An amateur ladies choir from Fairford are to perform at the Royal Albert Hall.

A Splash of Red, formed over five years ago by Fairford Primary school teacher Claire Lee, will take part for the first time in the National Festival of Brass and Voices 2015 on Saturday, November 14.

The group was originally formed as a fund-raiser for Fairford pupil Bethany Fenton, who died in 2010 of a brain tumour, while the long-running festival has raised over half a million pounds for Cancer Research UK since it began almost 30 years ago.

Claire, 49, said: “The festival takes place every third year and involves choirs from all over the country, singing all sorts of songs. A friend of mine suggested we enter, and we’ve been practising all year for it.

“Not everyone in our group reads music, so it’s been really challenging to prepare but also a lot of fun. We’ve worked hard and are very enthusiastic.”

A Splash of Red, who recently took part in a rehearsal performance at the Steam Museum in Swindon, are something of a teachers choir, loosely cemented around the school, and also including parents, governors and friends of friends of all ages.

All 53 choirs from across the country, as well as one from the Netherlands, will be conducted by the former manager of the BBC Symphony Orchestra, William Relton, who will then retire from the festival, having been involved since its inception.

Claire, from Lechlade, who recently completed a Masters in Educational Research at Bristol University, said her choir will sing a total of 14 songs, including Land of Hope and Glory and Bridge Over Troubled Water.

She added: “We’ll be going up to London on the Saturday morning for a rehearsal at the Royal Albert Hall and after the concert will be involved in a sing-a-long with other choirs at Tower Bridge.”

Visit asplashofred.org.uk/ for more information.