A BOLTON choir is urging people to support its concerts to safeguard its future and that of a historic Bolton venue.

Bolton Choral Union (BCU) has been performing in Victoria Hall for about 130 years, including a recent successful fundraising concert for the Knowlsey Street building.

But numbers to the choir's other performances have dwindled and BCU is struggling to cover costs which can be more than £4,000 to stage a concert with professional orchestras, conductors and soloists.

Stuart Barnes, a member of BCU since the mid-1990s, said: "Support for BCU concerts has reduced substantially in recent years — gone are the days when the hall would be filled to capacity twice in the same week for a performance of Messiah.

"The last time such a performance was given, with a large chorus and professional orchestra and soloists, the audience was around 400 people, resulting in a big financial loss for the choir.

"BCU is still determined to keep to its concept of bringing live professional classical musicians into Bolton, to perform with the choir, but the costs are becoming more and more difficult to support."

A concert was held at Victoria Hall in October, involving BCU, Ladybridge Singers, the Brixi Singers and Bolton Symphony Orchestra's Jazzicle group.

It raised £8,000 towards repairs and the upkeep of the building, which costs £500 a day to run.

Mr Barnes said: "Where is the sense in people supporting a concert to preserve the Victoria Hall, if they will not come to other concerts performed by the likes of BCU which are essentially similar in style and which, if not better supported, will probably have to cease to be at some point in the future because of lack of money to put them on."

BCU is holding its next concert at the Parish Church, Silverwell Street, due to its smaller capacity and in a bid to cut hiring costs.

It will be on Sunday December 7, at 7pm, featuring a programme of Christmas Classics including Fantasia on Christmas Carols by Ralph Vaughan Williams, Bach’s Sleepers Wake and Pachelbel’s Canon, performed by the Northern Chamber Orchestra.

A total of 65 singers from BCU will perform with the orchestra, led by guest conductor Jonathan Lo, and there will be four professional soloists including Eleanor Garside and Oliver Dunn.

Mr Barnes added: Both have sung with BCU in the last year or so, to huge acclaim.

"Jonathan Lo is a young and very highly rated musician. He currently works with the Gabrieli Consort, Sheffield Philharmonic and King’s College London Symphony Orchestra, among others."

The next BCU concert in the Victoria Hall is on December 20 — the BCU Christmas Carol Concert featuring Blackburn and Darwen Brass Band and Blackrod Primary School choir.

Mr Barnes added: "It would be wonderful for the future of BCU, if these concerts were to be well supported in a way which rewards the huge efforts put into their production and the cost of bringing live classical music and singing into Bolton.

"So, particularly in the case of the Carol Concert, please set your TV recorders to record ‘Strictly’, and come and enjoy a wonderful traditional Christmas sing-along and concert.

"As the old saying goes, ‘You don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone’"