MATTHEW Long will take the long road from London to his old singing ground of York for Yorkshire Bach Choir's contribution to the 2014 York Early Music Christmas Festival.

Tenor Matthew will be among the soloists for the December 6 performance of the perennial winter favourite, Handel's Messiah, on his return to the city where he was a member of the Yorkshire Bach Choir, a chorister at York Minster and a music student at the University of York.

Now living in London, he has built a career as a consort singer and has been a member of the chamber choirs The Sixteen and Tenebrae, as well as the vocal ensemble I Fagiolini.

In 2011, he won a scholarship to study for a masters in vocal performance at the Royal College of Music, London, and while there he was a Susan Chilcott Scholarship holder and a Royal Philharmonic Society Young Artist.

In 2012, Matthew worked at Abbey Road Studios with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, accompanist Malcolm Martineau and guitarist Rufus Miller on his debut solo disc, a recording of classical art songs by Butterworth, Quilter, Vaughan Williams and Finzi and folk songs from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

He will be joined at St Michael le Belfrey by soprano Veronika Winter, alto Eleanor Minney, bass Peter Harvey and conductor Peter Seymour.

"We hope our concert will be the musical highlight of York’s festive period," says Seymour.

"We combine the energy and skill of our period ensemble Yorkshire Baroque Soloists with an outstanding line-up of vocal soloists. Returning to this much loved music with fresh eyes and some rarely heard versions, we will echo Handel’s London performances from the last decade of his life."

Looking forward to 7pm concert, Peter adds: "It's always a pleasure to return to Messiah, especially especially as part of the Christmas Early Music Festival and in the run-up to Christmas. For this Messiah, we have soloists ranging from Peter Harvey, a regular soloist with our choir, to former member Matthew Long. We also have Veronika Winter and Eleanor Minney, who York audiences may not have had the opportunity to hear before but who are justly renowned for their singing of this repertoire.

“Returning to Handel’s practice of changing versions, those who know the piece well should definitely find something new in our performance alongside of course those familiar favourites we all know so well.”

Tickets cost £24, concessions £22, on 01904 658338, at ncem.co.uk or on the door.