An evening of choral and orchestral splendour is promised as Guildford Choral prepares to return to Holy Trinity Church in Guildford on March 14 at 7.30pm.

This 150-strong fully auditioned choir will be joined by soloists Aneska Diament (soprano), Angelina Dorlin-Barlow (contralto), Jacob Cole (tenor) and Oliver Barker (bass) for music that journeys across the centuries, exploring resilience and hope in times of conflict.

Under musical director Jonathan Willcocks, Guildford Choral will join forces with professional chamber orchestra Southern Pro Musica to deliver a performance marrying classical intensity with contemporary brilliance.

Opening the evening will be Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Symphony No. 40 in G minor. Composed in 1788, this dramatic masterpiece pulses with restless emotion and is one of Mozart’s most celebrated and widely performed works.

At the heart of the concert is Franz Joseph Haydn’s Mass in Time of War, also known as Paukenmesse. Composed in 1796 amid the threat of Napoleon’s advancing armies, the work reflects the anxieties of wartime Europe while ultimately offering affirmation and hope.

Complementing Haydn’s masterpiece is I Sing and Ever Shall, an exhilarating contemporary work by award-winning British composer Janet Wheeler, which celebrates the universal human impulse to sing, weaving together words by Emily Dickinson, Rabindranath Tagore, Sara Teasdale, Abraham Cowley and Robert Herrick.

From moments of lyrical stillness to dazzling displays of rhythmic vitality - including a movement inspired by Scottish mouth music - Wheeler’s score offers a joyful and immersive celebration of voice and creativity.

The soloists bring an impressive array of awards, prizes and competitive scholarships. Their achievements range from major competition successes and prestigious college prizes to first-class degrees and sought-after early career appointments with leading opera companies. They are sponsored by the Josephine Baker Trust.

For tickets, priced £10, £20 or £26, call 0333 666 3366 or visit www.guildfordchoral.org