A ROSSENDALE choir is looking for talented singers to ‘pitch in’ as it has a shortage of soprano vocalists in its ranks.

Rossendale Ladies’ Choir is celebrating after former member and acclaimed soprano Alwyn Mellor agreed to become patron.

But despite a thriving membership, which has been boosted by recent choir TV talent shows, the choir has fewer soprano singers than it would hope for to follow in Alwyn’s footsteps.

Secretary Christine Dixon, who has been a choir member for 14 years, said: “We have around 40 members at the moment, and normally you would expect around a quarter of singers to be sopranos. We haven’t got that proportion, so we would especially welcome soprano singers to join us.

“Normally we see plenty of singers in that range, but not at present.

“We are always welcoming of new recruits.

“The Gareth Malone show Military Wives was particularly inspiring for a lot of women, and we saw new members after that was broadcast. Those who would like to join us, please feel free to come along to a few rehearsals to see if it is for you.”

The choir celebrated its 35th anniversary last year with a sell-out concert in Haslingden.

Alwyn, who sang with the choir in the early 1980s when she lived in Rawtenstall, has received critical acclaim for her performances with Grange Park Opera, Longborough Festival Opera, and Opera North.

Trained at the Royal Northern College of Music, she has performed with Santa Fe Opera, Canadian Opera Company, and the Welsh National Opera.

The ladies’ choir practices every Wednesday, at St Peter’s Church, in Haslingden, from 7.30pm to 9.30pm.