TWO Huddersfield musicians have a date with Royalty tomorrow.

They are among five students from the prestigious Chetham’s School of Music who have been invited to perform alongside the renowned Bach Choir in a one-off concert, at the Royal Festival Hall in London.

Cellists Richard Isaac and Chris Mansfield, both from Huddersfield, will perform with the Chetham’s Symphony Orchestra, for the rendition of the thrilling Verdi’s Requiem, on March 2.

And among the guests in the audience will be Prince Edward.

Led by widely respected conductor and musical director David Hill, Chetham’s Symphony Orchestra and Chetham’s Chorus will perform alongside the Bach Choir’s most celebrated soloists.

Verdi’s Requiem has become famous for the thrilling Dies Irae, an unforgettably dramatic evocation of the Day of Judgement.

The work was written to mourn the poet Alessandro Manzoni.

Stephen Threlfall, Director of Music at Chetham’s School of Music, said: “This requiem is just as relevant in our age as when it was first performed in 1874.

“A dramatic piece of music, Verdi’s Requiem tells the story of a struggle between the secular and the sacred which obsessed its composer.”

He added: “The school’s partnership with the Bach Choir is a clear indication of the calibre of the students we have at Chetham’s and we’re proud to join such world renowned soloists on stage.

“It’s also an honour that we will be performing in front of Prince Edward”.

Chetham’s can trace its history as a school back to 1653, when a “Hospital School and Library” was founded by Humphrey Chetham, twice the High Sheriff of Manchester.

Both School and Library thrived and the centuries passed. The medieval town of Manchester flourished and grew into the world’s first industrial city.

At one point three schools shared the same yard – The Manchester Grammar School, Nicholls Hospital School and Chetham’s Hospital School, where boys still wore traditional Tudor dress.

It was in 1969 that the decision was taken to change the boys’ Grammar School to a fully co-educational boarding specialist Music School.

Today, 40 years later, Chetham’s enjoys a reputation as being a celebrated and internationally renowned specialist Music School.