The Isle of Man Choral Society, who have been invited to perform the world premiere of music presently being written by Sir Karl Jenkins at a concert in New York City, will provide their annual concert this year on Sunday afternoon.

They will perform works by Rutter, Mendelssohn and Mascagni. The soloists are Karen Elliott (soprano), Mandy Griffin (mezzo-soprano) and Richard Pollock (tenor) at 2.30pm at the Villa Marina.

The New York concert will take place on Martin Luther King Jr Day, on January 15th next year, and will feature the Isle of Man Choral Society alongside outstanding choristers from around the world.

The news of the New York performance came only a week ago. A spokesman for the Society said, “It is every musician’s dream to perform on a stage such as the Royal Albert Hall or the Paris or Milan Opera Houses, and this invitation to the Carnegie Hall is on the same level.

“This is a truly wonderful honour for the Society, and we are, as you might imagine, absolutely thrilled to have received this invitation. It puts the Isle of Man Choral Society on a world level and recognises the enormous amount of time which has been given by the choir over the years, and the skill of our conductor Julian Power.”

Dr Jonathan Griffith, artistic director and principal conductor for Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY), said, “The Isle of Man Choral Society received this invitation because of the quality and high level of musicianship demonstrated by the singers as well as the high quality of their audition recording.

“It is quite an honour just to be invited to perform in New York. These wonderful musicians not only represent a high quality of music and education, but they also become ambassadors for the entire community. This is an event of extreme pride for everybody and deserving of the community’s recognition and support.”

•  Tickets  for the Isle of Man Choral Society’s annual concert are available from the Villa Gaiety box office and online.