COLCHESTER'S world music group Quire are back with another concert this weekend following an already busy few months.

In January the ensemble kicked off the year featuring on the BBC Radio 3 programme Meet My Choir while for the last few weeks they have been preparing Blues and Gospel numbers from the America of the Thirties.

That will form part of their concert taking place on Friday which is entitled American Dream.

In preparing for it, conductor Bill Tamblyn drew on his extensive knowledge of the Blues and Folk singer Huddie Ledbetter, known to the blues world as Lead Belly. He has made arrangements sympathetic to the originals collected by the folklorists John and Alan Lomax made while Lead Belly was in prison.

He says: “The whole world of human experience is somewhere in these 200 songs – from Irene, Good night, his song made popular in the second world war by American Soldiers, and Rock Island Line and Midnight Special picked up by English singer, Lonnie Donegan and Little Richard.”

Following the concert Quire will not be wresting on their musical laurels with its smaller group Quire in Education introducing world music songs on the theme of The Natural World at St George’s Primary school and then in May, the full choir performing at the Colchester Arts Centre with a programme featuring American Gospel and Blues as well as French and Scottish songs.

Then later in the year Quire will be performing in this year's City of Culture - Hull, where they have been asked to present workshops and concerts on the theme of freedom. During their time there the BBC will record material for a later broadcast.

American Dream takes place at Wilson Marriage Centre, Magdalen Street, Colchester, this Friday, March 31, from 7.30pm.

Tickets are £10, £8 for concessions, available on the door or from Manns Music on 01206 572783.

Quire is always on the look-out for singers so if you fancy giving it a go they meet Thursday evenings at 7pm at Lion Walk Church Hall in Colchester town centre. For more information e-mail info@quire.org or call Bill on 01206 735770.