A trumpeter is becoming “instrumental” in raising funds for Bury Parish Church Choir.

Whitefield-born Chris Parsons, a former student at Bury Grammar School, will perform at the church at 7.30pm on Saturday, April 17.

Chris has played the cornet from the age of five and has been in Besses Boys Band, Bury Youth Concert Band and Bury Youth Baroque Orchestra. He performs with several ensembles at York University where he is studying music, and also sings in the parish church choir.

The choir regularly spends time deputising for resident choirs at cathedrals around the country but this proves expensive in terms of accommodation, transport, meals and living expenses.

So to help raise money for their trip to St Albans Cathedral in 2011, Chris has created a music group to perform in the parish church. The ensemble, known as Scholae Buriensis Baroque Players and Chorus, comprises about 20 orchestral musicians together with a similar number of singers — many of whom are students or former students of Bury Grammar School.

Admission to the concert is £4 (£3 concessions). Tickets are on sale in the House on the Rock coffee shop, at the church, every weekday (except Tuesday), or on Sundays before and after services.