprehension and excitement.

The Lindisfarne Gospels Community Choir was about to give its first performance and for members like me, who have never sung in public since primary school, it was a nerve-wracking prospect.

Luckily, we were in safe hands. At our monthly rehearsal on Saturday, choir leader Mish Kelly, director of musical outreach at Durham Cathedral, was full of encouragement and guided us through the concert material several times.

For those unfamiliar with the project, the choir was set up in the summer as part of preparations for the return of Lindisfarne Gospels to the North-East. The aim is for 1,000 singers of all ages and abilities to unite for a concert on Palace Green in Durham City next July.

The concert will coincide with an exhibition on the priceless medieval manuscript, which was created in Lindisfarne in Northumberland during the 8th century in honour of St Cuthbert.

Hundreds of singers have already signed up and the carol concert was a chance for us to show the public, including our friends and family, the progress we have made so far. It was also an opportunity to help seasonal cheer, as our performance coincided with the Bowes Museum Christmas Market - a two-day festive extravaganza, with 100 craft and produce stalls, children’s entertainment and a Santa’s grotto.

In the end, I need not have worried. The concert was a truly amazing experience and I hope the audience enjoyed it as much as we did.

Ms Kelly had devised a varied programme that combined well known carols, including Hark the Herald, and Away in a Manger, with lesser known pieces. My favourite was a secular song called a Spell for Safekeeping, which boasts beautiful lyrics and a gentle melody.

Durham Cathedral’s Young Singers accompanied us for many of the carols and also sang their own piece - a chirpy tune called The Sparrow Carol.

Pam Naylor, of Hunwick, near Crook, shared my elation after the performance.

“It was nerve-wracking but exhilarating,” she said.

“I feel uplifted. It was such a thrill to sing in this amazing gallery, surrounded by works of art.”

If you would like to join the Lindisfarne Gospels Community Choir, call 0300-0261948 for more information.