The Consort of Twelve and Chantry Quire offer summer concerts

Spokeswoman Lynden Cranham said: “On Sunday, July 3 at 6pm, in St Paul’s Church, the Consort of Twelve will be joined by the Portsmouth Baroque Choir to perform a Handel oratorio that some think is even better than his Messiah, his Biblical epic, Israel in Egypt.

"Here Handel dramatically sets to music the Israelites' escape from captivity, including depictions of the plagues of flies and frogs, violent thunder and hailstorms and galloping horses. Local tenor Tom Robson will be among the soloists.”

The Consort of Twelve is an ensemble of musicians who specialise in the performance of Baroque music using the styles, techniques and instruments of the 17th and 18th centuries.

The Consort was founded in 1982 and has hosted more than 170 concerts in the Chichester area and farther afield.

Tickets: £15, £8 under 18 years old. available from: Festival of Chichester box office, 01243 816525; The Novium, Tower Street, Chichester, PO19 1QH; Phillip and Philip Hairdressers, 7 Baffins Court, Chichester, PO19 1UA; online from www.consortoftwelve.co.uk

Also coming up, Chantry Quire offer their summer concert on Saturday, July 2 at Champs Hill (Waltham Park Road, near Pulborough, RH20 1LY).

Spokeswoman Carol Frogley said: “We are looking forward to exploring the world of flowers in song.”

“A Garden of Song will feature music by early composers, Morley, Wilbye and Byrd, as well as more recent music by Elgar, Finzi, Vaughan Williams, Britten, Whitacre and Lauridson.

"We will also be welcoming pianist Thomas Luke who will bring us some keyboard delights. Thomas was the keyboard finalist in the BBC Young Musician of the Year 2020. He will be performing some of MacDowell's Woodland Sketches, together with music by Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov and Debussy.

“The concert will be held in aid of Perennial, a Horticultural charity which supports those working within the horticultural industry. The event takes place on Saturday, July 2, and the gardens will be open from 5pm for us all to enjoy prior to the concert, which starts at 7.30pm.

"Tickets are only available in advance, so please ensure that you book your tickets in advance via our website,chantryquire.org.uk).

"Ticket includes entry to the gardens.”

Thomas was the keyboard category winner of the 2020 BBC Young Musician competition.

He was awarded first place in the 2021 Iris Dyer Piano Prize at the Junior Royal Academy of Music, and been recognised by the Vienna International Music Competition as possessing outstanding talent, a remarkable musicality.”

Thomas began piano lessons at the age of four and currently studies with Eleanor Hodgkinson at the Junior Royal Academy of Music in London.

Thomas has been the recipient of the Richard Toeman Memorial Award for Young Pianists and a Robert Lewin Scholarship from Awards for Young Musicians.