CHECHELELE, York’s world music choir, is to host a concert on June 20 at St Clement’s Church, Scarcroft Road, York, featuring a Cuban choir that performed to Pope Benedict XVI on his visit to the North American country.

Fourteen members of Camerata de Música Áurea, from the city of Santiago, are making their first trip outside Cuba at the request of the Sheffield Socialist Choir, whose singers first met the choir at the biennial choral festival in Santiago in 2003 and again in 2009.

Under the Voces de Cuba project, Música Áurea have been invited to Britain by Sheffield City Council and Sheffield University and will visit choirs in Leeds, Bradford Edinburgh and Nottingham, as well as York and Sheffield.

The Cuban choir also will give the opening concert of the Garforth Arts Festival on June 28 and work with schools, youth choirs, classical and community choirs to organise workshops and performances.

The invitation to sing in York came from Chechelele member (and Green councillor for Fishergate) Andy D’Agorne.

“Having met them when I visited Cuba to sing with the Sheffield choir at the Santiago Festival, I was keen to ask Musica Aurea to perform in York on this UK tour,” says Andy.

“It will also be a really big moment for them visiting our wonderful city, its historic streets and York Minster. We hope it helps to build international cultural links with Cuba.”

Musica Aurea sing classical pieces, ranging from Monteverdi to Rimsky-Korsakov’s Flight Of The Bumblebee, in multi-part harmony, as well as Cuban boleros and modern folk songs with vibrant rhythms.

While in York, the choir will be given a tour of the Mansion House by York’s new Lord Mayor, Councillor Keith Hyman, the day after the 7.30pm concert.

• Tickets are available at £8 from Andy D’Agorne on 07941 392 667 or on the door. The full programme for Musica Aurea’s debut UK tour can be found at vocesdecuba.org.uk