The Castlegate Singers – the ‘Angel Voices’ women’s choir from Cockermouth – have a busy schedule before Christmas.

Their Christmas programme of British, Spanish, French and Catalan music will be a treat for everyone, and of course there will be an opportunity for the audience to join in with traditional carols.

The Gala Trio are our guest performers.

The choir will sing in Embleton this Friday; for Cockermouth WI on Monday; at Christ Church next Saturday, December 7; at Mitchells Auction on December 9; at Jennings Brewery on December 11; at Sainsbury’s Cockermouth store on December 14; and at the Castle Inn on Christmas Eve.

The friendly choir, which welcomes women of all ages and which began under the baton of the former Head of Music at Cockermouth School, Richard Bennett, is now headed by two local musical divas – Anne Marie Kerr, who directs the singers, and our accompanist Fiona Weakley.

They meet on Wednesday evenings at the United Reformed Church.