Buckden Singers are celebrating their fifth birthday and, to mark the occasion, they are staging two anniversary concerts.

The four-part community choir is drawn from the villages of Upper Wharfedale including Buckden, Hubberholme, Cray, Starbotton, Kettlewell, Grassington and Cracoe.

It was founded in January 2007 when a group of 12 friends formed a singing group, meeting in a villager’s sitting room.

At that time the idea was just to get together and sing, and no- one had any idea how quickly the choir would grow.

After just a few rehearsals, the numbers had grown to the extent that they had to be moved to a larger location – Buckden Village Hall.

The first performances took place in October 2007 and took the form of two village shows where Buckden Singers performed a series of musical numbers while other villagers performed a series of “turns”.

In December that year, the first Christmas shows took place and have now become an annual event.

In 2008 a pattern was established which has remained for the past four years, with summer concerts at St Michael & All Angels, Hubberholme, and St Margaret Clitherow, Threshfield, and Christmas concerts in Buckden Village Hall.

The choir also sings at the Carols by Candlelight service on the first Sunday after Christmas at Hubberholme Church. In 2009 the choir was featured in the BBC TV programme In Search of England’s Green and Pleasant Land with Selina Scott, and last summer it was filmed for the second series of ITV programme The Dales, with Ade Edmondson, which is currently being broadcast.

To celebrate their anniversary, the choir, which now has more than 45 members, will sing a selection of its favourite pieces from previous concerts in Buckden Village Hall next Friday and Saturday, March 16 and 17, at 7.30pm.

To buy tickets, email tickets@buckden.org or visit buckdensingers.org