A 300-STRONG choir made up of former students at a Ribble Valley high school is set to stage a performance for the first time in 20 years to mark the school’s 50th anniversary.

The concert has been put together by Peter Rose, who was head of music at St Augustine’s RC High School in Billington for 25 years.

King George’s Hall will stage the performance which will see past students come together for the first time since leaving the school two decades ago.

While at school the choir travelled to various places including New York and performed with Sting when they were campaigning for the Yanomamo Tribe in the Amazon.

The concert is aiming to raise money for CAFOD, Catholic Agency For Overseas Development, to help the community of Sebeya in Ethiopia.

The past students were contacted through Facebook by their former tutor after friends Matthew Howarth and Toni Hudson told him about their drive to encourage students to make a difference to people’s lives through music.

Mr Rose, 63, who now lives in Roy Bridge, Scotland, said: “Over the years, I had been well aware of the repeated requests for a choir and stage band reunion.

“Perhaps this very special 50th anniversary year was the perfect time for inviting past cohorts of singers and musicians to perform in a unique event.

“Perhaps this was a wonderful opportunity for past pupils to inspire and perform alongside present pupils, once again making a real and lasting difference to people’s lives through the extraordinary power of music.

“As children these singers and musicians had from the early 1980s proudly represented St Augustine’s not only nationally, but internationally.

“These were the performers of the world’s first environmental musicals, singing out their message in such renowned UK venues as the Royal Festival Hall, The Queen Elizabeth’s Hall and the Philharmonic Hall.”

The Just One World concert will be staged at the venue in Blackburn on Sunday, from 3.30pm.